Rumor: Chris Webber to Retire

by Atma Brother ONE on Mar 25, 2008 5:09 PM PDT in Rumors

Say it ain't so! Marc Stein just dropped this bit on ESPN.com:

Sources close to Webber told ESPN.com on Tuesday that the 35-year-old has decided to retire from the game and end his comeback with the Golden State Warriors after more problems with a surgically repaired left knee that has plagued him for the past half-decade.

Webber is expected to formally announce his plans Wednesday, sources said, less than two months after rejoining the franchise that unleashed him on the NBA as the first overall pick in the 1993 draft and the face most synonymous with Michigan's famed Fab Five team.

Sources said that Webber, unable to play since March 2 because of the latest complications with his knee, decided in the past week to end his pro career after 15 seasons, having struggled with his mobility for the past five of those seasons since a serious tear in the 2003 playoffs that required microfracture surgery.

Is it over?
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

It's by no means official yet and hopefully CWebb makes a miraculous recovery in time for Thursday's game on TNT, but make the jump for some thoughts that no one else but me is crazy enough to dream up.

Update (6:09pm): Janny Hu is reporting that it's officially over. See Yes, the Chris Webber Experiment is Over [SFGate]

I will freely admit that I was one of the biggest supporters of bringing back Chris Webber to the Golden State Warriors. It was just too storybook to resist. CWebb had the potential to give the Warriors so many new dimensions on the hardwood as well. Sadly, he just wasn't nearly healthy enough to even play more than a few spurts in a few token games. We saw glimpses of what he could do- the interior passing, the superb screens for his teammates, nice rebounding, crafty defense on Kevin Garnett, some picks and swats, but in the end (if this is the end) it was all a complete nonfactor. He had the potential to shore up some of the Warriors glaring holes- a complete lack of interior passing, no low post threat, no player who looks to pass first before looking to score, poor rebounding, a much needed big body in the paint, and overall questionable hoops IQ.

Because of his salary it was virtually a low risk, potentially high reward situation. You have to give Nellie all the credit in the world for trying. They needed (and still need) a big man in the worst way and the master of creativity came up with an out of the box solution that was probably the result of a few too many cheap American cold ones after practice one day. Basketball wise there was no loss here. Hoops soul-wise, it's another issue.

If this is the end, I really hope folks remember the larger impact Chris Webber had on the game of basketball. His run with the Fab 5 was legendary, the draft day swap of him and Penny Hardaway was historical, the Warriors and their trash talking and dunking duo of CWebb and Spree had next (just ask Charles Barkley) along with Timmy Hardaway and Chris Mullin, the drama between a middle aged Nellie and a 20 year old smart and athletically gifted Rookie of the Year with an extremely bright future was painful, his triumphs and tragedies with his buddy Juwan Howard on the Washington Bullets/ Wizards left you wanting more, his glory years put the Sacramento Kings on the basketball map, that knee injury in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Mavericks in 2003 was just unfortunate, the Kings trading him to the 76ers was thankless and just a silly financial and oncourt move, his few seasons with Allen Iverson and the 76ers were just odd, his short run with the Pistons last season was solid, and what might have been a very intriguing late season and playoff run in 2008 with the Warriors looks to have ended prematurely just like his prime.

CWebb is a borderline hall of famer. Had the Kings beat the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals in which even Ralph Nader questioned the officiating (ask TZ over at Sactown Royalty about that one some time and I'm sure he'll break it down), it would probably be a much surer thing and he'd have a ring to sport. Webber and Vlade Divac formed the best passing big man tandem that we'll probably ever witness. He ran that Princeton offense to precision. The naysayers will only remember him for making "It's a Great Time Out" famous before the Warriors used it as a slogan to get people to shell out their hard earned dead presidents to watch the Bay Area's beloved pro hoops team (pro used lightly here) stink up the Oakland Arena during the apex of the "Unstoppable Baby!" Marc Jackson era pre-We Believe. But I'll remember him for being one of the highest hoops IQ players of the last 20 years. If he's committed to it, I could see Webber making a fantastic assistant coach and eventually head coach at the NBA level.

Anyhow, if Webber does make it to the hall of fame I'd love to see him go in as a Golden State Warrior. I know it'll never happen and I'm completely crazy to even suggest it, but it would make the best epilogue for the Chris Webber in the NBA saga. It would be a New York Times bestseller!

Things have come full circle and Chris Webber's (probably) retiring in the place where unstoppable things really should have gone down over the past 14 years. Funny how things work out some times. As a Warriors fan and hoops junkie I feel robbed. Why couldn't a fiery and often flat out mean Nellie just give this cocky kid some time to grow up back in 1994? Was Chris Cohan really trying to avoid paying Webber back in the day? Couldn't the hoops gods save CWebb from that knee injury in 2003 and now in 2008?

Reunited and it should have ended better.

CDubbz:

99% of rumors never happen and I hope this one doesn't!

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Comments

Just wondering

Why delete the original diary with comments already on this in it. Instead shouldnt there should have been a lil props to the original poster. For getting it on here for us to know about and then link that to this or transfer over the comments.

by Athletix Man on Mar 25, 2008 5:29 PM PDT 0 recs

asdf

ya that always happens i dont get it

by twelve years on Mar 25, 2008 5:31 PM PDT up 0 recs

perhaps

original diarist pulled it?

by hardcore on Mar 25, 2008 5:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

asdf

haha ive nvr heard that word diarist

by twelve years on Mar 25, 2008 5:42 PM PDT up 0 recs

umm

except it got pulled at the same time this came up and the diaries were rearranged.

by Athletix Man on Mar 25, 2008 5:45 PM PDT up 0 recs

nope

i didn't delete it guess gsom did so there wont be double stuff on here. at least when they delete it they should copy the comments off the other one.

What you thought that I only played basketball? I AM A Golden State WARRIOR!

by 24k state fan since 87 on Mar 25, 2008 6:21 PM PDT up 0 recs

asdf

i still dont think diarist is a word

by twelve years on Mar 25, 2008 8:23 PM PDT up 0 recs

glutton for punishment?

ignoring the first post was easy, as in hey the guy will probably look it up and feel silly for posting that he's ignorant of the term, why draw attention to it?

but you are kind of exposing yourself here, again

so in the spirit of saving you from further self humiliation:

diarist n someone who writes a diary, especially one that is published

by hardcore on Mar 25, 2008 9:22 PM PDT up 0 recs

haha

no i knew it was a word but i just thought it was one of those ones nobody ever uses. didnt mean to upset anyone

by twelve years on Mar 26, 2008 3:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

what does asdf mean?

Sorry the Commish doesn't know jargon very well.

CWebb is undoubtedly the answer but I forgot the question.

by commish on Mar 25, 2008 6:14 PM PDT up 0 recs

asdf

is what you put when you have no subject for the subject line, yet one is required.

by triplesix on Mar 25, 2008 6:36 PM PDT up 0 recs

Good question

To tell you the truth I don't know what happened to that diary.

Flip back through my work though. I always try to give shout out to people who put up good diaries, especially if it has a helpful link, etc.

I wish there was a way to merge comments, but there isn't.

by Atma Brother ONE on Mar 25, 2008 5:48 PM PDT up 0 recs

I will admit

You usually do give props out. I've been here long enough to know. I remember when I was the only person that posted diaries here. Things have definately changed since then and there good run last year.

It just had seemed recently with diaries being deleted more(I know to keep things some what organized), that this may have happened and things have changed. So was just wondering if the no props, was part of the new way things are here or not.

Don't mean to put you down, especially if you had nothing to do with it.

by Athletix Man on Mar 25, 2008 5:54 PM PDT up 0 recs

you

don't know what happened to my diaray :( so it magically got deleted lol!

What you thought that I only played basketball? I AM A Golden State WARRIOR!

by 24k state fan since 87 on Mar 25, 2008 6:22 PM PDT up 0 recs

I hid it

Props to "24k state fan since 87" for posting it. In the interest of keeping the diary and main section from being redundant, I felt like the comments should all go in a single thread - this one. I wish there was a way to transfer comments. I'll put the comments at the bottom of this entry since they seem important to you all.

by Fantasy Junkie on Mar 25, 2008 6:34 PM PDT up 0 recs

I dont know where else to put this

ok on nba.com there is a video called "Kobe Bryant: Battle tested" which makes kobe look like a hero for being "bloodied" and coming through with a hard earned win.

the video just shows all of kobes points which isnt out of the ordinary but at the end, they cut and splice bob fitzgeralds words about the game.

when bob originally said "well this decided the game" he meant obviously the bad foul call. he said "a wonderful game, one of the best youll ever see, ended inthe worst way" or somethihng along those lines.

instead the video shows kobes last free throw and bobs voice saying "this decided the game. a wonderful game, kobe with 30" its obviously cut up because it sounds weird the way they put different sentences together and i remember bob fitzgerald going off about this as opposed to praising kobe for a well deserved win

i think that just sucks

by twelve years on Mar 25, 2008 5:30 PM PDT 0 recs

Just watched it... weak

Yea they obviously used it to take it out of context. Since it's the NBA site how about talking about the real story and the call. umm Yea Right.

by Athletix Man on Mar 25, 2008 5:43 PM PDT up 0 recs

asdn

plus baron had like exactly the same stats and got no recognition. he did get play of the day though with that behind the back on walton, but i dont think even nba.com could hide that

by twelve years on Mar 25, 2008 5:45 PM PDT up 0 recs

During the Lakers last made shot or two...

It was obvious that the cut had reopened itself and was pouring down his face. Was wondering all during the last 30 secs why time wasnt stopped as much as they throw a fit about this. Were they afraid he wouldnt be able to stop it in the 30 sec allowed time and they didnt want the lakers to be without there star at the end of the game. It would have just been following the typical NBA rule for it.

by Athletix Man on Mar 25, 2008 5:49 PM PDT up 0 recs

I KNOW

I was pissed that they didnt call timeout on that. it could of helped us out. i forgot if they scored when they showed that.

What you thought that I only played basketball? I AM A Golden State WARRIOR!

by 24k state fan since 87 on Mar 25, 2008 6:29 PM PDT up 0 recs

asdf

Yea, if that was anyone our team we would have had to stop the game to try and stop the bleeding. Why are the refs ignoring the fact that Kobe should have been in the game with blood flowing down the side of his face. I've seen the ref stop the game for less blood than that many times.

by Psion on Mar 26, 2008 11:48 AM PDT up 0 recs

correction

Kobe shouldn't have been in the game

by Psion on Mar 26, 2008 11:49 AM PDT up 0 recs

Can't they sue?

Can't fsnbayarea or Bob Fitzgerald sue for cutting up his dialog to portray a different meaning?

by IQofaWarrior on Mar 25, 2008 9:48 PM PDT up 0 recs

hmm

good question im not sure he can, because techincally everything he says in a game is owned by the nba, so i think they can do anything they want with it.

What you thought that I only played basketball? I AM A Golden State WARRIOR!

by 24k state fan since 87 on Mar 25, 2008 9:57 PM PDT up 0 recs

ya

FSN only owns the right to broadcast it. The actual transmission is property of the NBA so they can do what they want with it. That's why you always here the disclaimer about how this transmission can not be changed or broadcasted without the permission of the NBA.

by saintdee on Mar 25, 2008 11:59 PM PDT up 0 recs

CWebb

turns out we all certainly got ramped up over nothing back in January! I don't see him as HOF material, just don't, when compared to the truly great players of his generation he comes out as a very good player, great stats, but not HOF imo

by hardcore on Mar 25, 2008 5:41 PM PDT 0 recs

None too soon!

You know my tagline recently has been "CWebb is the answer but I don't remember the question". That is about how much I care about the stupid hype Nellie and Co produced to try to make us forget the trade deadline passed while we sat on our asses with MP and POB slated for FA and a huge TPE available to help us move up in the standing and go deeper into the playoffs. They blew smoke up our asses and hardly anyone I can remember except maybe Tim K was screaning, "Wait a minute, please" to this stupid hyping of a broken down and non-servicable veteran.

But my biggest worry in all of this "bold" experiment is what the experience might have done to Biedrins psyche. But that I mean Nellie touted Webber as the team's best center before he lumbered up and down the court one time. He friggen benched Beans to start Webber untl some semblance of sanity took place and Beans got the start back. Mercifully Webber went down (seriously, no disrespect to him and his career and it is not his fault he is just too old and broken down to play in the NBA, let alone for the Warriors uptempo game). But that was a great opportunity for Nellie and management to save face and let Webber just return to whence he came.

If I were Beans, and certainly if I were his agent, I be inclinded to tell Nelson to stick it where the sun don't shine after the disrespect hs showed the best center we've had in many years. I'd play one year to become an unrestricted free agent and then see how much I'd get on the open market. Our franchise should be ashamed of itself for jeapordizing its relationship to Biedrins for a few months of someone who, at least for me, was the brunt of my tagline which really meant this iteration of Webber is definitely not the answer to any of our most pressing needs and issues.

CWebb is undoubtedly the answer but I forgot the question.

by commish on Mar 25, 2008 6:29 PM PDT 0 recs

"24k state fan since 87" at 4:04pm PST

Webber Retiring
Just on sportscenter that Chris Weber is retiring because of "injuries" i know he didn't really do anything for the dubs this year though he did start a few games for like 4 minutes, but it is the end of a great career. well good luck to you cweb maybe you can teach some people how to shoot a elbow jumper and how to pass.

by Fantasy Junkie on Mar 25, 2008 6:37 PM PDT 0 recs

Comments from original diary

c-webb announces retirement?

yeah i just saw that too.

since we have a free roster spot can we sign a free agent?

by jurras1c5 on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 04:08:40 PM PDT

by Fantasy Junkie on Mar 25, 2008 6:38 PM PDT 0 recs

Comments from original diary

Official Link

Mark Stein is reporting that Chris Webber is retiring.

Sources close to Webber told ESPN.com on Tuesday that the 35-year-old has decided to retire from the game, ending his comeback with the Golden State Warriors after more problems with a surgically repaired left knee that has plagued him for the past half-decade.

Here's the official ESPN link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3311954

by gswfan4life on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 04:12:35 PM PDT

by Fantasy Junkie on Mar 25, 2008 6:39 PM PDT 0 recs

Comments from original diary

At least he did it now.

Get it done and out of the way before the final playoff push and playoff's. At least we dont have to worry about him taking any mins down the stretch now trying to make it back.

by The Golden One on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 04:15:13 PM PDT

by Fantasy Junkie on Mar 25, 2008 6:40 PM PDT 0 recs

Comments from original diary

to think

we spent all that energy hashing out whether he would be a big addition or not ...

by JB on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 04:18:58 PM PDT

by Fantasy Junkie on Mar 25, 2008 6:40 PM PDT 0 recs

Comments from original diary

Does this set the stage for

Latrell Sprewell to return to the bay?

insert choke joke

by ThermoElectro on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 04:34:35 PM PDT

by Fantasy Junkie on Mar 25, 2008 6:41 PM PDT 0 recs

sad

a part of me is really sad, because I really had big hopes for this return to the Warriors
but I knew that his injuries would be a huge factor... and it has

Thunder!!!

by PHUT! on Mar 25, 2008 6:56 PM PDT 0 recs

sad

a part of me is really sad, because I really had big hopes for this return to the Warriors
but I knew that his injuries would be a huge factor... and it has

Thunder!!!

by PHUT! on Mar 25, 2008 6:57 PM PDT 0 recs