<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Time is apparently up on Chris Webber's basketball career. 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. After trudging through several knee injuries, Chris Webber, the top overall pick in 1993, has decided to end his comeback bid with the Warriors and retire. 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. Webber sat out the first four months of this season and flirted with a return to the Detroit Pistons before signing with Golden State on Jan. 29, hoping for one last run at the championship that repeatedly eluded him and hoping as well for a fairy-tale reunion with the coach under whom he won NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1993-94. But his seemingly unlikely reunion with Warriors coach Don Nelson after the collapse of their first marriage led to Webber's trade to Washington within six months of his rookie award ended faster than anyone imagined after Nelson pushed harder than anyone in Oakland to bring Webber back. Webber appeared in a mere nine games with the Warriors this time, averaging just 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.0 minutes as Golden State went 6-3 in those games. He played only once more after sustaining his most recent health setback in a Feb. 29 win over Philadelphia and found the knee slow to rehabilitate after such a long layoff to start the season. Asked Monday about a timetable for Webber's return after almost a month out of the lineup, Nelson admitted to the San Francisco Chronicle: "It'd be pretty hard at this point." It was Nelson, back in January, who scoffed loudest at the widespread skepticism regarding Webber's ability to keep up with Golden State's run-and-gunners. Nelson insisted that the Warriors needed Webber's passing from the high post and ability to sink mid-range jumpers to get them unstuck when their half-court offense bogged down or when their 3-pointers weren't dropping. "I'm afraid if we don't get him here [that] our team is not strong enough to be a playoff team," Nelson said at the time. "That's my biggest fear. I think if he comes [that] it can benefit our team, it can benefit his and my relationship [and] it can benefit players on this team. I think he has a chance to make some of our players better and make our team better. Really, that's all that's important. I'll get along with anybody who can help our team." Nelson also dismissed the idea that he would struggle to coach Webber again, insisting that he and Webber had reconciled years ago, starting when he chose Webber to replace the injured Shaquille O'Neal -- over Dirk Nowitzki from Nelson's Mavericks -- as the West's starting center for the 2002 All-Star Game in Philadelphia.</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3311954 Not a big loss but it kind of sucks that he never really got a chance to play when he was really in game shape.
The best big man passer in the game... which is pretty unheard of when it comes to big guys that could also play above the rim.
Do you think that he'll get into the hall of fame? He's got some pretty solid career numbers: 20.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG (taking from a little side bar on the espn link, he's one of 6 players ever to average 20 ppg, 9 rpg, and 4 apg. Elgin Baylor, Wilt, Billy Cunningham and Larry Bird are all in the hall...KG is the other one to do it, and he'll be there once he is done). Rookie of the year, one time on the all nba first team, 3 times on the all nba second team, 5 time allstar. He played on some really good teams, but he could never win the big one and that might end up hurting him when people place their votes
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ToddMacCulloch11 @ Mar 26 2008, 08:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Do you think that he'll get into the hall of fame? He's got some pretty solid career numbers: 20.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG (taking from a little side bar on the espn link, he's one of 6 players ever to average 20 ppg, 9 rpg, and 4 apg. Elgin Baylor, Wilt, Billy Cunningham and Larry Bird are all in the hall...KG is the other one to do it, and he'll be there once he is done). Rookie of the year, one time on the all nba first team, 3 times on the all nba second team, 5 time allstar. He played on some really good teams, but he could never win the big one and that might end up hurting him when people place their votes</div> It's the Basketball Hall of Fame, not the NBA hall of fame which will take into account college as well, so I think he'll probably get in. Although the tampering issue comes into play when you talk about college. Certainly not a 1st ballot guy, but he'll eventually get in.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BasX @ Mar 25 2008, 07:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>good carer, all the best </div> One of the best moments in college history.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Custodianrules2 @ Mar 26 2008, 04:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BasX @ Mar 25 2008, 07:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>good carer, all the best </div> One of the best moments in college history. </div> Just think, that game didnt even happen
He was a top three player in the league for about three years. I don't know if that's enough to get him to the HOF, but it's a significant accomplishment and he deserves recognition for that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Big Frame @ Mar 26 2008, 04:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Custodianrules2 @ Mar 26 2008, 04:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BasX @ Mar 25 2008, 07:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>good carer, all the best </div> One of the best moments in college history. </div> Just think, that game didnt even happen </div> Tell that to NC and their 1993 NCAA tournament trophy. It looks purdy. BTW, check out the look of the Michigan dude in the background.
