Gerald Wallace

Infobox NBA Player


image_size = 200
caption =
position = Small forward
nickname = Crash, J-Wall, G-Force
number = 3
height_ft = 6
height_in = 7
weight_lb = 215
league = NBA
team = Charlotte Bobcats
nationality = American
birth_date = birth date and age|1982|7|23
birth_place = Sylacauga, Alabama
high school = Childersburg
college = Alabama
draft = 25th overall
draft_year = 2001
draft_team = Sacramento Kings
career_start = 2001
former_teams = Sacramento Kings (2001–2004)
awards = 2000 Naismith Prep Player of the Year

Gerald Jermaine Wallace (born July 23, 1982) is an American professional basketball forward for the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA.

Early life and career

He was born in Sylacauga, Alabama; his home town is Childersburg, Alabama, where he was a McDonald's High School All American. After graduating from Childersburg High School in 2000, Wallace entered the University of Alabama. After his freshman year, he was named to the All-SEC freshman team. He then declared himself eligible for the 2001 NBA Draft, in which he was taken as the 25th overall pick by the Sacramento Kings. In Sacramento, he was a seldom-used player known mostly for his acrobatic dunks and athleticism. In 2004 the league's newest team Charlotte Bobcats recognized his talent and drafted him in their expansion draft.

Later career

Wallace started immediately for the club, and went on to have an impressive season, averaging 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks a game. He continued to improve in 2005-06, before getting injured in January, averaging 14.5 points and 7 rebounds, and ranking in the top 10 in the NBA in field goal percentage (54.142), blocks (2.19), and steals per game (2.44). Since the NBA began counting blocks as a statistic in 1973, only two other players (David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon) in league history have averaged over 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game in a single season. Wallace is now the heart and soul of the Charlotte franchise scoring nearly twenty points if not more in every game. His leadership and hustle inspires the team.

Wallace is known for his somewhat reckless style of play that leads to his frequent injuries. [ [http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/basketball/nba/charlotte_bobcats/16056440.htm Charlotte Observer | Sports ] ] For this, he has earned the nickname "Crash". [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3265951 Bobcats reach out to NFL's Panthers for help with Wallace's concussion] ] He missed a total of 39 games in his first two years with the Bobcats, but his energetic and sometimes dangerous behavior that may have caused his injuries was also what contributed to his gaudy defensive stats. Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said of Wallace "Gerald can only play one way and be effective. Energy -- that's his game." In 2006, Wallace attempted to refine his game in order to avoid being injured, and as a result his numbers suffered. The first month of the season, Wallace had only five total blocks (an average of .3 per game) and his averages were all down from 2005. Wallace improved his play in the second month of the season, but he went down with a separated shoulder in a December game against the Indiana Pacers.

Wallace appeared opposite Tim Duncan in the March 2008 "SLAM-UP" centerfold for SLAM Magazine.

Wallace suffered a Grade 3 concussion on February 23, 2008 after taking an unintentional elbow to the face from Sacramento's Mikki Moore. It was his fourth concussion in as many seasons with the Bobcats. It was not clear when he would return, although a Grade 3 concussion is defined by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons as ones that "involve post-traumatic amnesia for more than 24 hours or unconsciousness for more than five minutes. Players who sustain this grade of brain injury should be sidelined for at least one month, after which they can return to play if they are asymptomatic for one week." [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/basketball/fba/story?page=nbainjury0229 Occupational Hazard: Updates on Yao, Butler, G. Wallace] ]

Wallace is represented by Rob Pelinka. [cite web|url=http://www.draftexpress.com/agents/Rob-Pelinka-99/|title=Rob Pelinka|accessdate=2008-07-23|publisher=DraftExpress LLC]

NBA career statistics

Regular season

-
align="left" | 2001–02
align="left" | Sacramento
54 || 1 || 8.0 || .429 || .000 || .500 || 1.6 || .5 || .3 || .1 || 3.2
-
align="left" | 2002–03
align="left" | Sacramento
47 || 7 || 12.1 || .492 || .250 || .527 || 2.7 || .5 || .5 || .3 || 4.7
-
align="left" | 2003–04
align="left" | Sacramento
37 || 1 || 9.1 || .360 || .000 || .458 || 2.0 || .5 || .4 || .4 || 2.0
-
align="left" | 2004–05
align="left" | Charlotte
70 || 68 || 30.7 || .449 || .274 || .661 || 5.5 || 2.0 || 1.7 || 1.3 || 11.1
-
align="left" | 2005–06
align="left" | Charlotte
55 || 52 || 34.5 || .538 || .280 || .614 || 7.5 || 1.7 || 2.5 || 2.1 || 15.2
-
align="left" | 2006–07
align="left" | Charlotte
72 || 71 || 36.7 || .502 || .325 || .691 || 7.2 || 2.6 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 18.1
-
align="left" | 2007–08
align="left" | Charlotte
62 || 59 || 38.3 || .449 || .321 || .731 || 6.0 || 3.5 || 2.1 || .9 || 19.4
-
align="left" | Career
align="left" |
397 || 259 || 26.2 || .477 || .305 || .665 || 5.0 || 1.8 || 1.5 || .9 || 11.6
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Playoffs

-
align="left" | 2001–02
align="left" | Sacramento
5 || 0 || 2.8 || .000 || .000 || 1.000 || .2 || .2 || .0 || .2 || .8
-
align="left" | 2002–03
align="left" | Sacramento
7 || 0 || 2.6 || .400 || .000 || 1.000 || .7 || .0 || .0 || .1 || .9
-
align="left" | 2003–04
align="left" | Sacramento
3 || 0 || 6.7 || .500 || .000 || .500 || .7 || .3 || .3 || .3 || 2.3
-
align="left" | Career
align="left" |
15 || 0 || 3.5 || .417 || .000 || .875 || .5 || .1 || .1 || .2 || 1.1
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Notes

External links

* [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gerald_wallace/ NBA.com Profile - Gerald Wallace]