By A.J. Hayes
Thomas Wolfe may have been exaggerating when he wrote "You Can't Go Home Again." But in the case of basketball player Chris Webber that phrase should be taken as gospel.
Chris Webber, earlier
Especially when it comes to a possible return to the Warriors, Webber's initial NBA club. When Webber forced his way off the Warriors in the fall of 1994, he just didn't leave the franchise and team's dedicated fan base in the lurch. He dumped a gallon of gasoline on the shag carpet and lit a match.
But here we are more than a dozen years later and there is serious talk of a Warriors and Webber reunion. But before the Warriors make that move we implore Golden State to take Amy Winehouse's advice and say "No, No, No."
The current Warriors, with Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson leading a "shoot-and-ask-questions-later" barrage are currently the most entertaining and only winning pro sports team in Northern California. But today's W's still have a ways to go in matching the excitement level generated by the Warriors clubs of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Led by fish-tie-wearing Coach Don Nelson in his first tenure as Warriors coach, those Warriors reinvented NBA basketball in the Bay Area. Led by Timmy Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin (AKA Run-TMC), those Warriors clubs put on awesome scoring displays every time they took the hardwood, selling out the Coliseum Arena on a nightly basis and winning a couple of league scoring titles in the process.
Warrior's fans ate it up like popcorn, or more accurately free pizza, which they won every time Golden State scored 120 or points in a game, which was frequently.
Despite a high entertainment value, the Warriors of those days lacked the presence of a great big man to move them deep into the playoffs. But that all changed in 1993 when the Warriors managed to draft Webber, the collegiate superstar who led Michigan to the NCAA championship game in '93.
Webber was an immediate hit, winning Rookie of the Year honors after becoming the first rookie to collect 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 blocked shots, and 75 steals in a season.
As most coaches do with young players, Nelson rode Webber like a Harley - think any eighth grade gym teacher - but instead of stomaching the criticism and working on his faults like so many Nelson's protégées have over the years, including current second year sensation Monta Ellis, Webber bristled and sulked.
Ultimately Webber demanded that the Warriors either trade him or deep six Nellie. The Warriors flinched and buckled to Webber's demands, dealing him early in the 1994-95 season.
That single move sent the Warriors into a nose dive that was nearly impossible to get out of . The actions of one selfish player kicked started a generation-long losing tradition that lasted for years. The Warriors failed to make the playoffs for a dozen seasons.
Webber's actions denied Bay Area basketball fans of what was stacking up to be the greatest era in Bay Area hoops history.
Webber went on to an outstanding individual career, but never led a team to the championship. Now at age 34, Webber is at the end of his NBA shelf life and is in serious talks with the Warriors.
Give Nelson, who returned to coach the team last season, credit for being man enough to even consider taking back Webber, who he believes could be useful in a limited role.
Maybe Webber could help the team to an extra win or two. But we say let him help out some other club. A return of Webber would be an overwhelming insult to loyal Warriors fans.
Nelson should take this opportunity to throw it back in Webber's face and just say "No, No, No."
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Comments (1)
Please do not sign Chris Webber!
He is nothing but a choke artist and a distraction in the locker room. I love the current chemistry on the Warriors right now. Even though it will be a much different team next season, Webber won't bring anything to the team that can't be found elsewhere.
Posted by ben hopfer | January 28, 2008 06:49 PM