Chris Webber: Love Him Or Leave Him Alone

On Sunday night, John Cena came back to the WWE from injury, rumor got out that The New Kids On The Block were reuniting, and in the worst news of the three, Chris Webber was coming back to the Warriors.

I’m not sure that I’ve hated any non-LA Dodgers, non-Dallas Cowboys player more than I’ve hated Chris Webber. When my childhood basketball team, the Golden State Warriors were on the brink of greatness, he turned his back on the team and the fans, and forced a trade. Usually, I can understand the athlete’s point of view in these types of instances. But not with Webber. He feuded with Don Nelson over things that many modern day athletes feud over coaches with. But the bottom line was that he couldn’t get along with Nellie and decided that rather than do things the coach’s way, he wanted out. It killed me. It really was the start of what became putrid basketball in the Bay Area. They’ve had some good players come through the system since Webber like Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Jason Richardson, but none were so relied upon to change the face of basketball in the Bay Area like Webber was. Maybe he wasn’t ready. But how could he not be? He had a veteran club. You had Chris Mullin who was just two years removed from playing on the greatest basketball team ever assembled at the 1992 Olympics. Tim Hardaway was in his prime (though he did tear up his knee that year) and Latrell Sprewell was blossoming into a superstar. Everything was pointing in the right direction for the team. Until C-Webb couldn’t handle the pressure and forced a trade.

The Warriors brass at the time chose Nellie over Webber and most times in those kinds of situations, management chooses the star. I wish they would’ve this time because soon after Webber was gone, so was Nellie. And basketball was horrid in the Bay Area until last year. So now that the Warriors have a fun team again, who comes back into the picture? Mayce Christopher Webber III. I still don’t like the guy. But I don’t hate him as much as I did in the past. I remember that when he came back to play the Warriors as a member of the Washington Bullets, he hurt his shoulder and had to leave the game. I cheered wildly. The hate ran strong. But today, he’s not even half the player he used to be and all that’s left is a past memory for me. What I now worry about is what he can actually bring to the team. I’m not sure he can bring much. Matt Steinmetz interviewed Webber and it seems that Webber himself isn’t sure if he exactly fits in.

Steinmetz: How did all this come about?

Webber: At the beginning of the season I knew I was going to take a break to be with my family. I wanted to wait until later to think about where I wanted to go. Early on in the season I got a call from the Warriors, but I didn?t take it too serious. A month or so ago, they pursued me and let me know how much they wanted me, that it would be a good marriage and a good fit. Nellie and Mully won me over with their persistence.

If you have to beg a guy to play for you, what does that tell you? Well, I won’t jump to conclusions, but it doesn’t seem that he truly wanted to come here. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I don’t have the same disdain for Webber as I once did, but I don’t love the signing. Until he proves to me that he can help them win ball games, I’m leaving him alone.