On this day in 1974, 17-year NBA veteran Rasheed Wallace was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Now retired and working as the assistant coach of the Detroit Pistons, the former power forward is known for his presence in the paint but also his at-times controversial on court actions. As the NBA's all-time leader in technical fouls, Wallace had a tendency to raise the ire of referees. But aside from that, the big man was a valuable role player for the Washington Bullets, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and finally the New York Knicks. He was selected as an NBA-All Star on four occasions, and in 2004 he was a member of the Detroit Pistons' NBA Championship team alongside Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups.
As a youth, Rasheed Wallace wasted little time making a name for himself on the hardwood. In high school, he was selected as the USA Today High School Player of the Year, and in college he had a successful run with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Professionally, 'Sheed played for a number of aforementioned teams, but was best known for his runs with the Portland Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons. Respected for his all-around contributions, Rasheed Wallace finished his career averaging 14.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
When it comes to sneakers, Rasheed Wallace was known for bucking the trend of wearing the latest sneakers with modern technologies. Through the majority of his career, he wore a variety of Nike Air Force 1 models, a sneaker that originally released in 1982. While we wouldn't recommend the Air Force 1 for any serious levels of play (today's makeups are made for strictly casual wear,) it's hard to argue with the levels of success Rasheed Wallace had in the Bruce Kilgore-designed classic. Most recently, Nike has released an Air Force 1 Comfort Premium model which pays homage to Wallace's New York colors. Pick them up today for $145.
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