QUOTE
Bulls: Getting the Real Big Ben Back
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By Joel Brigham
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Aug 6, 2007, 11:43
Ben Wallace really is a good guy; he got a lot of flack last season for underplaying his contract and the whole headband thing, but when it comes to down-to-earth, blue collar stars in the NBA, Big Ben’s one of the best.
He’s kind of like that cool uncle we all have who doesn’t say much, but all the kids hang around him warily anyway, just hoping he’s in a good mood and will say something fun. Despite the sometimes testy demeanor everybody loves the guy, and for the most part he loves everybody else in return.
Which is the problem—he still loves everybody, including his former Detroit Piston teammates.
As a citizen of Motown Wallace was a beast, a warrior, but since coming to Chicago he’s been like a tamed lion. Maybe being stripped of his warrior garb (headbands, armbands, etc.) was a bit like giving Samson a haircut, but more so it seems like the fire he shared with his Pistons teammates is not there with the much younger Bulls.
The man had a rapport in Detroit with a bunch of guys his age. Now he’s seven or eight years older than nearly everyone he spends the most time with on the floor.
The proof was in the pudding every time Chicago played Detroit last season, as Wallace would get giddy about the arrival of his championship buddies, dropping text messages and phone calls to his guys whenever they were in the same town.
Evidently he has seen his friendships with Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace as much more important than any silly old game. If we’re talking about what’s important in life, maybe Wallace has it right, but if we’re talking about why the Bulls didn’t have enough juice to knock out the Pistons in last season’s playoffs, buddying up with the enemy clearly was the wrong way to go.
The success of the upcoming season will depend greatly on how Wallace approaches games against Detroit, and how much closer he has gotten to his new teammates. Big Ben isn’t too old to do what he’s always done; he just seems a little less motivated. What will it take to get the guy pissed off and ready to throw down with any and everyone in the league once again?
With Ben Wallace the Warrior instead of Ben Wallace the kitty cat, the Bulls may live up to some of the early preseason hype. His loyalty in his friendships and general laid back demeanor show what an excellent human being he is, but basketball fans in Chicago are hoping that the remaining $45 million on his contract goes towards a fabulous rebounder and shot blocker; just being a good guy doesn’t pay the bills.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Joel Brigham
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Aug 6, 2007, 11:43
Ben Wallace really is a good guy; he got a lot of flack last season for underplaying his contract and the whole headband thing, but when it comes to down-to-earth, blue collar stars in the NBA, Big Ben’s one of the best.
He’s kind of like that cool uncle we all have who doesn’t say much, but all the kids hang around him warily anyway, just hoping he’s in a good mood and will say something fun. Despite the sometimes testy demeanor everybody loves the guy, and for the most part he loves everybody else in return.
Which is the problem—he still loves everybody, including his former Detroit Piston teammates.
As a citizen of Motown Wallace was a beast, a warrior, but since coming to Chicago he’s been like a tamed lion. Maybe being stripped of his warrior garb (headbands, armbands, etc.) was a bit like giving Samson a haircut, but more so it seems like the fire he shared with his Pistons teammates is not there with the much younger Bulls.
The man had a rapport in Detroit with a bunch of guys his age. Now he’s seven or eight years older than nearly everyone he spends the most time with on the floor.
The proof was in the pudding every time Chicago played Detroit last season, as Wallace would get giddy about the arrival of his championship buddies, dropping text messages and phone calls to his guys whenever they were in the same town.
Evidently he has seen his friendships with Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace as much more important than any silly old game. If we’re talking about what’s important in life, maybe Wallace has it right, but if we’re talking about why the Bulls didn’t have enough juice to knock out the Pistons in last season’s playoffs, buddying up with the enemy clearly was the wrong way to go.
The success of the upcoming season will depend greatly on how Wallace approaches games against Detroit, and how much closer he has gotten to his new teammates. Big Ben isn’t too old to do what he’s always done; he just seems a little less motivated. What will it take to get the guy pissed off and ready to throw down with any and everyone in the league once again?
With Ben Wallace the Warrior instead of Ben Wallace the kitty cat, the Bulls may live up to some of the early preseason hype. His loyalty in his friendships and general laid back demeanor show what an excellent human being he is, but basketball fans in Chicago are hoping that the remaining $45 million on his contract goes towards a fabulous rebounder and shot blocker; just being a good guy doesn’t pay the bills.
agree with alot of the points made it seemed like ben wasnt himself last year and was alot calmer just because he wasnt with "his boys", if he can pull away from them and bond with the teamates he has now, i think we will see the big ben of old.
