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The first name of the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame class has been revealed: former Pistons star Ben Wallace.
Marc Spears of The Undefeated first reported the news of Wallace’s impending enshrinement; several other outlets corroborated the report with their own sources. The entire 2021 enshrinement class will be announced on Sunday.
If Wallace is inducted, he will become the first undrafted player in NBA history to make the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ex-Detroit Pistons and HBCU Virginia Union star Ben Wallace will be inducted into the Class of 2021 for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a source told @TheUndefeated. The 2004 NBA champion was a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time All-Star. pic.twitter.com/GDcM1YWMbA
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 15, 2021
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Wallace attended Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, Ohio) from 1992-94 before transferring to Division II program Virginia Union from 1994-96. Despite his prowess at that level — he was a Division II All-American and led the Panthers to the Division II Final Four in 1996 — he went undrafted.
Wallace played for the Bullets/Wizards (1996-99) and Magic (1999-2000) before finding a long-term home with the Pistons from 2000-06. He also played for the Bulls (2006-08), Cavaliers (2008-9) and had a second stint in Detroit from 2009-12. In his first stint with the Pistons, Wallace averaged 7.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.6 steals per game with Detroit, winning an NBA championship in 2004. He was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 and a four-time All-Star from 2003-06.
Other accolades from that time include making at least All-NBA Third Team every year from 2002-06; earning All-Defensive First Team honors from 2002-06; becoming the NBA rebounds leader in consecutive seasons in 2002 and 2003; and becoming the NBA blocks leader in 2002.
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