BACKGROUND
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. 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.

CAREER 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.

1996-97
Wallace's exciting play made him a favorite of the fans at Madison Square Garden, who often called for him to be brought in off the bench. He appeared in 68 games, the most for a Knick rookie since Greg Anthony played all 82 in 1991-92, and averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in just 11.6 minutes. He shot .517 from the field and impressed New York fans with his hustle and his array of dunks. He played in 22 of the season's first 24 games and averaged 5.5 ppg and 3.0 rpg in that stretch, which included double-digit scoring in each of the season's first five games. He cooled off after that, however, but bounced back in January when he played in all of the team's 16 games (five starts) and averaged 6.1 points and shot .545 for the month. He scored a season-high 19 points in a 112-99 win over Boston on Jan. 12 and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds (plus 10 points for his only double-double) in his pro debut, a 107-99 win at Toronto on Nov. 1. Wallace appeared in the Schick Rookie Game at All-Star Weekend, the first Knick ever selected for the contest. He scored five points and hauled down three rebounds in 15 minutes. Wallace played in four of New York's 10 playoff games, averaging 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes.

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"

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Posted a rookie-high 19 points, 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, against the L.A. Clippers on 12/7/96.
Named Second Team All-America by the AP as a senior at Syracuse, averaging 22.2 points and 8.7 rpg.
Set a Syracuse single-season record as a senior with 845 points.