It's a term that is now being used in Chicago, by the Windy City's ink-stained wretches. Probably by their blogging community, as well. The target of their derision is Ben Wallace, the Bulls' brand-new, $60 million center who has a fetish for headbands and loud music, apparently.
Funny how neither of those items of fancy bubbled to the surface in Detroit.
Funny, also, that the prima donna label is being affixed to Wallace, who we were told personified the Pistons' work ethic and "team first" mentality.
Of course, some of that luster was lost when Big Ben left Motown for Chitown, going for the green, then taking a few swipes at Pistons coach Flip Saunders while trying on his new Bulls jersey on Media Day. Turns out that Wallace had issues with Flip, and that the Pistons had no real hope of ever signing him back, after all. So when the Bulls swept in with their Brinks truck, that sealed the deal.
But now Wallace, who is openly defying coach Scott Skiles' edict on no headband-wearing and loud music in the lockerroom before games -- not to mention no practicing without taping your ankles first -- is already considered a mistake signing by the coverers of basketball in Chicago. It can't be much longer before another nasty term is used to describe him.
Coach Killer.
The good ole days (four months ago)
It's a most incorrigible pair of words to be used against any professional athlete. But it may be appropriate, when it comes to Ben Wallace -- a defender and rebounder extraordinaire who is doing neither as much rebounding or defending as hoped for, especially after that sixty million dollar pact. The blocked shots aren't there, either, nor is the intimidating presence Bulls folks were accustomed to seeing be used against them while Wallace toiled as a Piston. Now he is blatantly, openly defying his coach, and doing so unapologetically.
Wallace played 20 uninspired minutes against the Wizards last week, a third of an hour in which he grabbed no rebound and scored no points. Not that he's there for his offense, but it was a double goose egg nonetheless. The next game, Wallace put the headband on and was yanked just two minutes into the game -- a sure fire show of authority by Skiles, and an attempt to show up his new big man.
Now, it would be easy to chuckle and snicker over the drama being played out in Bulls Land, since they and the Pistons haven't exactly been two peas in a pod over the years. Even more so might be that inclination, considering Wallace's apparent disdain for Saunders and his ways. In other words, had Ben re-upped with the Pistons, maybe the implosion would have happened in Detroit instead.
Once you get a reputation of Coach Killer in the NBA, it's awfully hard to live down. Sometimes it's been wrongly affixed. Doesn't matter. Just ask Joe Barry Carroll, who was nicknamed "Joe Barely Cares." Or Benoit Benjamin. Or any of a number of other players who've supposedly increased their coach's blood pressure by way of their antics on and off the court.
They're already calling Ben Wallace a prima donna in Chicago. If he ends up driving Scott Skiles to quit or be fired, they'll add Coach Killer into the mix. He'll still be a multimillionaire, but he'll be a tarnished one. Now, whether Ben cares about that, we'll be left to wonder.
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