He won the Rookie of the Year in 1994 and a rebounding title in 1999. He made five All-Star teams, an All-NBA first team and three All-NBA second teams. It's not like C-Webb had an atrocious career or anything. 1 overall pick since the ABA-NBA merger, only five guys were unequivocally considered to be sure things: Ewing, Shaq, Duncan, Magic and Webber. Everything that happened during his first 20 years seemed to be setting up an influential and successful professional career. He shined in the biggest spotlight possible at Michigan for two seasons, and along with his teammates became a genuine trendsetter in the early '90s with their chest-thumping, yelping, baggy shorts and everything else. His background couldn't derail him because he hailed from a middle-class, two-parent family, attended a respected Detroit prep school and learned early on how to juggle an Eddie Haskell-like public persona with a much more urban private persona (as Mitch Albom illustrated so wonderfully in his classic sports book "The Fab Five"). On paper, he had everything you'd ever want from a power forward - superior athletic ability, soft hands, a world-class post-up game, the rebounding gene, even the passing gene - and nobody played that position who had more natural gifts. Shawn Kemp, Marvin Barnes and Micheal Ray Richardson were fundamentally unequipped to handle the day-to-day pressures of being a wealthy basketball star. Derrick Coleman and Vince Carter weren't nearly tough enough or competitive enough. Pete Maravich developed too many bad habits in college and played for too many crummy teams in the pros. Connie Hawkins was derailed by a college point-shaving scandal. Bernard King and David Thompson had drug problems and knee problems. Of all the great players who passed through the NBA and never fulfilled their promise, Webber was the only one without a legitimate excuse. Will it happen? Who knows? I just found it interesting even during the week Webber retired from basketball, people were still wondering about his potential. Just imagine if he'd stayed in Orlando with Shaq. This left TNT scrambling to look for a replacement, and it looks like this issue took quite a toll on the relationship between both camps.Chris Webber never played in an NBA Finals. Turner officials were reportedly quite understanding about the situation at hand, but what drew their ire was how Webber waited until the last minute before making his decision. It is worth noting that Chris Webber had a falling out with TNT back in March when he decided not to take part in the NCAA Tournament coverage in the Indianapolis bubble. It's hard not to imagine that there's more to this issue than what's on the surface. The timing of the divorce is clearly suspect - broadcasters often finish out either a contract or a season, in this case Webber calling one final set of NBA playoff games for TNT and then calling it a day with Turner. It looks like TNT and/or Webber could not wait any longer and had to part immediately. Webber's contract was set to expire at the end of this season, and earlier reports stated that the possibility of an extension was “very much in question.” Nevertheless, something significant must have happened for both parties to make a rather abrupt decision at a crucial juncture in the season. Kings: 8 best trades in franchise history, ranked
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |