John Wallace 44

Position: Forward Born: 2/9/74 Height: 6-9 / 2m 6cm Weight: 225 lbs. / 102.1kg College - Syracuse '96

STORY After leading Syracuse to the NCAA Finals in 1996, John Wallace was drafted on the first round by the New York Knicks and played well in limited action. His athleticism and exciting play made him an instant fan favorite at Madison Square Garden, even though he averaged just 4.8 points in 68 games as a rookie in 1996-97. He was dealt to Toronto in a three-way trade that also involved Portland prior to the 1997-98 season and played in all 82 games for the Raptors, nearly tripling his scoring average to 14.0 ppg. Wallace was named Second Team All-America by the AP after he carried Syracuse to the NCAA Championship Game in 1996, one year after applying for, and ultimately withdrawing from, the 1995 NBA Draft. He finished his career third on Syracuse's all-time scoring list with 2,119 points and third on the all-time rebounding list as well. Wallace joined Derrick Coleman as the only two players to lead Syracuse in rebounding all four years. In the NCAA Final vs. Kentucky, he scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Syracuse's 76-67 loss, capping a season in which he averaged 22.2 points and 8.7 rebounds. Wallace was the 18th player to be drafted in 1996, the Knicks selecting him with the first of their three first-round picks. He played in 68 games, the most for a Knicks rookie since 1991-92, and averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. But the Knicks felt they needed more experience on their bench, so on October 10, 1997 they traded Wallace to Toronto in a three-way deal that brought them center Chris Dudley from Portland. With ample playing time in Toronto, Wallace went on to have a big year, finishing as the team's second-leading scorer at 14.0 ppg.

PERSONAL - Majored in sociology at Syracuse - Lists his favorite athlete as "anyone in a Dallas Cowboys uniform" - Enjoys writing and listening to rap music, especially Snoop Doggy Dogg - Would like to run his own community centers after his NBA career ends - Has a cameo appearance in the movie "He Got Game" JOHN WALLACE Pictures Stats Multimedia

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

- Scored a career-high 30 points twice in 1997-98, against the Boston Celtics on 11/18/97 and against the Atlanta Hawks on 11/26/97
- Registered 12 points and 6 rebounds, in his Raptors debut, against the Miami Heat on 10/31/97
- Made his NBA Playoffs debut in 1997, scoring a total of 10 points in four games
- Posted a rookie-high 19 points for the Knicks, shooting 7-of-8 from the field, against the Boston Celtics on 1/11/97
- Made his first career start, posting 6 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes for the Knicks, against the L.A. Clippers on 12/7/96
- Named Second Team All-America by the AP as a senior at Syracuse in 1995-96, averaging 22.2 points and 8.7 rpg

TRANSACTIONS

- Selected by the New York Knicks in the first round (18th pick overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft. Traded by the Knicks to the Toronto Raptors in a three-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers for a lottery-protected first-round draft choice on 10/10/97. Signed as a free agent by the New York Knicks on 8/6/99.

STATISTICS

Career Stats								REBOUNDS
YEAR	TEAM	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DFF	TOT	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
96-97	Ny	68	6	11.6	.517	.500	.718	0.8	1.5	2.3	0.5	0.31	0.37	4.8
97-98	Tor	82	36	28.8	.478	.500	.717	1.4	3.1	4.5	1.3	0.76	1.23	14.0
98-99	Tor	48	3	16.9	.432	--	.700	1.1	2.4	3.6	1.0	0.25	0.90	8.6
Career		198	45	20.0	.474	.500	.712	1.1	2.4	3.5	1.0	0.48	0.85	9.5
Playoff		4	1	10.0	.267	.000	1.000	0.5	1.3	1.8	1.3	0.25	0.50	2.5

SEASON AND CAREER-HIGHS

Season and Career-Highs
	1998-99 HIGHS		CAREER HIGHS
Points	21	@ Bucks, 4/28/99	30	2 Times
Field Goals Made	8	@ Heat, 3/11/99	14	@ Nets, 2/13/98
Field Goals Attempted	16	vs. Heat, 4/6/99	28	vs. Hawks, 11/26/97
Three point Field Goals Made	None		1	3 Times
Three point Field Goals Attempted	None		1	6 Times
Free Throws Made	11	@ Bucks, 4/28/99	11	@ Bucks, 4/28/99
Free Throws Attempted	12	@ Bucks, 4/28/99	12	@ Bucks, 4/28/99
Offensive Rebounds	4	3 Times	4	10 Times
Defensive Rebounds	8	@ Hornets, 3/1/99	11	@ Nets, 2/13/98
Total Rebounds	10	@ Hornets, 3/1/99	12	2 Times
Assists	4	@ Sixers, 5/1/99	6	@ Nets, 2/13/98
Steals	3	@ Heat, 3/11/99	4	vs. Kings, 11/30/96
Blocks	4	vs. Timberwolves, 2/26/99	5	3 Times
Minutes Played	34	@ Sixers, 5/1/99	57	vs. Hawks, 11/26/97