Wally Szczerbiak, born on March 5, 1977, in Madrid, Spain, is a former professional basketball player and current sports analyst. He is best known for his time in the NBA and his contributions to college basketball.
Early Life and Education
Szczerbiak spent much of his childhood in Europe due to his father’s basketball career. The family relocated to Long Island, New York, where he attended Cold Spring Harbor High School. In his senior year, he averaged 36.6 points and 15.9 rebounds per game, earning the Richard Sangler Award as Nassau County’s outstanding boys’ basketball player. Despite his impressive high school performance, he went largely unnoticed by East Coast college recruiters.
He committed to Miami University in Ohio, where he played college basketball for the Miami RedHawks. In his senior year, he led the team to the Sweet 16 in the 1999 NCAA tournament, averaging 24.2 points per game. He was named MAC Player of the Year and earned second-team All-American honors.
NBA Career
Szczerbiak was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the sixth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Over his 10-season career, he played for the Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was named an NBA All-Star in 2002 and earned All-Rookie First Team honors in 2000. He concluded his career with averages of 14.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
Post-Retirement and Broadcasting
After retiring from professional basketball, Szczerbiak transitioned to a career in sports broadcasting. Since 2012, he has served as a studio analyst for New York Knicks telecasts on MSG Networks, providing insights during pregame, postgame, and halftime segments. He also contributes as a studio analyst for CBS Sports’ college basketball coverage.
Personal Life
Szczerbiak is of Ukrainian descent; his grandparents met in a refugee camp in West Germany after World War II before immigrating to Pittsburgh. He has a younger brother, Will, and a sister, Wendy, who played college basketball at Lehigh University. Wally married Shannon Ward in 2000, and the couple has five children. They filed for divorce in 2020.
For more personal insights and updates, you can follow Wally Szczerbiak on Instagram at @wallyball10.