Rasheed Wallace Story Shows Former Razorback Had NBA's Full Respect
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Pretty much any Arkansas fan who has ever entered the doors of Corky's Barbecue in Little Rock hopes it might be the day former Razorback basketball star Joe Kleine might wander in and start getting refills for each of the tables. Never mind most don't know whether Kleine has ever refilled another person's soda glass a single day in his life. They just want a chance to rub elbows with Arkansas royalty.
However, the same can't be said for former NBA star Rasheed Wallace. Nearly 30 years after the North Carolina Tar Heel went No. 4 in 1995, a story told by Wallace on his podcast making the rounds lately shows there is still a deep respect and borderline fear of the big man who issued his "Welcome to the NBA" moment.
Having been drafted a decade before and only two spots behind with the overall No. 6 pick, Kleine was now a crafty veteran with the Phoenix Suns when the story starts. Wallace was a rookie with the then-Washington Bullets, now known as the Washington Wizards.
"Yeah, I know y'all remember him. Joe Kleine," Wallace starts.
"Mmmmm hmmm," says his partner as a back-and-forth statement-response pattern straight out of a powerful church sermon commences.
"Red head."
"Mmmmm hmmm."
"Arkansas."
"Oh, my God."
At this point it's clear Kleine built a reputation around the NBA that many in and around Arkansas may not have realized was there. This isn't an "Oh, yeah, that random white guy from Arkansas" talk. This sounds more like a people who survived Camp Crystal Lake looking back on Jason Vorhees talk. They know who he is and they don't want to see him under those circumstances again.
"You know me," Wallace said. "Back then I gotta dunk. Boom! I'm running down the court. 'Hey you little [expective]. If you do that again,' he said 'I'm gon' wipe you out.'
"'Man, whatever dog. You ain't going to do nothing to me.'"
At this point, the gentleman on the coach gives a reaction about Kleine's strength that has a hint of warning in it similar to how one might talk about Mike Tyson's punching power. You can easily hear the reverence. Then Wallace continues.
"Yo, two, three plays later we ran the same play, just a little different option and I'm trying to go to the rim," Wallace said. "I got the ball in my hand, and next thing I know, I'm grabbing for hands gettin' up off the floor."
The gentleman on the couch immediately begins chiding Kleine for being a little too country strong for the basketball court, implying his strength was more fit for a different sport.
"He was a Lumberjack or something dog," the man says. "He was too strong dog. For basketball, you didn't need all that."
As Wallace was peeling himself up off the floor, Kleine made sure his original point was heard.
"He said 'I told you! Don't bring that [expletive] down here with me!'" Wallace said.
His partner asks whether there was a technical or at least a foul, neither of which Wallace confirmed were called. Then he turns his focus back directly on Kleine, still hung up on how unnecessarily strong he was back then.
"He was strong for no reason dog."
To which Wallace respectfully agreed.
A.I. LOOK AT RAZORBACKS SHOW A SURPRISINGLY DIFFERENT PROJECTION FOR THE OUTCOME
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