The 1996 NBA draft is remembered for providing one of the most talented rookie classes of all time.
Future MVPs Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Steve Nash were all selected that year, as well as future stars such as Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker and Ray Allen
One player who didn't get picked after declaring for the 1996 draft, however, was Ben Wallace. But he didn't let it hold him back.
Wallace instead signed with the Washington Wizards – then known at the Bullets – as a free agent, before spells with the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
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The 6ft 9ins power forward/centre found stardom in Detroit, where he was a key player in an NBA title triumph in 2004. He earned four All-Star selections and was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Wallace was also known as one of the toughest players around, Once named the 'most terrifying player in NBA history', he was regularly found guilty of flagrant fouls and it was his scuffle with Ron Artest of the the Indiana Pacers in 2004 that started a mass brawl involving players and fans that became known as 'Malice at the Palace'.
One of the best defenders of his generation and a player who shied away from no challenge, Wallace used his experience of going undrafted as motivation.
“Once you get over the initial shock and once you get over the fact that everybody have to pay for not taking a chance on you, it’s back to the grind,” he said Wallace. “So I went back to the gym that night.
“I was on a mission to let everybody know, ‘Y’all missed one.’ And I did reps on the bench press to everybody’s name that was called in that draft until I gave up. So it was whoever – A.I., ‘Starbury,’ Shareef, Jermaine, Ray, Kobe. For me it just became motivation. It’s me against the world now, my back up against the wall.
“Guys that got drafted, it wasn’t personal, but that’s the way I went about my business. I seen where everybody went. I seen what type of teams the top guys were going to. And I kept my eye on them from the time I got to [the league] till I retired. I always kept my eye on them.”
In 2021, Wallace became the first undrafted player in NBA history to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“I’m so thrilled when you put a person like Ben in the Hall of Fame,” said Larry Brown, the Pistons coach with whom Wallace won the 2004 NBA title. “He’s a guy who just maximised his talent and showed people, if you work on your game, you defend every play, you try to rebound every ball, it’s not about getting 30, it’s the contributions you make to your team and the impact you have on the game.
“That’s a great example for some of these young kids who only see highlight reels of offensive plays.”
Topics: NBA, Basketball
Ryan Baldi