Ben Wallace is a four-time winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, and is regarded as one of the finest defensive players in the game. His nickname is "Big Ben", and was considered by some as the cornerstone of the Detroit Pistons success in the 2000's, culminating in a championship in 2004.

Wallace played college basketball on the junior college level at Cuyahoga Community College for two years before transferring to Virginia Union, a Division II school. As an undrafted player, he was signed as a rookie free agent by Washington on October 2, 1996 after playing in Italy.

In 1999, Wallace was traded to the Orlando Magic along with Tim Legler, Terry Davis, and Jeff McInnis for Ike Austin. On August 3, 2000, he was traded along with Chucky Atkins to the Detroit Pistons for Grant Hill.

Since the deal, Wallace has been considered the quintessential defensive specialist, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, and 2005-06 seasons. In the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, he led the league in both rebounds and blocked shots.

In 2003, fans voted Wallace to his first NBA All-Star Game as the starting center for the Eastern Conference. He became the first undrafted player to ever start an All-Star Game. He, along with Chauncey Billups, captained the Pistons' 2004 NBA championship team.

On July 3, 2006, it was announced that Wallace had agreed to a four-year deal worth $60 million with the Chicago Bulls. The deal became official July 13, as Wallace was subsequently introduced to the media as the team's newest member the same day.

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