"He'd be better than Giannis, and I love Giannis" - Andre Iguodala claims Rasheed Wallace would be top 5 player in today's NBA
Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the NBA today. Antetokounmpo, 27, is a two-time MVP and one-time champion, with a Hall of Fame-worthy resume. However, Andre Iguodala believes Rasheed Wallace would be a better player than "The Greek Freak" in today's NBA.
On "The Dan Le Betard Show with Stugotz," Iguodala said that Wallace would be a top-five player today. The four-time champion explained that Wallace was a great shooter and talented player who would have thrived in today's league too.
"Rasheed Wallace probably could have been a top-five player in the league for a 10-year stretch," Iguodala said. "He just chose, 'I'll just do my thing over here.' He was shooting 3s from half court. No, he was shooting half-court shots left-handed and right-handed."
He continued:
"If Rasheed Wallace played in modern-day basketball today, if he played in our league today, he'd be the top-five player in the league. He'd be better than Giannis, and I love Giannis."
Wallace was selected fourth overall in the 1995 NBA draft by the Washington Bullets. He was a talented power forward from the University of North Carolina. He could shoot from the deep but was better known for his temper. He tallied 317 technical fouls in his career, the third most in NBA history.
The four-time All-Star also holds the record for most technical fouls in a season (41) and the most career ejections (26). However, Wallace found success with the Portland Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons. He won a championship in Detroit in 2004.
After short stints with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, Wallace retired in 2003. He became an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons for a season. He was most recently an assistant coach with the Memphis Tigers under Anfernee Hardaway.
It looks like Wallace would be back in the NBA next season with the LA Lakers. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Wallace has agreed to become an assistant coach for the Lakers. He'd be working with Darvin Ham, who was also part of the 2004 Pistons.
16-year NBA veteran Rasheed Wallace – a 2004 champion and four-time All-Star – has agreed to a deal to become a new assistant coach at University of Memphis under Penny Hardaway, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is having a busy summer
Giannis Antetokounmpo had to take an early vacation after the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Antetokounmpo spent some time with his family in Greece and Los Angeles.
Our annual Akropolis visit🇬🇷🔥 https://t.co/Lla05qRrKE
The two-time MVP also had to do a lot of promotional work for the movie "Rise." It's a Disney+ film about his family and how his parents, Charles and Vera, left Nigeria and moved to Greece. The Antetokounmpo brothers, Thanasis, Giannis, Kostas and Alex, have all become professional basketball players.
The one-time champ is also expected to play for Greece in the upcoming 2023 EuroBasket from Sept. 1-18. Greece is one of the favorites to win the tournament. They are in Group C with Croatia, Estonia, Great Britain, Italy and Ukraine.