Ben Wallace has been around the Pistons lots recently. Now he's officially returning.
The Pistons announced Friday that Wallace will join the organization as a basketball operations and team engagement advisor. The Hall of Famer and four-time Defensive Player of the Year will assist GM Troy Weaver, head coach Dwane Casey and the Pistons' basketball operations staff in a variety of roles, especially in the development of the team's young players.
Wallace, 47, will also "engage on select organizational business initiatives and community efforts," per an official release.
A lynchpin of the Goin' To Work Pistons who dominated the East in the mid-2000's and captured the 2004 NBA title, it's not a huge surprise to see Wallace return. He represented the Pistons at the Draft Lottery this summer when they won the No. 1 pick and he's the living embodiment of Weaver's vision for the team moving forward: tough, smart and competitive.
And extremely hard to beat.
“Ben is a Hall of Famer and a Pistons legend who has continued to come back home and support our organization,” owner Tom Gores said in the release. “He embodies everything we are building here and will be a real asset to Dwane, Troy and the rest of our staff. Ben helped set the standard for what it means to be a Piston and will be a tremendous influence for our young players.”