Webber to make bittersweet return
Kings fans expected to cheer when 76er returns Monday
Joseph Kaczmarek / AP fileFormer Kings star Chris Webber returns to Sacramento on Monday night as a member of the 76ers.
updated 11:42 a.m. ET March 28, 2005
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - They loved Chris Webber from the start, even when he didn’t love them back.
That’s why the Sacramento Kings expect their fans to cheer long and loud when Webber is introduced as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night at Arco Arena. The Sixers acquired the power forward 33 days ago in a six-man deal that reshaped both franchises while ending an unprecedented era of prosperity and celebrity in Sacramento.
Webber has no idea how he’ll feel in those moments before he takes the court in Sacramento in a visiting uniform. Though the shock of the trade finally has abated, he still considers Sacramento his home — something he never thought he would do.
“I’d rather be taken by surprise through the emotions than to play head games with myself before we get there,” Webber said after the 76ers’ 96-89 victory in Los Angeles over the Lakers on Sunday night.
“There’s nothing I can do till gametime. I’m an emotional person, so I know the best way for me to approach it is to just show up ready to play, see my dogs and my family and friends and be happy with that.”
Webber inspired many emotions in Sacramento during parts of seven seasons — but for all his setbacks, from suspensions to injuries to flirtations with bigger markets, the Kings’ fans always welcomed him back. So will his teammates, who profess nothing but love for their former teammate.
“Everybody will be glad to see him, I think,” Kings forward Peja Stojakovic said. “They will cheer for him.”
Webber was stunned when Washington traded him to Sacramento nearly seven years ago. But he was even more surprised with the Kings dealt him last month in a package for Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas and Brian Skinner.
The results of this trade won’t be certain for years — until the Sixers know whether a $65-million-plus investment in a thirtysomething power forward with bad knees was cost-effective, or until the Kings discover whether their dramatic roster shuffle produced a better team.
So far, neither team has been significantly boosted or weakened.
The Kings are 9-8 without Webber, and their offense doesn’t seem as smooth or dangerous — though center Brad Miller also has been out for the regular season with a broken leg. Sacramento almost certainly will make the playoffs, but the trade showed the franchise is thinking of its long-term health more than a spring championship run.
Philadelphia is 9-5 in the games in which Webber has played, but he’s still working on a comfortable relationship with Allen Iverson — and he’s already been involved in minor controversies over playing time and his role in the offense. But it won’t be surprising if Webber has a monster game against the Kings.
“I told him (Saturday) that I couldn’t wait to get to Sacramento, just to be in that war with him,” Iverson said. “I want to be in the foxhole with him in that type of game. It might not mean much to him, as far as him showing it, but deep down inside, I know it means a lot to him.”
The Sixers seem likely to make the playoffs, but their fans probably won’t see Webber’s best play until he has another offseason of rest.
That’s because Webber still hasn’t completely recovered from knee surgery following the 2003 playoffs. He probably never will be the same athlete, given the enormous cumulative stress of his career — but by controlling the ball in the Kings’ offense and using his basketball smarts to put himself in optimal positions, Webber produced some of his most impressive numbers.
In 46 games before the trade, Webber averaged 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. All of his averages have declined since he joined the Sixers, who have struggled to work his distinctive talents into their offense.
“It’s a different situation for Chris, and it will take some adjustment,” Kings coach Rick Adelman said. “But he’s a very adaptable player. He knows how to get the most out of what he can do, and I’m sure Philly will find the best way to use him. It just might take some time. It took us some time to figure it out.”
It’s no secret Webber didn’t want to go to Sacramento when the Kings acquired him in 1998. The former Michigan star had no interest in joining a losing team in a small market — but in the course of his electric first season in Sacramento, those fears vanished.
With Webber, Vlade Divac and rookie point guard Jason Williams leading the way in Adelman’s first campaign, the Kings finished the strike-shortened 1999 season with their first winning record in 16 years — well before the franchise moved from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985.
© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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