Rasheed Wallace made his way to the Detroit Pistons midway through the 2003-04 NBA season, eventually becoming a champion. Prior to the trade that sent him to the Pistons, though, he was worried because of the way he treated his future teammates.
Sheed was sent to the Pistons in February 2004, just before the NBA All-Star break, by the Atlanta Hawks, where he played only one game after being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers. It was a move that he welcomed, but he initially admitted to having reservations.
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Speaking to Michigan sportscaster Brad Galli recently on the sidelines of his induction into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, Wallace shared the circumstances that led him to the Motor City and what went through his mind as it went down.
“Well it was unexpected. I thought I was gonna be in Atlanta for at least the rest of the season because it was already the All-Star break … I had my mind set on that already,” the former North Carolina standout said.
He went on to share the initial apprehension he had, not because he didn’t see himself fitting in with the Pistons, but more because he didn’t know how they would treat him after talking trash to them for so long in the lead-up.
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“When I ended up coming here, I said, ‘Alright.’ I just felt bad, to be honest, because when I was still with Portland and we played here a few weeks before, I was out there talking mad junk to everybody. To Corliss [Williamson], to Chauncey [Billups]. I was talking junk to everybody. That was the first thing I was thinking about coming into the locker room. I just wanted to apologize to the guys, like ‘You know I didn’t mean any of that stuff, it was all on the court,'” Wallace shared.
Fitting well with the Pistons
After his initial worry, Wallace went on and did his thing, fitting like a glove for coach Larry Brown and the Pistons. He was excellent in the 2004 playoffs, with his battle-tested two-way game and fiery demeanor proving to be what Detroit needed to go over the hump.
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In the Finals, they were underdogs against the Los Angeles Lakers, which featured future Hall-of-Famers Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, but did the unimaginable, sweeping their way to the title. Sheed was a key figure in their run, averaging 13.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while being the absolute glue guy to keep the Pistons’ motor going.
Wallace stayed in Detroit for five more seasons, helping the team return to the NBA Finals in 2005 and becoming an NBA All-Star twice. The technical fouls continued to come but the team embraced it, seeing how it was part of the fire that made him an effective player.
He finished his Pistons run with averages of 13.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks and is one of the noted players to don the red and blue.
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Memories to last a lifetime
Apart from the success he had on the court in Detroit, Wallace said the stop provided him with memories to last a lifetime, including the friendships he had forged with his teammates.
“The memories [of what we did here] come back every Finals, during the playoffs and the Finals. But the friendships are there every day, still talk to a lot of the guys, we still keep in touch, you know. Twenty years or something later and we’re brothers and we’re stuck together,” he highlighted.
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The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame recognition is also very significant for Sheed, believing that it was a validation of what he was able to accomplish in an all-important stretch in his career and he could not be more grateful for the state of Michigan for accepting him as one of their own.
From a vocal opponent, Wallace surely did great on his way to becoming one of the best Pistons ever and a legend in his own right.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.