Ben Wallace Still Wants to Become a Lawyer

Last year, Ben Wallace revealed a desire to become a defense attorney, and with his playing days nearing their end, Wallace’s pursuit of a law degree has intensified. From the Detroit News: “Wallace not only wants to represent clients, he wants to tell them his long-shot story and make them realize their lives are not over despite youthful mistakes. Wallace is doing plenty of research now into law schools. The thought has been brewing for years, and he even spoke to former Pistons coach John Kuester about it three years ago when Wallace played in Cleveland. ‘It would not surprise me at all to see him practicing law,’ teammate Tayshaun Prince said. ‘Not at all.’ Prince has heard Big Ben go to work with convincing presentations. His most famous speech came in the 2003 playoffs, when the Pistons trailed the Orlando Magic, 3-1, in the first round. ‘He is very convincing,’ Prince said with a smile. Wallace’s message was clear. The Pistons won the series. ‘You get up in front of your peers and tell them how you feel,’ Wallace said. ‘You talk to them. You relate to them and you try to persuade them to the way you think.’ Kuester said Wallace has the discipline necessary to finish his law degree. ‘When a person says something like that and you only hear it once, you’re like, ‘OK,’ Kuester said. ‘But he has been consistent that he wants to do this. The commitment you have to have to become a lawyer is great. You have to be disciplined to go to school and Ben has that discipline. He will do whatever it takes.’ Wallace knows he will hear snickers when folks find out he wants to be a lawyer. People won’t believe the big man with the shrinking Afro can make the transition from the basketball court to the court of law. Nobody believed Wallace would make it in the NBA as a raw player out of Virginia Union, either.”