Wally Szczerbiak: Where is the former NBA standout now?
BOSTON (BVM) — After being selected No. 6 overall in the 1999 NBA Draft, Wally Szczerbiak was a consistent competitor in the league for 10 years. An All-Star, the Miami (Ohio) standout also saw postseason action during most of his NBA career.
With an abundance of basketball knowledge, Szczerbiak has remained close to basketball and continues to show many how great of a sport it is.
Wally Szczerbiak’s early life, college career
Born in Spain, Szczerbiak practically grew up with a basketball in his hands. His father, Walter Szczerbiak, played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and competed in the FIBA European Champions Cup, now known as the EuroLeague. When his father retired, his family moved to New York. There, Wally attended Cold Spring Harbor High School and averaged 36.6 points in his senior year.
However, Wally didn’t attract the attention of Power 5 schools. Instead, Wally found interest in MAC school Miami, where he was coached by Charlie Coles. With Coles’ mentorship, Wally burst onto the scene during his junior year, leading the RedHawks to the Sweet 16 of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. Wally and his squad defeated the No. 7-ranked Washington Huskies and the No. 2-ranked Utah Utes. Averaging 24.2 points in 1999, Wally was named a first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and awarded the MAC Player of the Year.
Wally finished his RedHawks career with 1,847 points, the second most in program history.
Wally Szczerbiak’s NBA career
Seen as one of the top players in the draft, Wally was selected with the sixth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. During his rookie season, the 6-foot-7 forward played in 73 games and averaged 11.6 points. He received NBA All-Rookie honors.
He would take over as a starter for the next handful of seasons, averaging 16.4 points, 3.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds from 2000-02. While in Minnesota, Wally received his lone All-Star nod during the 2002 season. Alongside his success in the regular season, Wally also had extended success in the postseason. His best span (21 games) came during 2001-04 when he averaged 15.4 points, two assists and 5.1 rebounds.
The furthest Wally and the Timberwolves would go in the postseason would be a Western Conference Finals appearance (2004), where they took on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves lost the series in six games.
Following his six seasons in Minneapolis, Wally was traded to the Boston Celtics in the middle of the 2005-06 season. After the season, he had surgery to repair a knee injury. The 2006-07 season started well, but after 32 games, Wally went under the knife again to repair both ankles. Following his surgery, Wally, along with Delonte West, Jeff Green, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, was shipped off to the Seattle Supersonics for Ray Allen and the No. 35 overall pick, Glen Davis.
He’d spend one season in Seattle, averaging 13.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Wally once again found himself in a trade. This time he wound up with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played in 124 games, including playoffs, with Cleveland, averaging 7.3 points, 1.1 assists, and 2.6 rebounds.
(2009) Wally Szczerbiak blocks Bill Walker's shot to the seats and the Cavs bench loves it!
Happy birthday @wallyball 🎈 pic.twitter.com/rmllGx3Upt
— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) March 5, 2018
At the end of Wally’s two-year tenure with the Cavaliers, his NBA career ended. Over his career, he averaged 14.1 points, 2.4 assists and four rebounds.
Wally Szczerbiak’s net worth and achievements
Throughout his career, Wally made over $74 million. He is estimated to have a net worth of around $35 million thanks to his achievements on the hardwood.
Wally also had the honor of having his No. 32 retired by Miami.
Wally Szczerbiak after the NBA
Wally quickly transitioned from player to broadcaster. He started as an analyst with CBS College Sports in 2009. After joining CBS, Wally joined the MSG Network to cover the New York Knicks in 2012. He has been doing both for over a decade, and Wally shows no signs of slowing down.
Like his playing days, the current analyst has continued to find ways to stay around the game. That isn’t likely to end anytime soon, and the 10-year NBA vet looks to continue to spread his basketball knowledge.
