SALT LAKE CITY — Entering the Palace of Auburn Hills to face the Detroit Pistons at the height of Deee-troit Basketball was a nightmare for opposing teams.
With his Afro swaying, and long “NFZ” wristbands — which stood for No Fly Zone — Ben Wallace helped lead the Pistons to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances from 2002-08, as well as a NBA title in 2004.
A young Rudy Gobert wasn’t fortunate enough to witness that Pistons run live, as a kid in France, but he’s grown to appreciate Wallace’s defensive prowess.
“When he was in his peak, I wasn’t able to watch because I didn’t have the League Pass, so it was hard for me to watch,” Gobert said of Wallace in an exclusive interview with the Deseret News.