After a lot of speculation this past week leading up to the NBA Draft and the summer free agency period, NBA veteran Rasheed Wallace has officially decided to retire from the NBA. Wallace had 15 turbulent seasons in the NBA, where highs saw him playing as an integral piece of the 2004 NBA Champion Detroit Pistons, and lows where he often led the league in technical foul calls and ejections while part of the fan/media labeled ‘Jail Blazers’ during his time in Portland.
NBA.com’s David Aldridge had this on the news:
The Boston Celtics’ expected rebuilding began Thursday when veteran forward Rasheed Wallace officially decided to retire after 15 NBA seasons, a league source said.
Wallace’s retirement had been expected after the Celtics’ seven-game loss to the Lakers in the Finals, but Boston had held out some hope that the 35-year-old would change his mind with a few days’ contemplation.
Wallace signed a three-year, $18.9 million contract with Boston last summer, turning down offers from Orlando and San Antonio after the Celtics made a team-wide push to recruit him, sending Coach Doc Rivers, GM Danny Ferry and forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Wallace’s home to ask him to play in Boston. He left more than $12 million on the table by opting to retire.
Wallace was not in great shape at the beginning of the season, but saved his best play for late in the regular season and in the playoffs, stepping in at center when starter Kendrick Perkins was injured and could not go in Game 7. {Via}
In the days to weeks to come there will surely be lots of coverage on the Wallace retirement in the blogosphere, as he was a player that revolutionized the way we look at the skill set of a big man. Not only was Wallace a dominant force in the post, but he was the first of a new generation of big men who can step out and knock down the outside shot with consistency.
Wallace never shied away from a big moment in crunch time, and his passionate and fiery play will certainly be missed by fans and players league wide.
