Today, the man who brought the ubiquitous “Ball Don’t Lie” phrase to national attention — along with other, more esoteric NBA aphorisms that have infiltrated the pro game’s lexicon — turns 39. Rasheed Wallace is basically a basketball bloggers dream; he’s a walking soundbite who ironically thinks most of the media is the lowest common denominator in the game. We don’t care. Here are five our favorite videos featuring “Roscoe.”
1) Oakley & Allen: Young Rasheed gets dunked on, and older, coaching Rasheed reacts:
2) Sheed’s response to the book Free Darko Presents: The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today’s Game where it’s revealed he plays better after he gets his *first* technical.
3. Rasheed discusses trash talking:
And talks trash:
4. Wallace reacts to a foul:
5. For the man who became almost as well known for his ability to get ejected as he did for his excellent team-oriented play, here he is with the Trail Blazers getting ejected in the 2000 Western Conference Final by Ron Garretson. He’s tossed because, as Garretson explains to a pleading Steve Smith, Wallace was “intimidating.” For the record, Wallace just stares at Garretson and doesn’t say a word, but still gets the thumb. Gotta love the fact he was so disorienting to officials all it took was a mean mug look to get the boot.
Wallace doesn’t really believe in all this “King” talk for LeBron James. He’d much prefer battling his former teammate, Ben Wallace.
Even as an assistant coach with the Pistons during Orlando Summer League action this summer, ‘Sheed can still be heard screaming “Ball don’t lie.”
Sheed’s the best, and we wish him happy birthday.
What’s your favorite Rasheed Wallace memory?
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