Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III commonly known as just Chris Webber is an American former professional basketball player and former sportscaster. Born on March 1, 1973, Webber is a 5-time All-NBA Star, a 5-time All-NBA Team member, and a former NBA Rookie of the year.
Chris Webber has been a commentator since retiring from professional basketball.
PHOTO: Courtesy
Chris Webber played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) league including, Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons.
Webber was born on the 1st of March 1973 in Detroit, Michigan to parents Mayce and Doris Webber. His father was a factory worker in a Detroit General Motors plant. Webber had four siblings while growing up.
Nicknamed as C-Webb, Chris attended Detroit Country Day School between 1987 and 1991 and that is where he started his basketball career. He led his school to three Michigan High school Athletic Association (MHSAA) state championships. Chris was named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball and the 1990–1991 National High School player of the year.
After graduating from Detroit country school, Chris joined the University of Michigan where he joined the basketball team, the Michigan Wolverines playing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) league. While at Michigan, Chris together with four other 1991 freshmen, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson started a now-famous basketball players group, ‘The Fab Five’. Chris led this group and the Michigan Wolverine to the NCAA finals twice, losing on both occasions. The Fab Five was popular for baggy shorts and black socks with many regarding the style as hip hop style in basketball.
Webber was selected in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic as the first pick. Chris became the first sophomore since Hall of Famer Magic Johnson to be the first overall draft pick. Orlando Magic however did not sign him as they traded him immediately to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Penny Hardaway. Golden state warriors were the start of C-Webb’s start of 15-year NBA career.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Chris Webber was first selected in the 1993 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic before being traded immediately to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Penny Hardaway.
He made his NBA debut in the 1993/1994 season with the Golden State Warriors. In his first season, Webber averaged 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and was awarded the NBA Rookie of the year award.
His career at Warriors was however short-lived due to longstanding conflict with former Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson and Webber wanted to leave the warriors.
Golden State Warriors agreed to a sign-and-trade deal, sending Webber to the Washington Bullets which was later on renamed the Wizards in 1997, for forward Tom Gugliotta and three first-round draft picks. Webber joined Washington Bullets/Wizards in 1994.
C-Webb spent three years at Washington Bullets although his second year, the 1995/1996 season was marred with injuries forcing him to play only 15 matches the entire season. The following season, Chris made a stunning comeback and was named into his first NBA All-Star Team in 1997.
The same season saw the team named from Washington Bullets to Washington Wizards and Webber led the team to the NBA Playoffs for the first time in their Franchise history although they were knocked out by Michael Jordan led-Chicago Bulls.
0n May 14, 1998, Chris Webber made yet another move when he was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Webber had one of the best years of his career at Sacramento and almost took the team to their first-ever NBA Finals.
In his years at the Sacramento Kings, Webber and the Kings became one of the league’s top franchises 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 premiers forwards in the NBA league.
Webber played for the Sacramento Kings for nine consecutive seasons.
PHOTO: Courtesy
In the same season of 2000/2001, Webber averaged a career-high 27.1 points and a further 11.1 rebounds per game and was named fourth in the NBA MVP voting, That season, he started as a forward for the Western Conference All-Star team in the 2001 NBA All-Star game played in Washington.
Fast forward to February 2005, Webber was traded, along with Michael Bradley and Matt Barnes, to the Philadelphia 76ers for forward Kenny Thomas.
In his first season with 76ers, Webber struggled to fit into the team but his second season would have been a success if they could have reached the Playoffs in 2006. That season, he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game for the 76ers.
In 2007, 76ers waived Webber due to little game time making him a free agent. A week later, Webber signed for the Detroit Pistons. He went close to the NBA finals with the Pistons securing the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and cruising through to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, they lost the finals to Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite missing the NBA finals once again, Webber managed to average 10 points and 6 rebounds in the Playoffs.
In 2008, Chris Webber signed with Golden State Warriors the team that picked him in the 1993 NBA Draft. He, however, had a troublesome season with the warriors. He played in only nine games for the Warriors, averaging 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.
Webber officially retired from active basketball on March 25, 2008, due to persistent problems with his surgically repaired knee and was waived by the Warrior.
Webber retired in 2008 at Golden State Warriors after 15 years of playing in the NBA.
PHOTO: Golden State Warriors official Website
In March 2008, Webber made his debut on TV on ‘Inside the NBA on TNT’. The following month TNT offered Webber a job to be a commentator for the postseason.
In 2021, Webber was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame alongside NBA legends the late Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and several others.
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