NBA Player Rasheed Wallace
The University of North Carolina is clearly known for the basketball athletes that it produces, and Rasheed Wallace is a prime example of the unique talent that the university sends to the NBA. Being selected fourth overall in the 1995 NBA draft, Rasheed Wallace began his outstanding career with the Washington Bullets. Considering that Wallace had a weak showing in the previous year’s NCAA tournament, many basketball clubs, including the Washington Bullets, were unsure of his mental strength. However, during his first season, he made sixty-five appearances and averaged just over ten points per game. After getting his feet wet, Wallace was able to become a dominating force in the post for most of his athletic career.
Over the course of his young basketball career, Rasheed Wallace vastly improved his offensive game. He even managed to rank third in field goal percentage during the 1996-1997 season. His efforts would eventually earn him a long-term deal with the Portland Trailblazers. Unfortunately, Wallace let his growing ego on the basketball court get the best of him. During the 1999-2000 NBA season, he led the league with 38 technical fouls. Even more surprising is the fact that he broke his own record the following basketball season, getting charged with forty technical fouls. Clearly, Rasheed’s aggressiveness on the floor came at a cost. He was eventually traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he would continue to put up stellar numbers.