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NBA: 50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame

By Maxwell Ogden

AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace, Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images /

50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame: 12. Rasheed Wallace

When discussing the players who could’ve made the jump from their generation to the current iteration of NBA basketball, Rasheed Wallace should be near the top of the list. A versatile defender, effective three-point shooter, and skilled all-around offensive player, Wallace was a unique talent who could play either power forward or center.

16,000 points and a championship later, Wallace is one of the most identifiable stars from his time—and one of the key figures from multiple contending teams.

Over the course of his 16 NBA seasons, Wallace appeared in 177 postseason games, starting 154. That alone should tell you what kind of basketball he played, as his impact on the court was undeniably positive for the Portland Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons.

Wallace was the key acquisition for the Pistons in 2003-04 when Detroit won the NBA Championship by defeating Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

A year later, Wallace again helped Detroit reach the NBA Finals in 2005. He was also an All-Star level player when Portland reach the Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000 and was present for five total Conference Finals appearances with the Pistons.

With eight career Conference Finals appearances, including one as a veteran leader for the Boston Celtics, the point is hammered won: Wallace’s presence equated to winning.

His four All-Star Game appearances must also be mentioned, with the accolades arriving due to his reputation as a player who could be relied upon for high-level contributions on both ends of the floor. It’s why he ranks 19th all-time in career postseason games played.

As far as the statistics are concerned, Wallace ranks in the top-75 all-time in career Win Shares. He’s also one of just two players in NBA history with at least 15,000 points, 7,000 rebounds, 1,000 blocks, 1,000 steals, and 1,000 three-point field goals made.

The other: Dirk Nowitzki.