Draymond Green thanks Pistons legend Ben Wallace in open letter

As Draymond Green has garnered All-Star consideration and grown into a star, one of the players he's oft been compared to is former Detroit Pistons big man Ben Wallace.

The irony is that that's exactly who Green wants to play like. Growing up in Saginaw, Mich., Green was Pistons fan who idolized Wallace, especially as a fellow undersized big man.

Which makes it coincidental that Wallace will have his No. 3 jersey retired on Saturday when Green and the Golden State Warriors are in town. 

Green never got to play against his idol -- Wallace retired after the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season, right before Green entered the league in 2012 -- but he decided to write him a letter in the Detroit Free Press thanking Wallace for his contribution to the game and the way he inspired Green to become the player he is today:

The best anecdote of all: Green used to wear a fake afro in the early 00s because of Wallace. Just imagine that. Amazing.

In all seriousness, Green is spot on in comparing himself and Wallace.  

Both were undervalued in the draft -- Green was drafted No. 35 overall in 2012, while Wallace went undrafted in 1996. Both are undersized big men -- Green is listed at 6-foot-7 and Wallace at 6-foot-9 -- yet it often feels like they're the biggest ones out there on the court. Both have overachieved because of their intangibles -- heart, hustle, grit, hunger -- and defensive ability.

From remaining in the All-Star Game starting lineup, to getting a signed game-worn pair of Kobe 11s from Kobe Bryant, to this, it seems to be quite the week for Green.

Read the rest of Green's letter here.

Jovan Buha covers the NBA for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jovanbuha.