Gerald Wallace grew up watching NASCAR, wanted to be a baseball player

In the latest issue of SLAM Magazine, Adam Figman had a chance to sit down with Nets forward Gerald Wallace and talked to him about life growing up in Alabama.

It's an interesting look into Wallace's upbringing, with my favorite "did you know?" moment being when he told Figman that he grew up watching NASCAR.

SLAM: Childersburg is 20 miles from Talladega—were you ever into NASCAR?

GW: Yeah, yeah. I grew up watching NASCAR. When I was growing up Rusty Wallace was one of my favorites. I grew up with an opportunity to watch him race and watch Dale Earnhardt race. I wouldn’t say I was a die-hard NASCAR fan, but I watched it. I had the opportunity to be in the pit once, for one of the races. That was a fun experience for me, but it’s a little too loud down there.

Also of note, Wallace wanted to be a baseball player growing up. When Figman asked him about that, Wallace said, "Yeah, I did. Baseball was my family sport. Nobody really played basketball until I played."

Wallace, who is currently struggling on the offensive side of the ball and looking to right his game as the Nets head into the postseason, is generally a private, yet no-nonsense person, so it's great to hear a little bit about who Wallace is.

I highly recommend you reading the rest of the piece, where Wallace talks about his love for law enforcement, fishing and how he never, ever heads into Manhattan unless he has to -- for a game, of course.

• Sweet Home with Gerald Wallace - Adam Figman - SLAM ONLINE