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Rasheed Wallace was one of the most talented players of his generation. His combination of grit and skills ultimately made Sheed unique. And while it might take a while before the NBA sees a player like Wallace, the man in question notices some of his most notable traits in some modern-day NBA superstars.
“I see it in a lot of the veteran players,” Wallace told Complex in 2018 when asked if he sees any NBA player who had his intensity and skill. “I see it a lot in KD, you see it a lot in LeBron, you see it a lot in D-Wade when he was able to play and when he was healthy. It’s there, but I think it’s more in the veteran players. The younger guys haven’t had that experience, you know, fighting in them dog fights unlike those veteran guys.”
Sheed on what today’s NBA is lacking
While Wallace still sees some players who carry the same intensity and skill that he had back in his playing years, he didn’t shy away from admitting that the game has drastically changed. Sheed pointed out that players no longer give it all they have, especially on the defensive end.
With the exception of some veterans, specifically KD, LeBron, and D-Wade, Wallace even thinks nobody is taking the game seriously in today’s NBA. Sheed concluded that he couldn’t pinpoint why the game shifted to what it is now but could definitely say that pride was no longer visible in most players of the present era.
“It’s a different era, different times. I would say now it’s more up and down. As I mentioned, scoring 130 or 140 points a game…Back then, there was a little bit more pride. Now, you have guys who go out and give up 55 points to one player and then in the locker room or on the bus joking, haha-ing, and hehe-ing. Nah, in our era, it wasn’t like that.”
“I’m not sure [why the game shifted] to be honest. I couldn’t even tell you,” he added. “But I know that’s something we took a little bit more seriously, in our era. We took that loss a bit more seriously. No matter if it was a loss by 30 points or 1 point. We took it serious.”
Rasheed would dominate today’s NBA
Those unfamiliar with Wallace’s legacy may think it’s a bold claim to liken yourself to Durant and Wade, let alone LeBron. However, those who have witnessed prime Sheed know how incredible he was as a player.
According to retired NBA champion, Andre Iguodala, Wallace would dominate this era and quickly become a top-five player in the league.
“Rasheed Wallace probably could have been a top-five player in the league for a 10-year stretch. He just chose, ‘Ahh, I’ll do my thing over here.’ He was shooting half-court shots left-handed and right-handed. If Rasheed Wallace played in modern-day basketball today, if he played in our league today, he’d be a top-five player. He’d be better than Giannis, and I love Giannis,” Iguodala said.
Wallace is a player of a dying breed in the NBA. And with the game constantly changing, there might come a time when nobody else is worthy of being likened to Sheed.
