When Ben Wallace was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame, I expected an exuberant reaction from Pistons fans and a fair share of eye rolls from some skeptics. As a longtime defender of Ben Wallace and his legacy, I was ready to take on all comers.
I got all of that in a volume I couldn’t have anticipated as everyone online seemed to have a definitive Ben Wallace take. I also got something I didn’t expect, however. I saw an endless outpouring of love and appreciation for Wallace for introducing multiple generations to basketball and beginning their NBA fandom.