The Miami Herald's Israel Gutierrez caught up with Ben Wallace recently. What do you think he asked him about? The budding Pistons-Heat "rivalry?" What it's like for a 6-8 defender to guard Shaq? Wallace's chances to repeat as Defensive Player of the Year? Nope. Gutierrez asked about something all of us have been talking about lately -- the Inflatable Defender.
Q: So the website deadspin.com and ESPN's Pardon The Interruption mentioned ''The Inflatable Defender'' doll with your picture on it. Are you aware of this product?
A: Yeah, you want one? You need a couple?Q: No. So, what, a company ran this idea by you and you thought it was a good idea?
A: Yeah, they just ran it by me, I said go ahead and let it do what it do.Q: What does it do?
A: It's a defender. You can post it up, you can do what you want to do. Stick pins in it, whatever you want to do.Q: It can't exactly be considered a defender if it doesn't move, reach or jump, can it?
A: A blowup doll that jumps, come on, man.Q: So it's not exactly like the real thing?
A: Oh, no. It's not like the real thing. It's 7 feet, too. I'm 6-8.
I love how even Ben isn't taking this thing too seriously -- stick pins in it? Classic. And note how he came clean about the height difference -- these Pistons, they're an honest bunch.
On a sidenote, I'm not too cool to admit that I'm a little proud about how fast people across the country started talking about this product. Our initial post was picked up by Deadspin, which was read by ESPN "Stat Boy" Tony Reali, who mentioned it on Around the Horn. The end result? A random beat writer asking Ben about it.
Man, the internet is awesome.
24 seconds with the Pistons' Ben Wallace [Miami Herald]