basketball player
Personal Information
Born Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III on March 1, 1973, in Detroit, MI; son of Mayce (a factory worker) and Doris Webber.
Education: Attended University of Michigan, 1991-93.
Career
Professional basketball player. Selected first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1993 NBA Entry Draft; Golden State Warriors, 1993-1994; Washington Bullets, 1994-1995; Sacramento Kings, 1998-2005; traded to Philadelphia 76ers, 2005.
Life's Work
Chris Webber reached celebrity status by his early twenties, but it is questionable whether any prominent athlete's career had as many ups and downs. While he was a high school standout and a member of the celebrated University of Michigan's Fab Five, Webber got his first moment in the national spotlight when he made one of basketball's most notable all-time blunders at the end of his sophomore season. He then gave his last two years of college up to join the National Basketball Association (NBA) and enjoyed one of the greatest rookie seasons in the league's history.
Before his second season began, however, a well-publicized rift with his coach forced a trade to another team and left Webber being identified as a crybaby. While gradually gaining back his good-guy image playing with the Washington Bullets, Webber reached his mid-twenties with a long career in front of him in which to define his place in the game's history. Into the new millennium, Webber has been a mainstay for Sacramento Kings teams which have been playoff contenders but have yet to reach the NBA Finals.
Webber undoubtedly had the talent to establish himself historically as a basketball figure with celebrity status, but perhaps he was not prepared for the particular demands and temptations that come with that kind of status. By the time he was 26 Webber had been released by two teams, had been arrested for assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, and was named in a sexual assault complaint. In addition, the sport shoe and apparel company, Fila, terminated Webber's contract. Webber also started his own record label. By the new millennium Webber was playing for the Sacramento Kings, his crown a bit tilted and tarnished.
Webber was born Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III, March 1, 1973, in Detroit. His parents were Mayce and Doris Webber. Mayce, a factory worker in a Detroit General Motors plant, sometimes worked double shifts to ensure that his five children could have clothes that fit. Chris proved early to be a promising basketball talent--in one game in the eighth grade he scored 64 points and had 15 dunks. When it came time to start high school, Mayce made a decision that Chris did not like at the time, taking him out of public school and sending him to Detroit Country Day High, a private school located in the upscale suburb of Birmingham. "I wanted to go to Southwestern (where friend and future Michigan teammate Jalen Rose would play), but my dad wanted me to go to Country Day to make sure I got an education," Webber told Sport magazine. "He knew I was gonna be OK in basketball."
Webber's high school career brought him superstar attention. He led Country Day to three state championships and, as a senior, averaged 28 points and 13 rebounds a game. Such impressive statistics earned him Michigan's Mr. Basketball and 1990-91 consensus National High School Player of the Year honors. Hundreds of colleges and universities eagerly sought Webber for their teams. His desire to remain close to his family led him to pick the University of Michigan Wolverines.
Bittersweet Notoriety
An interesting situation awaited Webber at Michigan, one that became even more interesting late in his initial year. In addition to Webber, Michigan had recruited four other nationally-praised freshmen for the 1991-92 season: Jimmy King, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, and Jalen Rose. Midway through the season, these five young men constituted Michigan's starting lineup, and they had enough success to earn Michigan a berth in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) postseason tournament. At first Michigan's youthful starting lineup was little more than one of the footnotes to the tournament hype. Over the two weeks of the tournament, however, as the Wolverines won their first five games to advance to the championship game, the starting lineup became known as the Fab Five, the most famous quintet to come from Michigan since the Temptations. The ride ended with a 71-51 loss to Duke in the title game, but Michigan's freshman class already had attained superstar status. The season was a success for Webber on an individual level, as well: He became the first freshman ever to lead the Big Ten Conference in rebounding, and he made the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
The following season looked like a campaign of triumph for Webber and the Fab Five, until the final seconds of the final game, when it became an embarrassment Webber knew he must live with for the rest of his life. The Wolverines made it to the NCAA title game again, this time as major celebrities and serious contenders for the championship. They once again won their first five tournament games to advance to the National Championship. This time they hung right with North Carolina's Tar Heels in a title game that went back-and-forth all night. Michigan trailed by two points in the closing seconds. Webber managed to corral a rebound off a missed Tar Heel free throw. Dribbling up court desperately, he called a timeout, apparently hoping to set up a shot to tie or win the game. The Wolverines, however, already had used their last timeout. North Carolina made the two technical free throws and retained possession of the ball. Michigan lost the game, sending Webber down in history with players who had made the greatest mistakes in sports. "I don't remember," Sports Illustrated quoted him as saying after the game. "Just called a timeout, and we did not have a timeout. And I cost our team the game." North Carolina coach Dean Smith pointed out that his team could have fouled the Wolverines repeatedly to prevent them from getting off a shot and without putting them on the free throw line. That point was lost in the days that followed the game, however, and Webber's mistake became a national topic of discussion.
If people wondered how Webber would handle the adversity, however, they need not have worried. "I was mad for a long time after the Duke loss, but I am not mad at anybody or anything this time," he told Sports Illustrated less than two weeks after the game. "I just have to deal with what happened. It is my responsibility." He also found out that public sentiment can be quite supportive of public figures who receive widespread attention for prominent goofs. "You not only find out who your friends are when something like this happens," he told Sports Illustrated, "you find out you have friends you didn't even know about."
Putting the timeout behind him, Webber set about making the next important decision of his life: whether to return to Michigan or join the NBA. He had gained some NBA experience--of a sort--when he served on the college all-star team that scrimmaged with the U.S. Olympic "Dream" Team in its pre-Olympic practices. "That was definitely an experience," he told Sport. "It gave me confidence. I realized I could play on this other level." While he wanted another crack at an NCAA championship, Webber finally decided to begin his NBA career.
Though many analysts correctly assumed that the Orlando Magic would use the first pick in the 1993 NBA Entry Draft to select Webber, they also knew Orlando would have trouble balancing their financial needs with his. Webber enjoyed the prospect of playing with Magic-center Shaquille O'Neal, but the Magic traded him to the Golden State Warriors for third pick Anfernee Hardaway and three draft choices just moments after picking Webber with the first selection. The trade was much more popular in the Warriors' home city of Oakland than it was in Orlando. After signing an eyebrow-raising 15-year, $74-million contract with a one-year out clause which no one expected to be exercised, Webber started his pro career as a Golden State Warrior.
Rookie Sensation
Webber's rookie season with the Warriors appeared to be a success on the floor by any standard. He garnered Rookie of the Year honors after becoming the first NBA rookie ever to score 1,000 points, grab 500 rebounds, get 250 assists, 150 blocks, and 75 steals. He also became the youngest player ever to lead the Warriors in rebounding. He drew rave reviews from people within the Warriors organization and throughout the league. "He's the best thing that has happened to this franchise, and to me personally, in the last dozen years," his coach, Don Nelson, told Sports Illustrated. "He's doing things around the basket that haven't been seen around here in quite a while." Los Angeles Lakers general manager Jerry West agreed, telling Sports Illustrated, "Webber's the best rookie in the league. [Jamal] Mashburn and Hardaway are having good years, but Webber's clearly the best."
Everything was not terrific in Oakland as far as Webber was concerned, however, as he made clear before his second season. To the surprise of a lot of basketball people, Webber decided to exercise the escape clause in his $74-million contract, becoming a 21-year-old free agent. When Warriors officials tried to find out why Webber was unhappy, the answer came down to one name: Don Nelson. "The coach was going to have to leave," Golden State owner Christopher Cohan told Sports Illustrated, "That's the bottom line. [Webber was] concrete on this issue." Webber apparently felt that Nelson criticized him excessively and tried to sabotage his career by cutting back on his playing time. The rift became quite public and acrimonious. When the Warriors chose Nelson in the showdown, Webber signed a new one-year, $2.08-million contract designed to facilitate a trade to the Washington Bullets.
While the trade--which came in the first month of the season--might have resolved the situation immediately, the feud between Webber and Nelson continued. When the media tried to get to the bottom of what had happened, they found different parties had different versions of the story. Webber claimed that Nelson regularly goaded him in front of his teammates, and he told Esquire, "One time I asked Coach Nelson if I could talk to him. I said, 'Coach, I know you're trying to push my buttons a certain way, motivate me this way and that, but it's not the right way. But here's some things I think will work.'" He also claimed Nelson snubbed him when he attended Nelson's fantasy camp that previous summer. Nelson said the aforementioned conversation never took place, and those present at the fantasy camp said the pair posed together for pictures for an hour. At any rate, Webber denied that he issued an ultimatum to the Warriors. "I never demanded they fire Coach Nelson, and I never demanded a trade," he told Sports Illustrated. "There were things that needed to be settled, that I wish he and I could have settled like men, but unfortunately that never happened." Nelson told Sports Illustrated, "I don't know what I've done in the past that made Chris so angry at me that he would not want to play for me. I thought I was soft on Chris. I tried to love him."
The episode did serious damage to Webber's reputation, though, and when Nelson resigned not long after the trade, some blamed Webber for costing him his job. Nelson sounded conciliatory, telling Esquire, "Listen, I think it's time to put this to rest. Chris and I both went through a very hard time because of this. We were both hurt. I think maturity had a lot to do with it, but I made errors, too." Still, when Sports Illustrated ran a major article on the spoiled prima donna athletes who were ruining the NBA, Webber was one of those prominently featured in the story. He said the accusation was unfair. "But the players and coaches in the league know what kind of person I am," he told Sports Illustrated. "They know I'm willing to listen to instruction. I'm not going to try to prove to anyone that I'm a good person. I'm not going to make sure I have my ear right next to [Washington] Coach [Jim] Lynam's mouth when he tells me something just so you guys [in the media] will see it. I'm going to be myself, and the kind of person I am will become evident."
Wounded Bullet
Webber set about to change his image during his first years in Washington. If he planned to let his play do the talking, it did so quite eloquently. He led the Bullets in scoring (20.1 points per game), rebounding (9.6), steals (1.54), and minutes (38.3), and was second in assists, blocks, and field goal percentage. He also reunited with Juwan Howard, his old teammate from Michigan, and the duo proved quite popular with Bullets fans. Things were starting to look up for Webber again. "My back's against the wall," he told Esquire. "I feel like I've always done well when my back's against the wall. My mother keeps telling me that there's got to be good times ahead, to make up for the bad times I've had lately." But the bad times had not receded completely into the past: in the team's only game of the season at Golden State, Webber dislocated a shoulder, an injury that caused him to miss 19 games.
At the end of the 1994-95 season, Webber signed a six-year, $59-million pact with the Bullets in time for the following season. The new contract was not the only positive change. He met with Nelson over the summer and patched up their relationship. He even began to regain his image as a good guy. Furthermore, he started off the season playing excellent basketball, leading the team with 23.7 points a game. That ended after 15 games, however, when Webber dislocated the same shoulder he had hurt the previous year. His season officially ended on the first day of February when he underwent surgery.
Off the court, Webber settled into a more sedate lifestyle. During his brief stay in Oakland he had become known for throwing wild parties that would last all night; he had recorded a rap album (never released) produced by Kay-Gee of Naughty by Nature; he hung out with Money-B from Digital Underground; and he hoped to do some acting, à la Shaquille O'Neal. In Washington he concentrated on his game and kept a somewhat low profile otherwise. He may have been shy following his rough times with the media, telling Sport magazine, "The past two years is not what I expected. My character has been totally diminished." He also may have become somewhat disenchanted with the life of a celebrity. In the same interview he said, "America is strange. Once you're in the spotlight, you find out the people you think are the good guys, most of the time they aren't. Now when I go to the hospitals, no cameras are coming with me. I don't want that. That's fake. That's what a lot of players like, but it's not for me."
The 1996-97 season started with a little bit of what the doctor ordered for Webber: good health. Webber suffered no major injuries, led his team in scoring, and helped the Bullets fight for their first playoff berth in his stay there. He had not reached the level of NBA superstar yet, but he was regarded as a solid player with strong character. Hakeem Olajuwan of the Houston Rockets summed it up in Sport: "Webber's an excellent power forward now. Right now, he's the perfect guy to complement a team. He may be able to carry his team in the future."
In Need Of A Rebound
When people reach celebrity status, they get a full spectrum of attention: good, bad, hostile or adoring. While playing for the Washington Wizards (formerly the Bullets), Webber, headed for practice, was stopped by the police for speeding. He had no license or registration, and the situation got worse. There was an altercation with the police officer, Webber was sprayed with pepper spray, his car was impounded and searched, and marijuana was found. "He was charged with assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, driving under the influence of marijuana, and five other traffic-related violations. He was released from jail on his own recognizance," Jet reported. "The night after the incident Webber was back on the court." He scored 20 points against the Portland Trailblazers, saying, "When I have something going against me, it seems it's easier for me to perform because I concentrate better." A few months later, he and fellow teammate were accused of sexual assault. He was later acquitted of all charges and had to pay a fine of $560.
During his offseason, Webber released 2 Much Drama, under his own record label aptly called, Humility Records. Sports Illustrated described the release as "a funny slick, self-puncturing and self-pitying slice of his life, his unfiltered chance to reveal the real Chris Webber (a.k.a. C. Webb)." The cover of the album featured a picture "only a pastor could love" of a shirtless Webber, squatting down, praying with a shining crucifix, "looking very much like a man begging forgiveness." The liner notes of the album contain a quote from the Bible and a photo of Webber looking right into the camera, arms extended in front of him, with the middle fingers of each hand prominently stuck in the viewer's face.
But Webber's connection to marijuana continued. While at a basketball camp in 1998, Webber's father Mayce was subjected to questions posed by the kids, "Why is Chris smoking dope?" Mayce, of course, defended his son. Then weeks later, while Webber was on a promotional tour for Fila, customs officials found marijuana in a sock that was packed in his athletic bag. He paid a fine, and Fila dropped his contract. Webber sued Fila, and the arbitration panel ruled in Webber's favor, "Webber did not violate the terms of his contract. Fila prematurely terminated the agreement," reported Jet.
"Exiled" to Sacramento
In 1998, the Wizards traded Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. The organization was trying to free itself of one of its "problem children." According to Jackie MacMullan of Sports Illustrated, "Wizards broke two NBA rules of thumb--they traded big for small and young for old." The Wizards wanted to trade Juwan Howard, but most of the teams were interested in Webber. Webber felt betrayed. "I wasn't traded--I was sent to my room, put on punishment. They wanted to send me to Siberia," he told Sport.
Webber used his off time for some deep thinking and soul searching. Webber admitted that he could have handled things differently and that he did not blame others. "I need to react like a champion and let that be the last word," he told Sports Illustrated, "I am not at peace with my career ... I want the game to embrace me, I don't mean the media, I don't mean the people within the NBA structure. I want the game. It embraced me in high school, it embraced me in college. I want that same feeling. I want the pressure of being the best." He stayed out of trouble and concentrated on his game.
Webber arrived at the Kings training camp, and began rebuilding his credibility. His first season with the Kings was one of the organization's first winning seasons. Webber became a fan favorite and Sports Illustrated made this statement: "Chris Webber (right) is The Man this season." In 2000 the team made it to the playoffs but lost to the Utah Jazz.
The Kings finished the 2001 season with a good record, although after a game 4 loss to the Lakers, they were bumped out of the NBA playoffs. At the end of that season, Webber faced the decision of whether to move on or to re-sign with the Kings as a free agent. At the end-of-the-game congratulatory hand shakes, Webber spent a few extra moments with Laker, Shaquille O'Neal. In the locker room, when asked about this moment, Webber said, "He was just congratulating me. He knows what I was thinking about so he came over and gave me some encouraging words about my past and my future, and I appreciated it from him." During the summer of 2001, Webber, a free agent, was being considered for the Detroit Pistons but he decided to re-sign with the Sacramento Kings. According to the Detroit Free Press, Webber's contract was for $123 million, the largest possible deal under league rules.
The following season, losing to the Lakers was even more painful. Los Angeles defeated the Kings in Sacramento, in overtime, in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake. "They accomplished what they wanted to do, that's all I'll say about them," said Webber, according to USA Today, which said he appeared devastated by the loss.
Webber had one legal problem related to his University of Michigan days. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of lying about money he repaid to a Wolverines booster, Ed Martin, to avoid jail time. He paid a $100,000 fine as a result.
In 2003-04, Webber missed the first 50 games of the season because of a bad knee, for which he later underwent surgery, and then missed eight games because he was suspended by the league for lying to the grand jury and for violating the NBAs drug policy. In February of 2005, Webber was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Philadelphia 76ers with forwards Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley for forwards Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas, and Corliss Williamson. That was his worst season ever, perhaps because he never related well with the teams coach, Jim OBrien. He told Chris Mannix and David Sabino in Sports Illustrated, "To be a Player of the Month and a day later be perceived as a lame horse, that was hard to take." OBrien was fired after that season, and Webber was looking forward to the 2005-06 season as an opportunity to redeem himself.
Awards
Mr. Basketball for State of Michigan and National High School Player of the Year, 1991; NCAA All-Tournament Team, 1992, 1993; NBA Rookie of the Year, 1994.
Further Reading
Periodicals
- Detroit Free Press, July 19, 2001, C1.
- Esquire, November 1995, p. 50.
- Jet, February 9, 1998, p. 52; December 21, 1999, p. 47; July 26, 1999, p. 49.
- San Francisco Chronicle, May 14, 2001, p E1.
- SI.com, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, July 15, 2003.
- Sport, April 1993; March 1996; February 2000.
- Sporting News, November 22, 1999, p. 50.
- Sports Illustrated, April 12, 1993; April 19, 1993, p. 54; February 7, 1994, p. 51; November 28, 1994, p. 17; May 25, 1998, p. 98; March 15, 1999, p. 78; April 12, 1999, p. 42; April 12, 2004, p. 66; October 24, 2005, p. NA.
- NBA.com, http://www.nba.com/playerfile/chris_webber/ (November 11, 2005).
- USA Today,, June 3, 2002, http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/02playoffs/games/2002-06-02-lakers-kings.htm (December 23, 2004).
- Additional information for this profile obtained from the Washington Bullets 1996-97 Media Guide.
— Mike Eggert and Christine Miner Minderovic
