Kings notes: Kings rift? Story called unfounded

#1
sacbee

Kings notes: Kings rift? Story called unfounded

Rick Adelman denies he and Mike Bibby were at odds.

By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, November 13, 2004

The speculation that a rift is slowly fracturing the Kings? Chris Webber isn't buying it, but he's playing along, especially the ESPN.com report this week that Mike Bibby snapped at coach Rick Adelman on the team plane last week when the club was mired in an 0-3 start.



The piece by Chad Ford suggested that there was a "growing feud" between Bibby and the coach "that ended in a Bibby tirade against Adelman on the team plane last week."

"Yeah," Webber said, "it was a big fight. You all didn't hear about that?" Webber said laughing.

"I've been through it before," he continued, referring to prior NBA stops laced with controversy in Golden State and Washington. "I tell guys (here), 'Welcome to the real world.' I've tried to tell everybody that this has been like candyland here. It's been wonderful. (Criticism and allegations) are things we have to get used to and to use these things to catapult us. If it makes us mad, maybe that's good. Maybe it'll make us band together that much closer."

So none of it is true?

"Put it like this: Saying that you have a source is a cowardly way out nowadays," Webber said. "I got a source, too. You didn't hear about the fight? There were punches thrown."

Adelman expressed similar disappointment about the story.

"There's no truth to it," Adelman said. "It never happened. Whoever is writing that, it would be nice if they asked a question to the people supposedly involved. Frankly, we have a lot of other problems. It's our team getting along and staying together is the one thing that will get us through this, which we've talked about a lot.

"Those things are unfounded. Where it came from, I don't have a clue."

Sizing up the Suns -- The Kings have beaten Phoenix in 11 of the last 16 meetings, but it didn't matter when the clubs met in a preseason game at Arco Arena. The Suns rolled 124-96, making 9 of 16 three-point attempts. Quentin Richardson made 5 of 8 from long range.

New guard Steve Nash, the former Dallas floor leader whom the Kings know well from so many playoff showdowns, has the Suns poised to lead the league in scoring.

"They're young and athletic, and Nash has really been a godsend for them," Adelman said.

Webber on Tom Tolbert -- Webber said he doesn't think much of Tom Tolbert, the ESPN color commentary man who wondered during the Kings' dreadful effort at Seattle on Wednesday why the team wasn't playing to its lofty standards.

"First, I don't really respect Tom Tolbert's opinion on our team; he wasn't that good of a player," Webber said.

Another back-to-back -- Tonight's game begins the third set of back-to-back sets for the Kings. They host Denver on Sunday with the next back-to-back set coming Nov. 30 at Memphis and Dec. 1 at New Orleans.

Sacramento is 1-1 in the first game of back-to-backs and 0-2 in the second game. Last season, the Kings were involved in 19 sets of back-to-backs, going 11-8 in the first game and 7-12 in the second games. Webber especially is a concern in the second game on such sets with his knee.



---------------------------pretty much the same stuff about the bibby vs adelman rumor except for the adelman quote..
 
#2
LMM said:
"First, I don't really respect Tom Tolbert's opinion on our team; he wasn't that good of a player," Webber said.
Ouch.
But that really is stupid. You dont have to be a good player to have a valid opinion about a team. Some of the worst opinions I have ever heard are from great players, right Chuck.
 
#5
Maybe this will start a trend of people in the NBA calling out Chad Ford for inventing sources and incidents for his ESPN Insider articles.
and
I don't like Tolbert either.
 
#6
Heuge said:
Ouch.
But that really is stupid. You dont have to be a good player to have a valid opinion about a team. Some of the worst opinions I have ever heard are from great players, right Chuck.
Probably he meant that if you are a player, your understanding of the game can be seen from the way u play on the court. Maybe Webber didnt see that in Tom on the court.
 
#8
hahaha they played that clip on KNBR yesterday, it was hella funny. but at the end, webber did say he agreed with what tolbert said. tolbert didn't seem too offended by what webber said.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#9
LPKingsFan said:
Damn you Webber, Tolbert's usually the only one on the national broadcasts to stick up for you guys. Bad move...
Not if he was kidding, which I firmly believe he was.

Webb has said before he respects Tolbert because he's actually played the game.

If you notice, Davidson didn't mention that Webber was laughing as he made the "punches thrown" comment so I'm making a semi-educated guess that this was the same thing...