The day before yesterday, I landed at Detroit’s Metro Airport on an early afternoon flight from New York. It was already an overcast day in Detroit when we’d landed, and by the time I had cleared the terminal and met my driver I was sure the weather was going to get a lot worse. As soon as I got in the car the driver politely asked if it was okay to listen to sports radio as we drove and went on to apologetically explain that some big news just broke about Flip Saunders, the lead coach to the Detroit Pistons basketball team, having just been fired from the organization. Ironically, I was on my way to Derrick Coleman’s Snyx Sneaker Studio to catch up with Rasheed Wallace, the star Center for the Detroit Pistons, to check out a release event planned for his new signature 1World Air Force 1, so I was definitely interested to hear about the news myself.
On the radio a small crew of sportscasters were passionately debating what the firing of Flip Saunders meant to the Pistons while fielding the occasional phone call from fans who were calling in to make predictions about what repercussions the Pistons now faced. I made a quick phone call to my contact for the event and confirmed that this new development was not going to affect my plans to try and catch up with Rasheed.
Until we pulled up to the front of Snyx, I’d been worrying that the rain would ruin the day and my trip to Detroit would be a bust. Between the unexpected firing of the Pistons’ lead coach and the heavy rain, I wasn’t even sure if Rasheed would still be showing up. When the driver announced we were arriving, I was really surprised to see a parking lot packed with groups of kids hanging out in the pouring rain. It was obvious by the sheer number of kids, and how waterlogged they all looked, that the crowd had been building for a long time - oblivious to the storm raining down on them. The fact that virtually every single one of them was garbed head to toe in the trademark blue and red of the Pistons’ uniform, it was also evident that they were all big fans looking to try and catch a glimpse or maybe even score an autograph from Rasheed Wallace.
For those of you who don’t know, Rasheed Wallace sort of has a reputation within the NBA for being volatile. He’s bold, blunt and always quick to speak his mind, even to the detriment of his standing with game-time referees and other players. Late last year he was criticized for stating that the NBA was no longer like a sport, but rather more like the World Wrestling Federation: fake and just for money and entertainment. After game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals this year, Rasheed was fined $25,000 for a profanity laced tirade in response to a question about flopping. He’s regularly led the the NBA in technical fouls and still maintains the league record for 41 of them set during the 2000 - 2001 season. That said, few would argue against the fact that he’s also one of the best players in the sport of basketball today and maintains a viciously effective defense, in addition to an incredibly powerful offense. It was tough to predict what he’d be like today, that was assuming he even showed up.
Not long after I arrived, news cameras switched on their spotlights and throngs of photographers started jockeying for position. Then the entire crowd rushed the small improvised stage as Rasheed Wallace was escorted the couple steps over towards front and center. Despite about a hundred and fifty or so bodies packed into a store that undoubtedly was meant to accommodate maybe a quarter as many, Rasheed was impossible to miss. At 6 feet 11.5 inches tall, he towered far above the crowd that now enveloped him. As flashes fired and reporters shouted questions over each other, Rasheed started off with a sincere apology for being late, as well as a thank you to everybody for coming out despite the weather. Once the initial frenzy died down, Rasheed sat back and gave one of the most candid and sincere talks about basketball and what it’s like being a professional athlete anyone there could have hoped for.
The setting was intimately small considering the huge celebrity of Rasheed Wallace. The entire crowd packed into Snyx remained completely silent as Rasheed spoke. About a hundred or so kids stood or sat in a semi-circle around Rasheed backed by a ring of camera men, photographers and other media as he explained, “You know people say I got an attitude problem… People think that I’m the same way off the court that I am on the court and that’s not true. On the court, I’m at work. When you’re at work or at school, you don’t want people bothering you. You’re at work. You got a job to do.” and continued talking directly to the kids around him as they hung on his every word. Rasheed spoke passionately about his humble roots playing basketball in the streets of Philly and stated that growing up wearing Air Force 1’s when he played blacktop basketball as a kid was why he’d always remain loyal to that shoe as an NBA pro. He continued on to explain, “You know, I’m a regular person just like everybody else. I go out and do groceries just like everybody. When I’m home I cook dinner.” and reiterated to the kids that he grew up in a neighborhood just like theirs. When asked by a kid in the crowd what his biggest weakness was, Rasheed responded, “My mouth is my greatest weakness.”, and with a smirk, he added, “It’s also my greatest strength.” Later, when asked by another kid what was most important for becoming successful Rasheed stressed the importance of college. Once he was pressed by the kids for tips on how to make it to the NBA, Rasheed emphasized determination and a LOT of time at the gym.
In total, Rasheed spoke for about 30 minutes and then answered questions from one kid after another for about another 30. As the exchange began to wind down, he stood up and in a sort of humble tone apologized to the crowd for his need to get going. Then with a distinct look of pride announced that it was his son’s fifth-grade graduation and his need to get back to celebrating with his family. Despite the urgency to wrap up, Rasheed still lingered a good while longer to pose for pictures, answer a couple more questions from a few kids probably too shy to ask in front of the entire crowd and sign dozens of autographs with one of the two Sharpie’s he had tucked beneath his University of North Carolina ball cap. Eventually, Rasheed said his goodbyes and made his way out the back door. With a couple more kids trailing him outside while calling out his name, Rasheed Wallace paused in the rain to fulfill their last few requests for autographs before jumping into the back of a waiting car and being driven off.
Check back Tuesday, June 17 for an exclusive first peak and additional info on the 1World Air Force 1’s.
Posted on June 05, 2008 at 08:28 PM | Comment (3 comments)
