The NBA Finals is the championship series of the NBA. The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986.

The series is played between the winners of Western Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Finals. At the conclusion of the championship round, the winners of the NBA Finals are awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. (Winners from 1946 to 1977 received the Walter A. Brown Trophy) The NBA Finals has been played at the conclusion of every NBA and BAA season in history, the first being held in 1947.

Since 1985, the winner of the NBA Finals has been determined through a 2–3–2 format. The first two and the last two games of the series are played at the arena of the team who earned home court advantage by having the better record during the regular season.

History[link]

1947–56: The Early Years and Lakers Dynasty[link]

During the first decade the Minneapolis Lakers had the first NBA dynasty, winning 5 championships in 6 years under Hall of Fame head coach John Kundla. The team also featured George Mikan, one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Franchises which had previously been in the National Basketball League tended to dominate, especially the Minneapolis Lakers.

1957–69: The Celtics Dynasty[link]

The Boston Celtics went 11–1 in the NBA Finals during 13 seasons (1956–57 to 1968–69). They won the NBA Finals from 1959–66.^[1]

The Celtics and Lakers made up 19 of 26 possible NBA appearances during thirteen seasons (1956–57 to 1968–69). The two teams met 6 times during the 8 years Boston won the NBA in a row.^[1] This period includes one season (1958–59) when the Lakers were still in Minneapolis, and it marks the largest stretch of seasons (14) that two teams made up over 65% of NBA appearances, second being the 10 seasons (1979–80 to 1988–89) the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers appeared 13 times.

With the establishment of the Celtics dynasty in 1957, Bill Russell became the star of the league. Game 7 of that year's championship was decided on a Celtics basket in the final seconds of the second overtime. For most of the late 1950s and the 1960s, the Celtics seemed always to have the upper hand on Wilt Chamberlain's teams.

In 1964, Wilt Chamberlain, who had moved to the state of California with his team, the former Philadelphia Warriors, led the San Francisco Warriors to a Western Conference championship, but again failed to conquer the Celtics. The following season, he joined the Philadelphia 76ers, the former Syracuse Nationals team that had moved to cover the vacancy created with the departure of the Warriors.

1966 produced a clash between the two stars in the playoffs, and Boston won 4–1. Chamberlain's coach told him to play a team game, not an individual game, and thus avoid drawing double-teams. His new-found team spirit brought them to a new record of 68 wins the following season, and they defeated the Celtics and then advanced to, and won, the Finals.

In 1968, Boston overcame a 3–1 deficit against Philadelphia to once again arrive in the Finals. Playing against Jerry West's Lakers, they seemed doomed to defeat. Nevertheless, for the sixth consecutive time, they defeated L.A., winning 4 games to 2.

The following year, 1969, found the Celtics overcoming even longer odds. Boston barely qualified for the playoffs, finishing fourth in the East. The Lakers, who in the offseason added Chamberlain to join West and Elgin Baylor, won the West and were prohibitive favorites to finally win it all for the first time since relocating to LA. They easily won the first two games at the Los Angeles Forum. However, when the series shifted to the Boston Garden, the Celtics won two close games 110–105 and 88–87, respectively, in Games 3 and 4. Game 5, played at the Forum, returned the advantage to the Lakers, but Game 6 was a 99-90 Celtics win, with Chamberlain scoring just two points. Game 7 was held on May 5, with balloons hung up in the arena in anticipation of a Lakers victory. Russell immediately used the balloons as an inspiration for his team^{[citation needed]}, and they raced off to an early start and held off a furious Lakers comeback to win 108–106 and take the series, their eleventh championship in thirteen years. This game represented the final one in this first incarnation of the Celtics' dynasty.

1970–79: Decade of Parity[link]

The 1970s saw eight different teams win the title, with the Celtics and Knicks both winning twice.

In 1970, a classic final featured the New York Knicks against the Lakers. In the waning moments of Game 3, with the series tied, Jerry West hit a basket from 60 feet to tie the game, a shot which became one of the most famous ever. Although the Knicks went on to win the game in overtime and continued their momentum for a 4–3 win, the Lakers were not defeated. Just two seasons later, the team won thirty-three games consecutively, the longest such streak in NBA history. By the season's end, they had broken the record for most wins in a season, tallying up 69 wins, one more than the 1966–67 76ers. The Lakers finally, after a tough playoff-season, took home the championship for the first time since the Minneapolis days. The Knicks won the championship again in 1973, using much the same formula, for their second franchise victorious season.

The 1974 championship went back to the Celtics as the remaining players demonstrated excellent teamwork and resilience in the Finals.

The late 1970s were characterized by a major breakthrough of the league's western franchises. In 1975, after compiling a 48–34 regular-season record, the Golden State Warriors swept the heavily-favored Washington Bullets 4–0 in an upset.

The next year, 1976, saw the rise of the Phoenix Suns. Only eight years in existence, they overcame a losing record early in the season to build remarkable win streaks to finish 42–40. The events culminated in upset victories over Seattle and Golden State. In the final against Boston, the teams split the first four games. Game 5 became one of the most memorable games of all. It went into three overtimes but eventually went to Boston 128–126. Two days later, the Celtics finished Phoenix off 87-80 in Game 6 for their 13th championship.

Other western franchises that won their first titles in the late 70's included the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977 and the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. Portland's victory was against the heavily favored Philadelphia 76ers led by Julius Erving. Although the Washington Bullets were able to defeat Seattle in the 1978 NBA Finals, Seattle was able to prevail the following year against the Bullets to win its first NBA title.

1980–90: Celtics–Lakers Rivalry[link]

Between 1980 and 1989, the Celtics and/or the Lakers played in every NBA Finals.^[1] The Lakers won five titles during this span (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988); the Celtics won three (1981, 1984 and 1986), the Pistons won twice (1989, 1990), and the Sixers won once (1983).

The 1979 NCAA Championship Game featured Earvin "Magic" Johnson's Michigan State University team facing off against Larry Bird's Indiana State team. Michigan State won the game. This meeting has been immortalized, in fact, it attracted the largest ever TV rating for an NCAA Championship game, with 38 percent of all television viewers that night tuned to the game.^{[citation needed]}

Bird had actually been drafted the year before, but later decided to stay in college for one more year, and the two superstars both entered the league in 1979, leading their respective teams to dazzling heights. Johnson's Lakers reached the 1980 NBA Finals, and took a 3–2 lead, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could not play in Game 6 due to injury. Johnson shifted to center, ended up playing every position on the court and scored 42 points to win his first championship, a remarkable performance in the annals of the sport.

Boston won the 1981 NBA Finals against Houston thanks to Bird, and the team continued dominating the league afterwards, taking many Atlantic Division titles.

Philadelphia, led by Moses Malone and Julius Erving, won the 1983 NBA Finals, losing only once in the entire playoffs, and sweeping the Lakers. (Malone had predicted earlier that they would sweep every series.) However, in the 1984 NBA Finals, the Celtics and Lakers met for the first time since 1969, and again, from Bird's performance, the Celtics toppled the Lakers 4–3. The seventh game of that series attracted the largest TV audience ever for an NBA game, and the second-largest ever for a basketball game, with only the game between the two stars played five years earlier having a larger audience. It was the last NBA Finals played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format.

In the 1985 NBA Finals, the Lakers made amends for their previous eight losses to the Celtics by defeating them in six games. After losing the first game in a rout, 148–114, dubbed the "Memorial Day Massacre", they won 4 out of 5, including Game 6 in Boston Garden, to finally end the long years of frustration of failing to defeat the Celtics. These finals were the first to be played in the current 2–3–2 format, which Red Auerbach suggested to David Stern in order to cut back on the frequent traveling between Boston and Los Angeles. Auerbach said years later, it was terrible that they went to this format because it takes away the home court advantage from the team with the first two games at home and they don't get to host the all but crucial Game 5, which is the swing game in a 7 game series.

The 1986 NBA Finals brought the Celtics back against the Houston Rockets. Boston won in six games, taking their sixteenth championship, with the MVP award going to Larry Bird, his second Finals MVP trophy.

In 1987, the Lakers and Celtics met again for a rubber match. Both sides had won one series, and now a third was being played. The Lakers pounded out two victories, but Boston took the third. Game 4 was one of the most memorable games ever played. In the waning moments, Magic Johnson hit a skyhook to give the Lakers a 107–106 win and a 3–1 series lead. They lost Game 5, but won Game 6 to take the series.

In 1988 and 1989, the aging Celtics failed to reach the Finals, with the Lakers and Pistons becoming the best of their conferences. The 1988 finals went to Los Angeles in seven games, but the Pistons swept the Lakers in 1989. In 1990, Detroit beat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games, and the name "Bad Boys" became attached to the team for its rough, physical play.

1993–98: The Bulls Dynasty[link]

During the 1990s, the Bulls completed two three-peats. The decade also had the Rockets winning back-to-back titles and the Jazz falling short twice. It started with the Pistons winning their second championship in as many seasons.

The majority of the 1990s was marked by the rise of the Chicago Bulls dynasty (otherwise known as the "Michael Jordan era"), which ended in 1998. Coached by head coach Phil Jackson and led by superstar Michael Jordan, the Bulls won 6 titles from 1991 to 1998. Supported by such remarkable players as Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, Jordan led the Bulls to victory in all NBA Finals series they competed in, and won the Finals MVP award each time. Particularly memorable were the 1993 Finals, which became an offensive showdown between Jordan and regular-season MVP (and close friend) Charles Barkley.

Game 3 of the 1993 Finals is widely considered one of the greatest basketball games ever played. The Bulls attempted to go up 3–0 in the series, but the Suns were not willing to seal their own fate. With neither side quitting, the game took three overtimes to decide, with the Suns finally prevailing 129–121. However, the Bulls would clinch the series in Game 6 at Phoenix on John Paxson's clutch 3 to become only the third team in history to three-peat.

The Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, won the 1994 and 1995 NBA title. Olajuwon dominated the game during those two seasons, becoming the only player in history to win the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award, NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, and NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in the same season (1993–94). The seven-game NBA Finals between the Rockets and Knicks in 1994 would be the last to reach a game seven until the 2005 series between San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. It was also the only year that both NBA and NHL finals would go 7 games, but also involve teams from one city. The Rockets' win in Game 7 denied New York from having both NBA and NHL titles in the same year, as the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup during the series.

The Rockets swept the Orlando Magic in the 1995 Finals, Olajuwon again claiming honors as Finals MVP. The Rockets thus became only the fifth franchise to win back-to-back titles.

After a short stint as a baseball player, Jordan decided to return to basketball in late of the 1994–95 season (March 17). Although he failed to lead the Bulls to the Finals in that year, he returned to pre-retirement form the next year while the team acquired Dennis Rodman, leading the Bulls to one of the most memorable seasons ever. The 1996 Bulls finished the regular season with a record of 72–10, the best regular season record in NBA history. They dominated in the playoffs, with series records of 3–0, 4–1 and 4–0, and then went on to defeat Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Seattle SuperSonics in 6 in the NBA Finals.

In 1997 and 1998, the Bulls met the Utah Jazz. Led by Olympians John Stockton and Karl Malone, the Jazz were defeated in both Finals by the Bulls in six games. In both series, Chicago won by hitting winning shots in the sixth and deciding game-the first by Steve Kerr in 1997 in Chicago and the second by Jordan in Utah in 1998. Although Jordan, Pippen and coach Phil Jackson were the only three members involved in all 6 titles, the Bulls dynasty had a cast of characters that proved to be decisive in obtaining them. Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, B.J. Armstrong and other supporting cast members were pieces added to the puzzle to create the first three-peat. Of the second, little-known players such as Jud Buechler, Randy Brown, Bill Wennington, Ron Harper and Luc Longley were key factors who rarely produced an astounding amount of points, but proved crucial via setting picks, rebounding, creating turnovers, etc. Before the beginning of the 1999 season, Phil Jackson decided to retire, setting off a chain reaction that resulted in most of the team, including Jordan and Pippen, leaving the Bulls. With no foundation of youth to build upon, the Bulls would be lottery-bound for the next 6 years.

1999–Present: Lakers/Spurs Dominance[link]

The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

The San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers have combined to win the last 13 Western Conference titles and ten NBA Championships during this period.

In the 1999 NBA Finals Championship the San Antonio Spurs dominated the playoffs and finished with a 15–2 post-season mark, including sweeps of the Portland Trail Blazers and Lakers. With a defensive squad led by big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan, San Antonio's 84.7 points allowed per game was the fewest average points allowed in the post-season in the last 30 years.^{[citation needed]} In the 1999 NBA Finals that year, the Spurs held the New York Knicks, the first #8 seed team to reach the finals in NBA History, to an average of 79.8 points per game.

From 2000–2002, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, won the NBA Finals in dominating performances. O'Neal won the finals MVP all three times. The first championship came at the expense of the Indiana Pacers, whom the Lakers defeated in 6 games. During their 2001 postseason run, the Lakers swept their first 3 series and won the Finals in 5 games, finishing with a unprecedented 15–1 record. They were particularly dominating in the 2002 Finals, as they kept the lead almost the entire time in each game; only for a short while after the beginning of Game 4 did the New Jersey Nets gain any significant lead in a game. The Lakers sweep of the Nets was the first sweep in the Finals since Houston swept Orlando in the 1995 Finals. However, the Lakers' streak of titles ended with a loss to the Spurs in the 2003 Conference Semifinals.

The 2003 NBA Finals marked the first championship contested between two former ABA teams, the San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets. The Spurs defeated the Nets and in 6 games. In the series clinching game, Tim Duncan was two blocks short of recording the first quadruple-double in NBA Finals history, finishing with 22 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocks.

In the 2004 offseason, veteran stars Gary Payton and Karl Malone signed with the Lakers. Along with Bryant and O'Neal, they formed what many expected to be one of the best teams in NBA history. The Lakers were the clear favorites to win the NBA championship. However, the Detroit Pistons, under coach Larry Brown and led by defensive star Ben Wallace and offensive floor general Chauncey Billups, upset the Lakers in 5 to become the first Eastern Conference team since the 1998 Bulls to win the NBA championship.

The Spurs would go on to win two more titles in 2005 and 2007. In the 2005 series, the Spurs defeated the Pistons, in a battle of the previous two NBA champions, in seven games. Tim Duncan won his third Finals MVP award that year. The Spurs dominated the 2007 Finals, sweeping the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Tony Parker was named MVP of this series, becoming the first European-born player to win NBA Finals MVP.

Between these two Spurs' titles, the 2006 NBA Finals featured the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. It was the first NBA Finals since 1971 that had both Western and Eastern Conference champions making their first Finals appearance in franchise history. Led by upcoming star and Finals MVP Dwyane Wade, legendary coach Pat Riley and veteran superstar Shaquille O'Neal, most agree that the turning point of the series was in Game 3, when the Heat overcame a 13-point deficit with less than 6 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to win 98–96. The comeback was led by Dwyane Wade's 12 points in the final six minutes and a clutch outside jumpshot by once-perennial all-star Gary Payton, who was appearing in his third NBA finals.

In 2008, the Eastern Conference was represented by the revamped Boston Celtics, and the Western Conference by the Los Angeles Lakers. Renewing the teams' fierce rivalry of the 1980s, this marks the 11th time that these two teams have met in the Finals, the last such meeting happening in 1987. The Celtics were led by their "Big Three" superstars: Long-time Celtic and Finals MVP Paul Pierce, and first year Celtics Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

The Lakers would bounce back from their 2008 loss to win the title the in 2009 and 2010. The 2010 series was a re-match against the Celtics. The Lakers trailed this series 3-2 before winning the final two games at home. This marked the first time in the history of the Celtics franchise that they lost a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP for both series, and this marked head coach Phil Jackson's unprecedented 10th and 11th NBA title, passing Red Auerbach for the most NBA titles all time, and passing Auerbach and NHL coach Scotty Bowman for the most championships for a head coach in any major American sport.

The 2011 NBA Finals were a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, pitting the Miami Heat against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks defeated the Heat in six games, winning the title for the first time in franchise history. Dirk Nowitzki was named the Finals MVP.

Finals appearances[link]

The statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual games won and lost.

Active franchises with no Finals appearances[link]

Appearances by former NBA teams[link]

The statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual games won and lost.

Most common matchups[link]

• 12 times: Boston Celtics (9) vs. Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (3)
• 6 times: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (5) vs. Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1)
• 5 times: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (3) vs. New York Knicks (2)
• 4 times: Boston Celtics (3) vs. St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks
• 3 times: Detroit Pistons (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1)
• 2 times: Seattle SuperSonics (1) vs. Washington Bullets/Wizards (1)
• 2 times: Boston Celtics (2) vs. Houston Rockets (0)
• 2 times: Chicago Bulls (2) vs. Utah Jazz (0)
• 2 times: Miami Heat (1) vs. Dallas Mavericks (1)

Individual games records[link]

See also[link]

• List of NBA players with most championships
• List of NBA champions

References[link]

External links[link]

• NBA Finals: All-Time Champions
• The Historical Records Section of the NBA official site
• The Greatest Game Ever (Game 5, 1976 Finals)
• NBA.com: Greatest Finals Moments

Chris Webber

No. 4, 2, 84
Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1973-03-01) March 1, 1973 (age 39) Detroit, Michigan
Nationality	American
High school	Detroit Country Day School (Beverly Hills, Michigan)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
College	Michigan (1991–1993)
NBA Draft	1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Pro career	1993–2008
Career history
1993–1994	Golden State Warriors
1994–1998	Washington Bullets / Wizards
1998–2005	Sacramento Kings
2005–2007	Philadelphia 76ers
2007	Detroit Pistons
2008	Golden State Warriors
Career highlights and awards
5× NBA All-Star (1997, 2000–2003) NBA Rookie of the Year (1994) All-NBA First Team (2001) 3× All-NBA Second Team (1999, 2002–2003) All-NBA Third Team (2000) Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1993) Mr. Basketball of Michigan (1991) #4 Retired by the Sacramento Kings
Career NBA statistics
Points	17,182 (20.7 ppg)
Rebounds	8,124 (9.8 rpg)
Blocks	1,200 (1.4 bpg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber III (born March 1, 1973), nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee. As a collegiate athlete, he was an NCAA Men's Basketball first team All-American and led the University of Michigan Wolverines' 1991 incoming freshman class known as the Fab Five that reached the 1992 & 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games as freshmen and sophomores. However, Webber was indicted by a federal grand jury and stripped of his All-American honors by the NCAA as a result of his direct involvement in the Ed Martin scandal.^[1] He is also a former National High School Basketball Player of the Year who led his high school Detroit Country Day to three Michigan State High School Basketball Championships.

High school career[link]

Webber attended Detroit Country Day School and at the time was the most recruited Michigan high school basketball player since Magic Johnson. Webber led Country Day to three MHSAA State championships. As a senior in high school Webber averaged 29.4 points and 13 rebounds per game. He was named Michigan's Mr. Basketball and the 1990–1991 National High School player of the year. He was named MVP in both the McDonald's and Dapper Dan All-Star games.

College career[link]

Michigan's Fab Five (left to right) Jimmy King, Jalen Rose, Webber, Ray Jackson and Juwan Howard

After graduating from Detroit Country Day School, Webber attended the University of Michigan for two years. While a Michigan Wolverine, Webber led the group of players known as the Fab Five, which included himself, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. This group, all of whom entered Michigan as freshmen in the fall of 1991, took the basketball team to the NCAA finals twice, losing both times. The Fab Five, sporting long, baggy shorts and black socks, became immensely popular as they were seen as bringing a hip hop flavor to the game. Four of the Fab Five (Webber, Rose, Howard, and King) made it to the NBA.

On April 5, 1993, at Michigan's second consecutive NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game, Webber called a time-out with 11 seconds left in the game when his team, down 73–71, did not have any remaining, resulting in a technical foul that effectively clinched the game for North Carolina. The game marked the end of Webber's acclaimed two-year collegiate basketball career. In his second season, he was a first team All-American selection and a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year.^[2] These awards and honors have been vacated due to University of Michigan and NCAA sanctions related to the University of Michigan basketball scandal. In that scandal, Webber received over $200,000 from a local bookmaker while playing basketball for Michigan. Webber was convicted of perjury and banned from any affiliation with the Michigan program until 2013.^[3]

NBA career[link]

Webber was selected by the Orlando Magic with the first pick of the 1993 NBA Draft, becoming the first sophomore since Magic Johnson to be a #1 overall draft pick.^[2] The Magic immediately traded him to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway and three future first round draft picks. Over his 15 year NBA career, Webber made over $176,000,000.^[4]

Golden State Warriors[link]

Webber had an outstanding first year, averaging 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He was instrumental in leading the Warriors back into the playoffs. However, he had a long-standing conflict with his coach, Don Nelson.^[5] Nelson wanted to make Webber primarily a post player, despite Webber's superb passing ability and good ball handling skills for someone his size at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall. Webber also disliked playing a substantial amount of time at center, given Nelson's propensity towards smaller, faster line ups. In the 1994 off-season, the Warriors acquired Rony Seikaly so that Webber could play primarily at power forward. However, at the time, the differences between Webber and Nelson were considered to be irreconcilable. Webber exercised a one-year escape clause in his contract, stating he had no intention of returning to the Warriors. With few alternatives, Golden State agreed to a sign and trade deal, sending Webber to the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) for forward Tom Gugliotta and three first round draft picks.

Washington Bullets/Wizards[link]

Webber was traded in his second year to the Washington Bullets, where he was reunited with his college teammate and friend, Juwan Howard. He spent the next three years with the Bullets (later renamed the Washington Wizards), although in the 1995–96 season injuries limited him to only 15 games. Webber rebounded the following year and was named to his first All-Star team in 1997. The same season, Webber led the Bullets into the playoffs for the first time in nine years, but they were swept by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. By 1998, Webber had established himself as a great power forward, but his time in Washington had also worn out.

Sacramento Kings[link]

On May 14, 1998, Webber was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Webber originally did not want to go to Sacramento, as they were a perennially losing team.

When Webber arrived, the Kings also signed small forward Peja Stojakovic, center Vlade Divac and drafted point guard Jason Williams. In his first year with the Kings (the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season), Webber won the rebounding title averaging a league high 13.0 rebounds per game. Under the guidance of Rick Adelman, the surprising Kings team made the playoffs, almost upsetting the veteran Utah Jazz. In years to come, Webber and the Kings became arguably the most exciting team in the league, 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 premier power forwards in the NBA. For the 1999–2000 NBA season Webber was the cover athlete on NBA Jam 2000. Webber peaked in the 2000–01 season where he averaged a career-high 27.1 points. He also averaged 11.1 rebounds and was 4th in MVP voting. Webber was an All-NBA player five years in a row as a Sacramento King (1999–2003), making the 1st team in 2001 for the only time in his career. During the 2000 NBA Playoffs, Webber and the Kings were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in five games during the first round.

On July 27, 2001, Webber signed a $127 million, seven-year contract with the Kings. In the 2001–02 NBA season, Webber played in 54 games and helped lead the Kings to a Pacific division title and a franchise record 61–21 season. He also made his fourth All-Star team and the All-NBA Second Team. The Kings reached the Western Conference Finals, against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings led the series 3–2 but eventually lost in 7 games. The 2002 Western Conference Final between the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers was one of the most memorable in league history. The popular (though small-market) Kings led the two-time defending NBA champion Lakers three games to two heading into Game 6 at Staples Center, a game which would prove to be the most infamous of the series. The game, which the Lakers won by four, featured several disputable calls, including a late game foul on Mike Bibby--after he was bleeding from being elbowed in the nose by Kobe Bryant. This game was the epitome of the major issue in the series. Both teams complained about the officiating at different points in the series (the Kings in Game 6 and the Lakers in Games 2 and 5).

The Kings would go on to lose Game 7 of the series at home. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy filed in court papers in 2008 said that Game 6 was fixed by the NBA. NBA Commissioner David Stern denied Donaghy's allegations. Lawrence Pedowitz, who led a review of the league's officiating following the outbreak of the scandal, concluded that while Game 6 was poorly officiated, no concrete evidence existed of it having been fixed.^[6]

The next season, Webber had another superb year, averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds per game. He was cited as a possible MVP candidate, and made his fifth consecutive All-Star team. In a bad sign of what was to come, Webber missed the All Star game with an injured knee. Nevertheless, he returned and the Kings were among the favorites to win the NBA Championship.

In the second game of the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks, Webber suffered a career-threatening knee injury while running down the lane untouched that forced him to miss nearly a year of action. After microfracture surgery, he returned for the final 23 games of the 2003–04 season, but his athleticism, agility, and mobility were never the same. Because of this, the injury turned out to be the turning point in Webber's career in terms of statistics and he was traded a few months later.

On February 6, 2009, Webber returned to Arco Arena, home of the Sacramento Kings to participate in the ceremonies surrounding the retirement of his jersey, #4.

Philadelphia 76ers[link]

In February 2005, Webber, along with Michael Bradley and Matt Barnes, were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for power forward Kenny Thomas, forward/center Brian Skinner, and former King Corliss Williamson. Webber took some time to fit in with the 76ers offense, where he was the second scoring option, behind Allen Iverson. He eventually helped catapult the Sixers to a berth in the 2005 playoffs, where the Sixers lost to the Detroit Pistons. However, they did not reach the playoffs in 2006, despite Webber putting up a resurgent 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Because of the microfracture surgery on his knee, Webber lost his lateral quickness and jumping ability. While he still possessed offensive skills, he was seen as a defensive liability and was usually benched for the 4th quarters. This caused Webber to reportedly call for a trade.^[7]

On Tuesday, April 18, 2006, Webber and Iverson were fined for not showing up at the Philadelphia 76ers final home game of the season, which was Fan Appreciation Night, although both of them were injured and not expected to play.^[8] The following day they both apologized for being absent.^[9]

During the 2006–07 season Webber only played 18 of 35 games for the Sixers leading the media to question his motivation. On January 11, 2007 Sixers GM Billy King announced that the Sixers and Webber had agreed to a reported $25 million contract buyout on the remaining two years left on his contract, in effect paying him not to play. Later that day, the Sixers waived Webber, making him a free agent.

Detroit Pistons[link]

On January 16, 2007, Webber signed with the Detroit Pistons. He has stated throughout his career that he always wanted to play for his hometown team. His usual number 4 had been retired in honor of Joe Dumars, so Webber donned the number 84, because his nephew had a dream of him making a buzzer beater with that number on. The Pistons were a much improved basketball team after Webber's acquisition, improving their record in the Eastern Conference and solidifying the first seed in the East. However, the Eastern Conference favorites failed to advance to the finals after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, leaving Webber short of an NBA Finals appearance yet again. Indeed, Webber performed well in the 2007 NBA Playoffs despite receiving limited minutes. Webber still managed to average 10 points and 6 rebounds per game in the playoffs and shot an impressive 52.4% from the field. His efforts were highlighted by a game 5 performance in the Eastern Conference Finals in which Webber scored 20 points (including 5 points in the double overtime period) on 9 of 13 shooting and grabbed 7 boards. Nevertheless, Detroit still lost what turned out to be the key game in the series in double overtime and Webber ended up averaging a career low 11.2 PPG in his run with the Pistons. During the off season, Detroit did not resign Webber. Despite receiving lucrative proposals from teams in Europe, he was in free agency at the beginning of the regular season.

Second run with Warriors and subsequent retirement[link]

Webber (right) playing for the Warriors in 2008

On January 29, 2008, the Golden State Warriors signed Webber for the rest of the season.^[10][11][12] Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the San Francisco Chronicle reported that he would receive the pro-rated veteran's minimum of $1.2 million^[13] (approximately $570,000).^[14] This comes after a rejected offer by the Los Angeles Lakers who were trying to coax Webber in with two 10-day contracts so they could decide afterwards if they wanted him the rest of the season.^[11] This has also put to rest talks of joining the Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, or retirement.^[15] He played in only nine games for the Warriors, averaging 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.

On March 25, 2008, Webber officially retired from basketball due to persistent problems with his surgically repaired knee and was waived by the Warriors.^[16] On March 27, 2008, Webber made his first appearance on television on Inside the NBA on TNT, alongside Charles Barkley and host Ernie Johnson. On April 25, 2008, TNT offered Webber a job to be a commentator for the post season.

Legal trouble[link]

In 1998, Webber was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, driving under the influence of marijuana and five other traffic-related violations after being pulled over for speeding on the way to the practice center at the MCI Center in downtown Washington, D.C. Webber was eventually acquitted by a jury of the assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana and driving under the influence charges, and paid $560 in fines for lesser violations.^[17]

Later in 1998 during the off-season, while leaving Puerto Rico on a promotional tour for Fila sneakers, Webber paid a $500 fine after U.S. Customs found marijuana in his bag. Soon after Fila dropped Webber as an endorser. Webber sued Fila for wrongful dismissal, but the case was thrown out of court.

University of Michigan basketball scandal[link]

In 2002, Webber was charged for lying to a grand jury as part of a larger investigation of a numbers gambling operation, run by University of Michigan basketball program booster Ed Martin, in Ford Motor Company plants in the Detroit area. The investigation, originally focused on the numbers operation and tax evasion, soon widened to include the University of Michigan basketball program. Martin was convicted on counts of tax evasion and robbery and was scheduled to testify on the financial connections between himself and Webber at a sentencing hearing, but died of a heart attack before the hearing.

As a result of evidence admitted during the course of Martin's trial, Webber pled guilty to one count of criminal contempt for lying about his role in a scandal in which four players, including himself, had accepted illicit loans from Martin. Martin had been giving money to Webber since the 8th grade. He admitted in the plea that in 1994 he gave Martin about $38,000 in cash as partial repayment for expenditures Martin made on his behalf.^[18] He was ordered to pay $100,000.00 and perform 330 hours of community service.

Due to concerns that Webber's amateur status had been compromised, Michigan forfeited its victory in the 1992 Final Four over Cincinnati, as well as its runner-up status in the 1992 tourney. Michigan also forfeited the entire 1992–93 season, removed the 1992 and 1993 Final Four banners from the Crisler Arena rafters, and deleted Webber's records from its record book. The NCAA also ordered Michigan to disassociate itself from Webber until 2013. Webber later called Michigan's decision "hurtful" because he and his Fab Five teammates "gave everything to Michigan" while they played there.

After Webber's plea, the Michigan State High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) recommended that Detroit Country Day forfeit all games in which Webber appeared (including three state championships), since according to his own admission, Webber had been accepting money from Martin since junior high school. The school conducted its own investigation, and called a press conference to announce it had found "no credible evidence" that Webber had accepted "substantial" amounts of cash from Martin while in high school, and therefore refused to forfeit any games. The MHSAA claimed it had no legal authority to force the games to be forfeited.

Webber was suspended by the NBA for a total of eight games—five for an unnamed violation of the league substance abuse policies and three for lying to the grand jury. Webber received the suspensions once he recovered from an injury that kept him out for half of the 2003–04 season.

The scandal was explored in a documentary by ESPN films which aired in March 2011, in which Webber refused to participate.

Legacy[link]

This section of a biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2011)

Webber averaged 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for his career (one of only six players to do so). The Golden State Warriors did not make the playoffs during the first 12 years after they traded Webber. In 1997, he led Washington to their first playoff appearance since 1989. They would not reach the playoffs again until 2005, seven years after trading Webber. Prior to Webber's arrival in 1998, the Kings made the playoffs only twice (1985 and 1996) since they moved to Sacramento from Kansas City in 1985.

Webber was ranked #64 in SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003. He was ranked #11 in an ESPN.com experts poll of the top power forwards of all time in 2008 and ranked #72 on a list of the Top 96 NBA Players of all time in Bill Simmons' bestseller The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy published in 2009.

The Sacramento Kings retired Webber's number 4 jersey on February 6, 2009 when the Kings hosted the Utah Jazz.^[19]

Post-basketball life[link]

Since retiring from the NBA, Webber has become an analyst on NBA TV's NBA Gametime Live. He does the Tuesday Fan Night alongside Ernie Johnson and Kevin McHale. He also served as an occasional guest analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA during the 2008–09 season. During Charles Barkley's leave of absence, Webber substituted for him along with other guests such as Gary Payton and Mike Fratello. Webber has also expressed interests in eventually becoming a GM and owner.^[20]

Webber has also stated he is working on a book. Outside of basketball, Webber has been active in his investment company representing basketball and football players, real estate, and film projects. In 2011, it was reported that that company had lined up investors to build the Kings a new arena.

Webber was the owner of Center Court With C-Webb,^[21] a restaurant in Sacramento, California. The restaurant closed on November 17, 2009.^[22] Earlier that year, Webber married his longtime girlfriend Erika Dates during a private ceremony at his Atlanta home. In attendance were 200 guests including family and close friends.

African American artifacts[link]

Webber has a personal collection of African American artifacts which he began collecting in 1994. Upon entering the NBA, he began collecting artifacts, starting with the purchase of two slave records. Webber believes that these artifacts are a reflection of his beliefs and aspirations. He initially collected them as encouragements to face life obstacles. However, he had no intentions on exhibiting them until the growth of his collection prompted additional storage. His collection includes an original 1901 publication of an autobiography by Booker T. Washington, various documents, letters, and postcards signed by Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. When not on public exhibit, the artifacts are stored at the Sacramento Public Library's Archival Vault. In previous years the Chris Webber Collection has previously been featured in Crocker Art Museum and Wayne State University.^[23]

On June 28, 2007, Webber unveiled his collection of African American artifacts during the Celebrating Heritage Exhibition at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. During a news conference, Webber said he believed that children can learn from these artifacts, "Hopefully, when children see them they will see there is no excuse for us not to be successful. There's no excuse not to find something that you love to do. There's no excuse to not work hard at it."^[24]

Charity[link]

Webber is active in various charities and created The Timeout Foundation in 1993. The foundation's mission is to provide positive educational and recreational opportunities to youth.

In 1999, Webber created C-Webb's Crew where a group of tickets at every Kings regular home season game would be donated to at-risk youth and their families. To date, over 3,000 youths and their families have attended a game through C-Webb's Crew.

Community awards Webber has won include the inaugural Sacramento Kings/Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award, which is annually awarded to a Kings player who exemplifies: team leadership, all-around game, and sportsmanship; the NBA Community Assist Award for his contributions in February 2003, and the Wish Maker of the Year in 2003 awarded by the Sacramento Chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation.

More recently, Webber held a celebrity weekend, Bada Bling!, at the Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas. The event was held from July 28–30, 2006 and included a live auction and celebrity poker tournament. Many renowned NBA players participated including then-current and former teammates: Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, Andre Iguodala, Bobby Jackson, Kyle Korver, and his then-current coach, Maurice Cheeks. Other notable participants included Charles Barkley, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gary Payton, Kenny Smith, Moses Malone, and Stephon Marbury. Numerous entertainers attended as well such as Nas and Common. All of the proceeds were donated to The Timeout Foundation.

Webber hosted his second annual Bada Bling charity weekend from July 20–22, 2007 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.^[25]

Discography[link]

Webber also has produced hip hop records, including two songs for rapper Nas: "Blunt Ashes" and "Surviving the Times".

Awards[link]

• 5 time All-Star
• 5 times All-NBA – 2001 first team, 1999, 2002, & 2003 second team, 2000 third team
• All Rookie NBA – 1994
• 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year
• 1990–1991 National High School player of the year
• Jerseys: #44 Detroit Country Day School, #4 Sacramento Kings
• 1999 NBA rebounding champ (13.0 rpg)

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Quotes[link]

• "You can do anything—that's the message I want to give. It's not about being a basketball player and it's not about being a doctor or being a lawyer. It's about finding something that you love to do, cultivate it, work hard at it and make a life better for you."^[24]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chris Webber at NBA.com
• Chris Webber at Basketball-Reference.com
• Chris Webber at DatabaseBasketball.com
• Washington Post: Bullets negotiating with Warriors for Webber
• Chris Webber's Official Site
• University of Michigan Basketball Statistical Archive