CWebb Article

[mazzystar]

The odd couple

C-Webb's answer to Philly problem:
I can't play with A.I.


WASHINGTON - All of the big-man, little-man pairings in the East aren't going quite as well as Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. Their Batman and Robin routine could take the Miami Heat to its first NBA championship, depending, first and foremost, on O'Neal's physical condition the rest of the way.

The Sixers, are a long way from the Heat, especially when it comes to their big-man, little-man pairing. Not long after a first-round loss in the playoffs to the Pistons, Chris Webber confided to several close friends that playing with Allen Iverson drove him crazy.



"I can't play with him," Webber told one old friend. "He dribbles too much."



That's not exactly Shaq telling Wade before the Big Fella sat out Game 3 of the Miami-Washington series with a bum thigh, "you're the best player on the court. Now go out and play that way." As Wade later admitted, after putting the Wizards in a 3-0 hole with another eye-opening performance, "that's the kind of confidence you just can't buy."



Webber apparently isn't very confident that he and Iverson can make a successful tandem starting next season. After lamenting Iverson's me-first approach, he told his pal: "I'd take a pay cut to get out of there."



But the pay cut isn't happening, nor is Webber's imminent departure. It will be more than a little difficult for the Sixers to break up the Iverson-Webber pairing, meaning finding Webber a new team. He makes $63 million over the next three seasons, his knee isn't getting any better and next March he turns 33. So their ability to work together on the floor to help the Sixers improve on their 43 wins and seventh-place finish in the East is going to be Topic A when they go to training camp in October.



It's not as if Webber wasn't warned by people in the know that it would be close to impossible to work with Iverson. When he first became a Sixer at February's trading deadline, he ran into an old Big Ten pal, Glenn Robinson. The Sixers had once hoped that Big Dog would be the running buddy who would taking scoring pressure off Iverson, just as they once incorrectly envisioned Keith Van Horn in that very same role.



But Robinson, who also had problems with Iverson, shared some prophetic words with Webber.







"You won't able to play with him," the Big Dog warned.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/story/309599p-264954c.html

 

[funsc]

poor C-webb

 

[VF21]

Ah, and the New York Daily News continues its blatherings. And this time it's from an "old friend" of Webber's who has to blab what his friend has told him in confidence. Yeah, I'm really gonna buy into that scenario.

And to think - trees died just so that drivel could be printed.

 

[Londonking]

How very cynical of you VF21 .

I almost expected you to say Ailene had done a spot of ghost writing during a brief trip to the east coast !!

 

[C Diddy]

Must be a slow news season if all they can report is Allen Iverson dribbles too much.

 

[SacTownKid]

I have a hard time believing he said those things but not one bit of a hard time in him believing those things. C-Webb doesn't belong anywhere that won't use the many talents he still has.

 

[BigWaxer]

I don't have a hard time believing he actually said that.

The problem I have is actually caring what was said. I am more concerned about our off-season.

 

[loopymitch]

I read this article elsewhere and from what they said, that reporter is not very credible so I'd take this with a grain of salt. He probably did think these things but I'm sure he has more problem with O'Brien than AI. Let him go somewhere else, he's not happy there IMO

 

[KingKong]

Bring Him Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[piksi]

Well, if he really said that - it would not be a shocker. It has been known to happen in his case.

However, untill a reliable source print this - I will remain sceptical.

BTW - I believe that even Iverson could not play together with Iverson

 

[Ryle]

"He dribbles too much."

In other news:

The sky is blue
Tomorrow is Tuesday
The sun will set in the West tonight

Stay turned for further obvious declarations.....

 

[thesanityannex]

Bring Him Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

id take him back for a quarter of his salary. he did say he'd take a pay cut right?

 

[SacKingsFX]

blah blah blah

 

[Andriod_KiNg]

With the sixers, I cant see why everyone is surprised the Webber/AI thing wouldnt work. I mean come on...think of it this way.

Stackhouse
Hughes
Harpring
VanHorn
Bigdog
Webber

What do these guys have in common. They had their worst years in a sixer uniform. Why is it that all of these guys were/are top players at one point in time before the sixers then get on the team and look like crap. Its AI. Sorry to say. Stack couldnt do it, not Hughes (look at the talent he is now) not Harpring (blew up bigtime when he went Utah) etc etc.

 

[Just_Lurkin]

NYdaily aren't they the same people that said he didnt want to be here either?

anyway saw on PTI that webb said the story wasn't true.

 

[kennadog]

If you're interested:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/11661304.htm

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - Chris Webber on Monday denied a published report that he was unhappy playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and could not get along with Allen Iverson.

The New York Daily News on Sunday reported that after the Sixers' first-round loss in the playoffs, Webber confided to close friends that he didn't enjoy being on the court with Iverson.

"I can't play with him," the paper quoted Webber as telling a friend. "He dribbles too much." The paper also reported that Webber told a friend, "I'd take a pay cut to get out of there."

Webber, who struggled to fit in with the Sixers after they acquired him in a trade deadline deal from Sacramento, denied making the comments.

"It's a lie," Webber said Monday in a statement released by the Sixers. "There's no way it was true. I have no issue with Allen Iverson and I look forward to next season and building a championship team."

Webber was booed, shut out of the offense and looked little like a player who was supposed to make the Sixers contenders. His scoring and rebounding dipped after the trade, and he was still slowed by knee problems.

The Sixers are on the hook for the nearly $63 million over three years left in his contract.

 

[kennadog]

And this commentary (warning, not very complimentary to C-Webb):
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7877808/

COMMENTARY By Michael Ventre - NBCSports.com contributor

Updated: 8:49 p.m. ET May 16, 2005

In a 1925 interview with Vanity Fair, W.C. Fields proposed that his epitaph would someday read, “On the whole, I’d rather be in Philadelphia,” suggesting the grave would be the one place he deemed less preferable than the city of his birth.

It seems Chris Webber likes Philly even less. And fans there may write his epitaph for him. On Feb. 23, Webber was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the 76ers in a ground-shaking six-player deal. Last weekend, the New York Daily News reported that shortly after the Sixers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Detroit Pistons on May 3, Webber told “several close friends” that playing with Allen Iverson was making him cuckoo. He also supposedly told one friend, “I’d take a pay cut to get out of there.”

On Monday, Webber quickly spun the story with this statement: “It’s a lie. There’s no way it is true. I have no issue with Allen Iverson and I look forward to next season and building a championship team.”

In case you haven’t been keeping up, there have been a few problems in journalism lately with anonymous sources, including the Newsweek flap over an item about alleged desecration of the Quran, which set off deadly protests. Webber no doubt is aware of this, and is cognizant of the passion with which Philly fans bring to their relationships with the home teams, hence his quick and definitive denial. But the damage is done.

I was a bit shocked when Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards announced their sudden divorce. But this doesn’t surprise me. The trade was a noble try by the Sixers, a genuine effort to create some separation in the Atlantic Division between themselves and the Boston Celtics. But if they keep Webber around, he’s really going to go mental, and that would be insane. In this one, I side with Iverson. I don’t say this easily. I haven’t always been the biggest Iverson cheerleader. Generally, I agree with Webber’s complaints that Iverson handles the ball too much and his game is too self-centered.

Also, Iverson had lobbied Sixers president Billy King to get him some help. Indeed, King reported after the trade that Iverson was “ecstatic” to have Webber in Philly finery. So Iverson bears some responsibility for not making this work. But Allen is who he is. In Philadelphia, he’s an institution, although the partisans don’t seem to be as firmly in his corner after nine seasons and only one NBA finals appearance as they once were. Still, he’s their hero, a scrappy street urchin who opens a vein every time he takes the court. His appetite for victory is voracious.

Whereas Iverson has been with one team since he entered the league in 1996, Webber is with his fourth NBA club in 12 seasons. He was traded from Golden State to Washington after one-plus seasons because he couldn’t get along with coach Don Nelson. He was traded from Washington to Sacramento after four campaigns, during which he was stopped in his Lincoln Navigator and charged with assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, driving under the influence of marijuana and five other traffic-related violations, and in a separate incident accused of sexual assault along with then-teammate Juwon Howard.

While in Sacramento, he was cited once for reckless driving, after which he told the Sacramento Bee: “If Sacramento troubles me about a ticket, they will lose a nice person in the community.” Webber also faced a charge of perjury involving an investigation into former University of Michigan booster Ed Martin; Webber eventually pleaded to a lesser charge. He also was involved in a much-publicized tiff with teammate Peja Stojakovic, which was said to have hastened his departure from the Kings. Now this.

Webber’s often amiable exterior camouflages a cunning mind. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s done it before. He’ll let information seep out through intermediaries, then he’ll issue heated denials to protect himself. Meanwhile, his message is delivered.

Although Webber is 32 and his body seems to be feeling the effects of all those futile seasons, he is still immensely talented and would be an asset to the right team. In 21 games with Philadelphia, Webber averaged 15.6 points, 7.8 boards and 3.1 assists. But it would have to be the exact right team, one that coddles him, caters to his desires and makes him its No. 1 star. In Sacramento, Webber was No. 2 to Mike Bibby, but Bibby passed the ball a lot more than Iverson. In Philly, Webber will never be happy feeding on Iverson's table scraps. The problem now is that the Sixers are unlikely to pawn off their disgruntled power forward on another team. Webber is due to make $63 million over the next three seasons. I would suggest the Sixers send him to the Lakers for Brian Grant and a throw-in, but in the giving department, Iverson is Mahatma Gandhi compared to Kobe Bryant. The ball is now in King’s court. He has a problem on his hands. Webber just notified him of such. Webber has made it known he hasn’t changed, that he is dedicated to doing what’s best for himself, and right now that doesn’t include sharing the basketball with Iverson. But unintentionally Webber has also sent an alert to any club that tries to acquire him. He’s telling all potential employers of his own potential to create trouble.

If they’ve been paying attention, they already know that.

Michael Ventre writes regularly for NBCSports.com and is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

 

[VF21]

Look at the very last line. Michael Ventre is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. I don't think anything more needs to be said. This guy has attempted hatchet-jobs on Webber before. He's real good at throwing dirt on people. I'm not even going to dignify this trash with comments about the various allegations he's made.

 

[kennadog]

I didn't like the article much...just posted it. Ws not familiar with the writer...feel free to delete it VF21

 

[VF21]

No problem with posting it, kenndog... I just feel sorry for Webber. It probably bothers me more than it does him...

 

[kennadog]

Believe me, I feel sorry for him too. No matter what he says or does, it seems to be twisted and turned and examined ad naseum. Altho I must say, he seems unknowable or inscrutable to me much of the time. I miss him and wish him nothing but success and happiness. I hope he can find both.

 

[EmKingsFan4]

It must suck when people print things about you that you never said or say you did things you didn't do...but hey, what can ya do? The people who know better don't believe it anyway...and the others...well...who cares what they think, they're stupid...

 

[LMM]

No problem with posting it, kenndog... I just feel sorry for Webber. It probably bothers me more than it does him...

exactly how i feel. man, i feel so sorry for him. and stuff like this hopefully bothers me more than him.

man, i have nothing but love and support for chris.

i wish him the best, always.

 

[Londonking]

An extract from Kipling's poem 'If' springs to mind....


''If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, dont deal in lies,
Or being hated, dont give way to hating,
And yet dont look too good, nor talk too wise.''


CWebb and his abilities were key elements which first brought the Kings to my attention, so he has a special significance to me. I too hope that sort of trash article doesnt cut too deep with him.

 

[Ryan]

It must suck when people print things about you that you never said or say you did things you didn't do...but hey, what can ya do? The people who know better don't believe it anyway...and the others...well...who cares what they think, they're stupid...

I'm a little skeptical of Webber's denial. He has a history of lying and denying things to make him look better. I love the boy, but Webber doesn’t think before he speaks and to be perfectly honest, the quotes his friends said sound like something Webber would say.

 

[thesanityannex]

I believe Webber to be a very smart man. What if this is his way of quietly getting out of Philadelphia, which I would love to see. I felt bad watching him play there, not his type of game at all.

 

[loopymitch]

It's no secret that he's no angel but does that warrant lies being written about him? Sixer fans hate him enough for the most part and this is only adding fuel to the fire. Just let the man do what he does best and play basketball.

 

[Team Dime]

With the sixers, I cant see why everyone is surprised the Webber/AI thing wouldnt work. I mean come on...think of it this way.

Stackhouse
Hughes
Harpring
VanHorn
Bigdog
Webber

What do these guys have in common. They had their worst years in a sixer uniform. Why is it that all of these guys were/are top players at one point in time before the sixers then get on the team and look like crap. Its AI. Sorry to say. Stack couldnt do it, not Hughes (look at the talent he is now) not Harpring (blew up bigtime when he went Utah) etc etc.

Very well said, that seems to be the major thing these idiots in the national media always seem to leave out when addressing the Webber/Iverson issue. I've actually grown to like Around The Horn, but it makes me sick when all 4 panelists unite to dismiss Webber as insignificant. How quickly they seem to forget that Webber average 20,10, and 5 and was on a tear before being traded. The media is so quick to attack Webber for character flaws and for not winning it all, but they never give him enough due for putting Sacramento on the map, for being a dominant All-Star. One common point that prevails on these shows is that it's Iverson's team and Webber's the one who has to adjust.

How much more do they want him to adjust?? Is he supposed to become merely a role player who's supposed to stand under the basket, rebound for AI, and then dish it back out to AI to heave up some more shots? It's obvious to anyone with a brain that Webber is best on the high post (this excludes O'Brien). Webber needs to be included in the offense, he needs a chance to pass the ball, to get involved period. Yet the ignorant Philly fans are unhappy when he doesn't do enough or if he shoot too much. All they need to do is to look at the list of players who can't play with AI.

I'm not saying Webber is a saint by any means. It was bad that he lied to a grand jury and even worse that he missed a few games for a drug suspension upon returning in 2004. However, these biases journalists should also include the dirt on Iverson such as throwing his wife out of the house naked.

Webber would've gotten a championship (oddly enough by beating AI's Sixers in the Finals) had the refs not given game 6 to the Lakers or the Kings had not choked on their free throws in game 7. The Kings were a very good team that pushed the championship Lakers to the brink. AI and his Sixers have been to the Finals once but they were clearly a step below the Kings that year. The point is that Webber is a good teammate and played on some damn good Kings teams. AI remains a great player and will go into the Hall of Fame but will never win a title with the Sixers because he is NOT a great teammate.

As previously mentioned, even AI would have a problem playing with AI.

 

[hoopsfan]

Look at the very last line. Michael Ventre is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. I don't think anything more needs to be said. This guy has attempted hatchet-jobs on Webber before. He's real good at throwing dirt on people. I'm not even going to dignify this trash with comments about the various allegations he's made.

He does the Lakers no favors either! I think he just likes causing a stir and seeing his articles be the reason.

 

[Packt]

That first article doesn't even sound credible.