Chris Webber

Mayce Edward Christopher Webber, III (born March 1, 1973, in Detroit, Michigan), better known as Chris Webber and nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee. As a collegian, he was an NCAA Men's Basketball first team All-American and led the University of Michigan Wolverines' 1991 incoming freshman class known as the Fab Five that reached the 1992 & 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games as freshmen and sophomores. However, Webber was indicted by a federal grand jury, and stripped of his All-American honors by the NCAA, as a result of his direct involvement in the Ed Martin scandal.^[1] He is also a former National High School Basketball Player of the Year who led his high school Detroit Country Day to three Michigan State High School Basketball Championships.

High school career

Chris Webber prepped at Detroit Country Day School and at the time was the most recruited Michigan high school basketball player since Magic Johnson. Chris led Country Day to three MHSAA State championships. As a senior in high school Webber averaged 29.4 points and 13 rebounds per game. He was named Michigan's Mr. Basketball and the 1990–1991 National High School player of the year.

College career

After graduating from Detroit Country Day School, Webber attended the University of Michigan for two years. While a Michigan Wolverine, Webber led the group of players known as the Fab Five, which included himself, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. This group, all of whom entered Michigan as freshmen in the fall of 1991, took the basketball team to the NCAA finals twice, losing both times. The Fab Five, sporting long, baggy shorts and black shoes, became immensely popular as they were seen as bringing a hip hop flavor to the game. Four of the Fab Five (Webber, Rose, Howard, and King) made it to the NBA.

On April 5, 1993, at Michigan's second consecutive NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game, Webber infamously called a time-out with 11 seconds left in the game when his team, down 73–71, did not have any remaining, resulting in a technical foul that effectively clinched the game for North Carolina. The game marked the end of Webber's acclaimed two year collegiate basketball career. In his second season, he was a first team All-American selection and a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year.^[2] These awards and honors have been vacated due to University of Michigan and NCAA sanctions related to the University of Michigan basketball scandal. In that scandal, Webber received over $200,000 from a local bookmaker to play basketball for Michigan. Webber was convicted of perjury and banned from any affiliation with the Michigan program until 2013. ^[3]

Webber is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

NBA career

Chris Webber was selected by the Orlando Magic with the first pick of the 1993 NBA Draft, becoming the first sophomore since Magic Johnson to be a #1 overall draft pick.^[2] The Magic immediately traded him to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway and three future first round draft picks. Over his 15 year NBA career, Webber made over $176,000,000.^[4]

Golden State Warriors

Webber had an outstanding first year, averaging 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He was instrumental in leading the Warriors back into the playoffs. However, he had a long-standing conflict with his coach, Don Nelson.^[5] Nelson wanted to make Webber primarily a post player, despite Webber's superb passing ability and good ball handling skills for someone his size at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall. Webber also disliked playing a substantial amount of time at center, given Nelson's propensity towards smaller, faster line ups. In the 1994 off-season, the Warriors acquired Rony Seikaly so that Webber could play primarily at power forward. However, at the time, the differences between Webber and Nelson were considered to be irreconcilable. Webber exercised a one-year escape clause in his contract, stating he had no intentions of returning to the Warriors. With little alternatives, Golden State agreed to a sign and trade deal, sending Chris Webber to the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) for forward Tom Gugliotta and three first round draft picks.

Washington Bullets/Wizards

Webber was traded in his second year to the Washington Bullets, where he was reunited with his college teammate and friend, Juwan Howard. He spent the next three years with the Bullets (later renamed the Washington Wizards), although in the 1995–96 season injuries limited him to only 15 games. Webber rebounded the following year and was named to his first All-Star team in 1997. The same season, Webber led the Bullets into the playoffs for the first time in nine years, but they were swept by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. By 1998, Webber had established himself as a great power forward, but his time in Washington had also worn out.

Sacramento Kings

Webber pictured during his days with the Sacramento Kings

On May 14, 1998, Webber was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Webber originally did not want to go to Sacramento, as they were a perennially losing team.

When Webber arrived, the Kings also signed small forward Peja Stojakovic, center Vlade Divac and drafted point guard Jason Williams. In his first year with the Kings (the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season), Webber won the rebounding title averaging a league high 13.0 rebounds per game. The surprising Kings team made the playoffs, almost upsetting the veteran Utah Jazz. In years to come, Webber and the Kings became arguably the most exciting team in the league, and NBA title contenders. He was named to the All-Star team again in 2000 and 2001 while cementing his status as one of the premier power forwards in the NBA. Webber peaked in the 2000–01 season where he averaged a career-high 27.1 points. He also averaged 11.1 rebounds and was 4th in MVP voting. Webber was an All-NBA player five years in a row as a Sacramento King (1999–2003), making the 1st team in 2001 for the only time in his career.

On July 27, 2001, Webber signed a $127 million, seven-year contract with the Kings. In the 2001–02 NBA season, Webber played in 54 games and helped lead the Kings to a Pacific division title and a franchise record 61–21 season. He also made his fourth All-Star team and the All-NBA Second Team. The Kings reached the Western Conference Finals, against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings led the series 3–2 but eventually lost in 7 games.

The next season, Webber put up another superb year, averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds per game. He was cited as a possible MVP candidate, and made his fifth consecutive All-Star team. In a bad sign of what was to come, Webber missed the All Star game with an injured knee. Nevertheless, he returned and the Kings were among the favorites to win the NBA Championship.

In the second game of the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks, Webber suffered a career-threatening knee injury while running down the lane untouched that forced him to miss nearly a year of action. After microfracture surgery, he returned for the final 23 games of the 2003–04 season, but his athleticism, agility, and mobility were never the same.

On February 6, 2009, Webber returned to Arco Arena, home of the Sacramento Kings to participate in the ceremonies surrounding the retirement of his jersey, #4.

Philadelphia 76ers

In February 2005, Webber, along with Michael Bradley and Matt Barnes, were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for power forward Kenny Thomas, forward/center Brian Skinner, and former King Corliss Williamson. Webber took some time to fit in with the 76ers offense, where he was the second scoring option, behind Allen Iverson. He eventually helped catapult the Sixers to a berth in the 2005 playoffs, where the Sixers lost to the Detroit Pistons. However, they did not reach the playoffs in 2006, despite Webber putting up a resurgent 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Because of the microfracture surgery on his knee, Webber lost his lateral quickness and jumping ability. While he still possessed offensive skills, he was seen as a defensive liability and was usually benched for the 4th quarters. This caused Webber to reportedly call for a trade.^[6]

On Tuesday, April 18, 2006, Webber and Iverson were fined for not showing up at the Philadelphia 76ers final home game of the season, which was Fan Appreciation Night, although both of them were injured and not expected to play.^[7] The following day they both apologized for being absent.^[8]

During the 2006–07 season Webber only played 18 of 35 games for the Sixers leading the media to question his motivation. On January 11, 2007 Sixers GM Billy King announced that the Sixers and Webber had agreed to a reported $25 million contract buyout on the remaining two years left on his contract, in effect paying him not to play. Later that day, the Sixers waived Webber, making him a free agent.

Detroit Pistons

On January 16, 2007, Chris Webber signed with the Detroit Pistons. He has stated throughout his career that he always wanted to play for the Pistons. His usual number 4 had been retired in honor of Joe Dumars, so Webber donned the number 84, because his nephew had a dream of him making a buzzer beater with that number on. The Pistons were a much improved basketball team after Webber's acquisition, improving their record in the Eastern Conference and solidifying the first seed in the East. However, the Eastern Conference favorites failed to advance to the finals after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, leaving Chris Webber short of an NBA Finals appearance yet again. Indeed, Webber performed well in the 2007 NBA Playoffs despite receiving limited minutes. Webber still managed to average 10 points and 6 rebounds per game in the playoffs and shot an impressive 52.4% from the field. His efforts were highlighted by a game 5 performance in the Eastern Conference Finals in which Webber scored 20 points (including 5 points in the double overtime period) on 9 of 13 shooting and grabbed 7 boards. Nevertheless, Detroit still lost what turned out to be the key game in the series in double overtime and Webber ended up averaging a career low 11.2 PPG in his run with the Pistons. During the off season, Detroit did not resign Webber. Despite receiving lucrative proposals from teams in Europe, he was in free agency at the beginning of the regular season.

Second run with Warriors and subsequent retirement

On January 29, 2008, the Golden State Warriors signed Webber for the rest of the season.^[9][10][11] Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the San Francisco Chronicle reported that he would receive the pro-rated veteran's minimum of $1.2 million^[12] (approximately $570,000).^[13] This comes after a rejected offer by the Los Angeles Lakers who were trying to coax Webber in with two, 10-day contracts so they could decide afterwards if they wanted him the rest of the season.^[10] This has also put to rest talks of joining the Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, or retirement.^[14] He played in only nine games for the Warriors, averaging 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.

On March 25, 2008, Webber officially retired from basketball due to persistent problems with his surgically repaired knee and was waived by the Warriors.^[15] On March 27, 2008, Webber made his first appearance on television on Inside the NBA on TNT, alongside Charles Barkley and host Ernie Johnson. On April 25, 2008, TNT offered Webber a job to be a commentator for the post season.

Legal trouble

In 1998, Webber was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, driving under the influence of marijuana and five other traffic-related violations after being pulled over for speeding on the way to the practice center at the MCI Center in downtown Washington, D.C. Webber was eventually acquitted by a jury of the assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana and driving under the influence charges, and paid $560 in fines for lesser violations.^[16]

Later in 1998 during the off-season, while leaving Puerto Rico on a promotional tour for Fila sneakers, Webber paid a $500 fine after U.S. Customs found marijuana in his bag. Soon after Fila dropped Webber as an endorser. Webber sued Fila for wrongful dismissal, but the case was thrown out of court.

In 2002, Webber was charged for lying to a grand jury as part of a larger investigation of a numbers gambling operation, run by Ed Martin, a booster of the University of Michigan basketball program, in Ford Motor Company plants in the Detroit area. The investigation, originally focused on the numbers operation and tax evasion, soon widened to include the University of Michigan basketball program. Martin was convicted on counts of tax evasion and robbery and was scheduled to testify on the financial connections between himself and Webber at a sentencing hearing, but died of a heart attack before the hearing.

As a result of evidence admitted during the course of Martin's trial, Webber pled guilty to one count of criminal contempt for lying about his role in a scandal in which four players, including himself, had accepted illicit loans from Martin. Martin had been giving money to Webber since the 8th grade. He admitted in the plea that in 1994 he gave Martin about $38,000 in cash as partial repayment for expenditures Martin made on his behalf.^[17]

Due to concerns that Webber's amateur status had been compromised, Michigan forfeited its victory in the 1992 Final Four over Cincinnati, as well as its runner-up status in the 1992 tourney. Michigan also forfeited the entire 1992–93 season, removed the 1992 and 1993 Final Four banners from the Crisler Arena rafters, and deleted Webber's records from its record book. The NCAA also ordered Michigan to disassociate itself from Webber until 2012. Webber later called Michigan's decision "hurtful" because he and his Fab Five teammates "gave everything to Michigan" while they played there.

After Webber's plea, the Michigan State High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) recommended that Detroit Country Day forfeit all games in which Webber appeared (including three state championships), since according to his own admission, Webber had been accepting money from Martin since junior high school. The school conducted its own investigation, and called a press conference to announce it had found "no credible evidence" that Webber had accepted "substantial" amounts of cash from Martin while in high school, and therefore refused to forfeit any games. The MHSAA claimed it had no legal authority to force the games to be forfeited.

Webber was suspended by the NBA for a total of eight games—five for an unnamed violation of the league substance abuse policies and three for lying to the grand jury. Webber received the suspensions once he recovered from an injury that kept him out for half of the 2003–04 season.

Legacy

In spite of his talent, Webber never led a team to an NBA championship. The closest he came to a title was in 2002, when the Lakers defeated the Kings in the Western Conference Finals in seven games. Injury plagued and seemingly always on the wrong side of luck, Webber has been considered by some to be "cursed," and his inability to win the big games was prevalent since his final game at Michigan.

However, Webber always put up big numbers (he averaged 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for his whole career.) and will likely be a candidate for the Hall of Fame. Webber's soft hands and natural court sense made him one of the most prolific big-man passers in NBA history. The Golden State Warriors did not make the playoffs during the first 12 years after they traded Webber. In 1997, he led Washington to their first playoff appearance since 1989. They would not reach the playoffs again until 2005, seven years after trading Webber. Prior to Webber's arrival in 1998, the Kings made the playoffs only twice (1985 and 1996) since they moved to Sacramento from Kansas City in 1985.

Webber was ranked #64 in SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003.

Webber was ranked #72 on a list of the Top 96 NBA Players of all time in the bestseller The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy published in 2009.

Webber was ranked #11 in an Espn.com experts poll of the top power forwards of all time in 2008.

Webber is one of only six players to have career averages of 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists (Four of which are Hall of Famers: Baylor, Bird, Chamberlain, Cunningham. Kevin Garnett is still active)

The Sacramento Kings retired Webber's Number 4 jersey on February 6, 2009 when the Kings hosted the Utah Jazz.^[18]

Post-basketball life

Since retiring from the NBA, Webber has become an analyst on NBA TV's NBA Gametime Live. He does the Tuesday Fan Night alongside Ernie Johnson and Kevin McHale. He also continues to serve as an occasional guest analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA for the 2008–09 season. During Charles Barkley's leave of absence, Webber substituted for him along with other guests such as Gary Payton and Mike Fratello. Webber has also expressed interests in eventually becoming a GM and owner.^[19]

Webber has also stated he is working on a book. Outside of basketball, Webber has been active in his investment company representing basketball and football players, real estate, and film projects.

Webber was the owner of Center Court With C-Webb^[20], a restaurant in Sacramento, California. The restaurant closed on November 17, 2009.^[21]. Earlier that year, Webber married his longtime girlfriend Erika Dates during a private ceremony at his Atlanta home. In attendance were 200 guests including family and close friends.

African American artifacts

Chris Webber has a personal collection of African American artifacts which he began collecting in 1994. As soon as he entered the NBA, he started researching on how to collect artifacts. He began by contacting a broker in Washington and purchased two slave records. Webber believes that these artifacts are a reflection of his beliefs and aspirations. He initially collected them as encouragements to face life obstacles. However, he had no intentions on exhibiting them until the growth of his collection prompted additional storage. His collection includes an original 1901 publication of an autobiography by Booker T. Washington, various documents, letters, and postcards signed by Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. When not on public exhibit, the artifacts are stored at the Sacramento Public Library's Archival Vault. In previous years the Chris Webber Collection has previously been featured in Crocker Art Museum and Wayne State University. More detailed information can be found on his official website.^[22] On June 28, 2007, Webber unveiled his collection of African American artifacts during the Celebrating Heritage Exhibition at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. During a news conference, Webber said he believed that children can learn from these artifacts, "Hopefully, when children see them they will see there is no excuse for us not to be successful. There's no excuse not to find something that you love to do. There's no excuse to not work hard at it."^[23]

Charity

Webber is active in various charities and created The Timeout Foundation in 1993. The foundation's mission is to provide positive educational and recreational opportunities to youth.

In 1999, Webber created C-Webb's Crew where a group of tickets at every Kings regular home season game would be donated to at-risk youth and their families. To date, over 3,000 youths and their families have attended a game through C-Webb's Crew.

Community awards Webber has won include the inaugural Sacramento Kings/Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award, which is annually awarded to a Kings player who exemplifies: team leadership, all-around game, and sportsmanship; the NBA Community Assist Award for his contributions in February 2003, and the Wish Maker of the Year in 2003 awarded by the Sacramento Chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation.

More recently, Webber held a celebrity weekend, Bada Bling!, at the Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas. The event was held from July 28–30, 2006 and included a live auction and celebrity poker tournament. Many renowned NBA players participated including then-current and former teammates: Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, Andre Iguodala, Bobby Jackson, Kyle Korver, and his then-current coach, Maurice Cheeks. Other notable participants included Charles Barkley, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gary Payton, Kenny Smith, Moses Malone, and Stephon Marbury. Numerous entertainers attended as well such as Nas and Common. All of the proceeds were donated to The Timeout Foundation.

Webber hosted his second annual Bada Bling charity weekend from July 20–22, 2007 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.^[24]

Discography

Chris Webber also has produced a few hip hop records, more famous for producing two songs for rapper Nas: "Blunt Ashes" and "Surviving the Times".

Awards

• 5 time All-Star
• 5 times All-NBA – 2001 first team, 1999, 2002, & 2003 second team, 2000 third team
• All Rookie NBA – 1994
• 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year
• 1990–1991 National High School player of the year
• NCAA Men's Division I Basketball All-American 1993
• NCAA All Tournament 1st Team (1992, 1993)
• Jerseys: #44 Detroit Country Day School, #4 Sacramento Kings
• 1999 NBA rebounding champ (13.0 rpg)

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Quotes

• "You can do anything—that's the message I want to give. It's not about being a basketball player and it's not about being a doctor or being a lawyer. It's about finding something that you love to do, cultivate it, work hard at it and make a life better for you."^[23]

References

External links

• Chris Webber Info Page at NBA.com
• Chris Webber NBA & ABA Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
• Washington Post: Bullets negotiating with Warriors for Webber
• Chris Webber's Official Site
• University of Michigan Basketball Statistical Archive