Former Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace is an important part of the team’s legacy. He helped take the Pistons to a national championship in 2004 and is synonymous with Detroit sports.
Wallace was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last weekend, and his speech was pretty awesome. Listen to the full thing below.
Here’s an excerpt from the speech:
“When I moved forward, no was not an option. I keep marching. Lions fight, dogs fight. The Virginia Union Panthers, we marched. And if you follow, I’ll lead. And if you lead, I’ll follow. You guide me and I will finish when I get there.
“Life is not all about basketball. My life path has not alwasy been about basketball. As a young kid, not having the ability to speak and express myself, but having a lot to say, for I was proud of msyelf. Where life didn’t give me a chance from the start, I kept fighting, I kept winning, I kept suceeding, I kept teaching, I kept giving back. Life is not all about taking, life is not all about conquering.”
“If you build it and you can’t tear it down, you got lost at the top. It’s lonely at the top. Real leaders lead from the bottom. I take all my brothers and my sisters, my mothers and my fathers — I take them with me.”
“Winning look good. Legacies are built… to last. But what type of legacy are you building? What protects your legacy? I’ll tell you my legacy. I wasn’t welcome. I was too small, I couldn’t play the game the way they wanted me to play the game. Sound like a uneven game to me. Put me on a level playing field and I’ll show you: Panthers march.”
