Chris Webber

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Webber was a National High School Basketball Player of the Year who led his high school to three Michigan State High School Basketball Championships. As a collegiate athlete, he was a first-team All-American and led the Michigan Wolverines' 1991 incoming freshman class known as the Fab Five that reached the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games as freshmen and sophomores. However, Webber was indicted by a federal grand jury and stripped of his All-American honors by the NCAA as a result of his direct involvement in a scandal involving payments from boosters to players. Webber is an on-air commentator for NBA games and has taught at Wake Forest University and Morehouse College. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

In Their Own Story

The largest portion of Webber's 15-season NBA career was spent with the Sacramento Kings. Drafted number one overall in the 1993 NBA draft, Webber became a five-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team member, and the NBA Rookie of the Year. He also played for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons during his NBA career. Webber was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Reader's Guide

Webber attended Detroit Country Day School from 1987 to 1991 and at the time was the most recruited Michigan high school basketball player since Magic Johnson. Webber led Country Day to three MHSAA State championships. As a senior in high school Webber averaged 29.4 points and 13 rebounds per game. He was named Mr. Basketball of Michigan and the 1990–1991 National High School player of the year. He was named MVP in both the McDonald's and Dapper Dan All-Star games. After graduating from Detroit Country Day School, Webber attended the University of Michigan for two years. While a Michigan Wolverine, Webber led the group of players known as the Fab Five, which included himself, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. This group, all of whom entered Michigan as freshmen in the fall of 1991, took the basketball team to the NCAA finals twice, losing both times. The Fab Five, sporting long, baggy shorts and black socks, became immensely popular as they were seen as bringing a hip hop flavor to the game. Four of the Fab Five (Webber, Rose, Howard, and King) made it to the NBA. In their first season, the Fab Five led Michigan to an NCAA championship game against Duke, becoming the first team in NCAA history to compete in the championship with freshmen as all five starters. On April 5, 1993, at Michigan's second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game with 11 seconds remaining, Webber brought the ball up the court into a half court trap. Michigan was down 73–71. Webber attempted to call for a timeout while his team had none remaining, resulting in a technical foul that effectively clinched the game for North Carolina. Webber continues to receive ridicule for his time-out error; when he joined Inside the NBA in 2008, part of the humorous initiation ceremony was the question "In college basketball how many timeouts do you get in a game?" (Webber replied, "I still don't know the answer!") His father has a license plate that says timeout. The error was later referenced in the 2018 sports comedy film Uncle Drew, in which Webber played the role of Preacher. The game marked the end of Webber's acclaimed two-year collegiate basketball career. In his second season, he was a first team All-American selection and a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year. These awards and honors have b

Did You Know?

• Webber was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
• Webber's jersey number 4 was retired by the Sacramento Kings on February 5, 2009, at ARCO Arena.
• Webber played for the Philadelphia 76ers during his NBA career, in addition to the Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets, and Detroit Pistons.