At the risk of sounding even cornier than usual, I have to say I was tremendously happy for him tonight. He banished a lot of demons.
I saw something tonight I don't recall seeing in a long time. I saw a Kings team struggling badly, in a game against a lesser opponent. How many times have we seen that and, regrettably, seen the Kings just give up?
They DIDN'T give up, though. They fought back - from Tag to Webber, from Bibby to Pedja - and they all contributed something. Even Barnes was able to make a couple of contributions in his limited minutes on the court.
Chris Webber, in the famous speech he was so roundly criticized for, made it quite clear. He wanted to be with guys who wouldn't give up - who would play through the bad times and find a way to win.
They did that tonight. Webber took that shot. He didn't second-guess himself. He took the shot - and we won. His reaction afterwards should make it obvious to even the most jaded fan that Webber wants to win it all - he wants to take this team the distance. Not only for himself and the players, but for us - the fans. When he was talking to Grant, he said something that spoke volumes. When asked if it had been a tough road trip, he replied that they were ready to get home - back to the fans and their families. And he said it in that order.
Chris Webber may not be aperfect human being but I am awfully glad he's a Sacramento King.