"When they talk about Shaq and Garnett, there's no way you cannot mention his name" - Shawn Kemp on how good Rasheed Wallace was
Whenever people bring up big men of the 2000s, most automatically go for names like Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan. It was fair to name those players because they were legitimate superstars.
However, that led to some of their peers becoming overlooked and underrated. One name that has gone under the radar is Rasheed Wallace, one of the most skilled big men of his generation. Thankfully, Shawn Kemp was a big-time supporter of Sheed and his contributions to the sport.
"All I can say is this when they talk about Shaq and Garnett, there's no way you can not mention Rasheed Wallace's name," Kemp told Slam Magazine.
Sheed was a reliable player for any coach
While Wallace had issues with his temper, he was still a reliable player for his teams. He grew into his own when he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and became a starter. He was part of the Trail Blazers for seven-and-a-half years and was a beloved player due to his passion for the team and helping the franchise succeed.
Wallace became even more successful when he played for the Detroit Pistons, an organization that was a contender for the better part of the 2000s. They won the championship in 2004, and Sheed exacted revenge by beating Shaq's Los Angeles Lakers to win the title. This proved that he was one of few big men who played well against O'Neal alongside frontcourt partner Ben Wallace.
It showed Sheed could be a significant part of any championship team, which was what former Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy wanted to highlight.
"Rasheed plays many facets of the game very well," Dunleavy said in the same Slam article. "He shoots the ball well from the outside, blocks shots, runs the floor. He can do just about everything, even play point guard. And as a player, you love playing with him."
Getting that kind of praise proved the former Tar Heel's value to any team because he was the perfect glue guy. Sheed could be a standout in certain games, but he knew his role and played it to perfection across different teams in the league.
Sheed deserves more praise for his career
While he was never the superstar like other power forwards or centers, Rasheed often gets disregarded. That should not be the case because Wallace was one of the most prolific big men in the league due to his well-rounded skill set as a reliable scoring option, defender, and even a playmaker.
Sheed was also a stellar leader for most of his teams, as he had the basketball IQ to keep up with the game and a charismatic personality to motivate the rest of the team. Thankfully, Wallace was successful enough to warrant the praise because the stints in Portland and Detroit showed his value as a shoo-in starter for those championship contenders.
