Chris Webber: The Former NBA Star’s Most Recent And Biggest Achievement

Try imagining that you have it all but are still unsatisfied. Former NBA star Chris Webber had a life that seemed perfect to onlookers – he had money, success, fame – but what else could the star possibly want? Nine years after he retired, this outstanding athlete finally achieved something that he has been pursuing for many years.

Quite The Baller

Are you familiar with Chris Webber? If you are a fan of basketball or have watched any NBA games, then we bet you know who he is! Years after he retired, Chris Webber is still considered to be among the best centers of the Sacramento Kings to date… Impressive!

Trophies On Trophies

What’s more, Chris has also earned several accolades throughout his career. 5-time All-NBA Team, 5-time NBA All-Star, and Rookie of the Year are just some of his remarkable achievements. Even though these may all seem really impressive, he claims that his proudest moment, not to mention his greatest award so far, happened off the court. The prize was something he didn’t think he would achieve… But it definitely holds a special spot in his heart.

His Real Name

Many know him by Chris Webber or the moniker C.Webb. However, perhaps few people know that he actually has quite a long and stately sounding full name. The baller’s full name is Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III.

Detroit Native

Chris Webber is a native of Detroit, Michigan, having been born in the state back in 1973. Basketball was ingrained in Chris’ daily life at an early age, but just like other athletes, he started on the path to stardom when he was in high school. Chris led the Detroit Country Day School basketball team to a MHSAA State Championship Title (Michigan High School Athletic Association).

Chevy Corsica

Being born and raised in Michigan, it makes sense for someone to have an interest in cars! The first car that Chris Webber owned was a Chevy Corsica that was burgundy in color. The former NBA star was quoted referring to this “baby” as his best friend.

Michigan’s Mr. Basketball

The superstar athlete received the Mr. Basketball of Michigan award for his achievements and incredible skills on the court. All the states award this impressive accolade to the best ball player in high school.

College Ball

When he graduated from high school, Chris proceeded to play ball as well as study at the University of Michigan. When he was still a freshman, he played an essential part in the Wolverines’ Fab Five, which is a group of impressively talented freshman players. During his time with the Wolverines, Chris was #4.

From College To The NBA

Did you know that Michigan’s Fab Five supposedly gave the game of basketball a hip-hop vibe? In addition, while Chris was playing for the team, the Michigan Wolverines appeared in the NCAA finals two times… Not too shabby! What’s more impressive is that four of the five members of the Fab 5 went on to become NBA players! However, Chris and his other successful teammates got mixed up in a major scandal which nearly ruined their careers…

A Major Scandal

Chris Webber was implicated in the basketball scandal that rocked the University of Michigan in the mid-‘90s. After he was found guilty, all of his college awards were taken away from the tremendous athlete, leaving the university with nothing. Later on, Chris was convicted of perjury as it was discovered that local boosters had given him over $200,000 in cash.

Trouble With The Law

The massive publicized scandal in his college days was actually not the last time that Chris Webber had to face the law. In 1998, he found himself in a sticky situation yet again, and this time he had more than just one offense… He had three! The professional athlete was not only charged with possession of marijuana but a DUI and second-degree assault as well. Luckily, a jury acquitted him of the really serious charges and he was only required to pay $560 in fines for his other minor infractions, but we hope that Chris got his act together after these pretty big mess-ups…

Airport Trouble

Now, this you have to hear! Rather than getting his ducks in a row and staying below the radar, Chris got into trouble… Yet again! The same year he got charged with multiple offenses, he got stopped by the U.S. Customs in Puerto Rico.

Fila Sneaker Launch

Chris was stopped because he had marijuana in his baggage. He was actually traveling to Barbados to do some promotion for the sportswear company Fila, who then later dropped the basketball star. However, Chris filed a suit against the company for breach of contract and he was awarded $2.61 million in the end.

Timeout Trouble

In the 1993 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Game, Chris infamously called a timeout which ultimately cost the Wolverines the title. With only 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Michigan Wolverines trailing the North Carolina Tar Heels 73-71, Chris decided to call for a timeout, but what he did not realize is that his team had none left…! This not only led to a technical foul but also a huge loss for the Michigan Wolverines. We bet he still beats himself up for what happened until now… Poor guy!

Music Sensation

Similar to a number of NBA stars, Chris dabbled in a bit of rapping as well. He released the record ‘2 Much Drama,’ a rap album, back in 1999. For the song ‘Gangsta, Gangsta,’ they even created a music video.

The No. 1 NBA Draft Pick

Not a lot of players can say they had been the number one overall draft pick… It is such an honor! Chris was drafted by the Orlando Magic. He was actually the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft in 1993. This made Chris Weber the first sophomore since Magic Johnson to accomplish this!

Draft-Day Trade

Chris Webber wasn’t with the Orlando Magic for very long, though, since he got immediately traded to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway along with three future first-round picks. Having been a college stand-out, Chris Webber was equally outstanding in the pros, as he guided his team to the NBA playoffs and was named NBA Rookie of the Year.

Rookie Year

The contract that Chris signed with Golden State Warriors was for $74.4 million, and this was only for the player’s rookie year!! In and of itself, that number is pretty impressive.

The Best Of Friends

After he played for Golden State, Chris got traded and played for the Washington Bullets, the team which is now called the Washington Wizards. With his new team, he was able to play with his former Fab 5 teammate Juwan Howard again and the two carried on with the close friendship they had before.

Chris & Tyra

There was a time before when Chris Webber dated supermodel Tyra Banks! She was often seen at Sacramento Kings games. They started dating in 2002 but in 2004, the two called it quits.

Washington D.C. Here We Come!

When he was in D.C., Chris led his team to the playoffs, their first in more than a decade. His efforts earned him his first nomination for the All-Star team. After his successful stint with the Bullets, Chris later went back to California and joined the Sacramento Kings back in 1998.

Apprehensive

Because the Sacramento Kings were not really getting any luck, Chris was concerned about joining the franchise. However, interestingly enough, Webber played the best basketball of his entire career while he was sporting a Kings jersey.

The Impossible

Even though the league thought that Sacramento was a losing team, Chris made the impossible possible and almost brought the team to the NBA finals… Really impressive because the team hasn’t won a title since 1951! We’re sure Sacramento fans were really happy to have Chris Webber on their team!

NBA Top Power Forward

His time in Sacramento reinforced Chris’ spot on the list of the top power forwards in the history of the NBA. In the 2000-2001 season, Chris was selected for the All-Star team and clocked up 27.1 points per game, a career-high. These achievements resulted in a 7-year contract with the Kings which was worth a whopping $127 million.

An Incredible Season

Chris Webber surely didn’t take this impressive deal lightly… He brought his A-game to the team, proving his remarkable talent. He ultimately drove the Kings to one record-breaking season, with only 21 losses and 61 wins. During the Western Conference Finals in 2002, the L.A. Lakers unexpectedly beat the Kings, crushing Sacramento’s dreams of making an appearance in the finals in more than 50 years. During his last years in Sacramento, Chris ran into injuries, then he joined the Philadelphia 76ers in the year 2005.

Better Luck Next Time

Unfortunately, Chris was far from successful when he played for the 76ers franchise when compared to his time with the Sacramento Kings. After only two years, he went back to Michigan, his home state, where he became part of the Detroit Pistons.

A Shocking Injury

After he played for the Pistons, he was traded again, back to Golden State in 2008… We guess the guy missed Cali’s sunny weather! After just nine games, Chris Webber shockingly stopped his career because of a knee injury which was worsening instead of improving. Fans were anxious, not sure what the player’s next move would be.

The End

With his injuries getting worse, Chris Webber retired in 2008, after being in the league for 15 years. He decided to end his career at the age of 35, and with some quite impressive stats! When he finished, he averaged 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 20.7 points per game. We just hope that the star was pleased with his incredible NBA career… We sure are!

Legendary

Chris Webber is definitely a legend. Through the first 13 seasons he played in the NBA, he averaged 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. The only other player who ever accomplished that was Wilt Chamberlain.

Retired Jersey

From 1998-2004, Chris Webber played for the Sacramento Kings. Because of his outstanding skills on the court as well as all he had done for the team, he was honored by commemorating him and retiring his number. The poster is even bigger than him!!

We’re Waiting

A lot of basketball fans have been pondering the same question for a long time… When will Chris Webber get inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame? Actually, we’re also still waiting for this much-deserved recognition!

Gametime Live

After he retired, Chris Webber went into other types of work, showing the world that he has talent off the court as well. In the field of sports, he regularly appears on the show NBA’s Gametime Live as an analyst.

Quite The Collector

Chris Webber does not only dabble in sport; the former professional athlete is pretty interested in art as well and in fact, owns an African-American artifacts collection that is quite rare, with the pieces on display in Sacramento, California’s Central Library. He started by simply being interested in African Americans’ cultural history, but his art collection has become full-fledged! Webber said, “I just thought I was going to put it in the hallway of my house. My friends were like, ‘You’re corny. You’re a nerd.’ I thought no one would care.” Today, his collection is exhibited at public buildings and museums across the United States on a regular basis, but Chris’ mother (below) was actually the person who inspired him to start collecting since she had a selection of art pieces around their home when the star was growing up.

Guest Appearances

Chris is very charismatic and well-spoken. Can you believe that he has had guest appearances on Jay Leno’s, Bill Maher’s, and David Letterman’s shows?!

Restaurant Biz

Going into the culinary world, Chris Webber opened his very own restaurant in Sacramento, California. He called it the Center Court with C Webb.

Talented On & Off The Court

The former pro ball player was also the founder of an investment company. He also did some acting and played an aging preacher in the comedy movie Uncle Drew. Last, but definitely not the least, he tried his hand at making some music and he producing tracks together with Nas, the legendary rapper. Needless to say, Chris Webber is one really talented fella!

Webber Productions

Chris Webber revealed that he would be forming a production company! It would be called Webber Productions and would make documentaries on sports and social issues, and sports films as well. Chris also said that his company would be involved in different cultural exhibitions and music and movie projects. “I am happy to start a company with a man like Peter Gilbert, who has proven to be one of the best in documentary film work. I look forward to learning from him and telling great stories around my passions, my community, and my world with him,” Webber explained.

Film & TV

It seems that there is no stopping Chris Webber! He has even gone into the movie and TV industry, by being a producer and an actor! In the year 2015, he appeared in the film Unexpected and Magic Johnson’s film Somewhere in the Middle. However, his most notable appearance is in the comedy film Uncle Drew.

Quite The Comedian

Another pleasantly surprising fact about Chris Webber is that he can be quite the comedian! He went on Twitter and posted this, “Guess they didn’t know how tall I am. Can’t get my legs under the table. LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz.”

#michigansfinest

Chris Webber is quite good friends with Magic Johnson IRL. Both athletes went to college at Michigan State, at different times needless to say. Chris tweeted this picture and captioned it with this “@magicjohnson my mentor and friend since age 14 #michigansfinest”.

He Never Stops

Chris Webber doesn’t stop! The talented guy has recently announced that he is writing a book! Webber said, “You’re about to have a lot more to talk about, because I have a book that’s coming out this summer that’s going to tell the truth because everything you’ve heard has been stories of writers that weren’t there or people that wanted to lie, so we’re going to shock the world with a book and a documentary.”

GM Plant

Since Chris is working on a documentary about his life, it makes sense that the former pro ball player visited the Detroit-Hamtramck plant of General Motors, where his father worked at for 30 years! Chris Webber met workers and he checked out the famous Volt as well.

Philanthropist

With all of the money and fame he has earned, Chris Webber has taken advantage of his name and in 1993, he founded the NGO called The Timeout Foundation, which caters around at-risk youth. He has been recognized by the philanthropic world for his generosity and he was the recipient of very first Oscar Robertson Triple-Double Award given out by the Sacramento Kings.

Giving Back

Chris Webber also created an initiative which gives free basketball tickets to at-risk youth…it has distributed more than 3,000 tickets so far! We just love the people in the spotlight that give back… Great job, Chris!

Wish Maker Of The Year

In 2003, Sacramento Make-A-Wish Foundation honored Chris Webber and recognized him as the Wish Maker of the Year!

Coach Izzo

Patrick Izzo, head basketball coach of Michigan State, confessed to fans that the only recruit that made him cry was Chris Webber. The former NBA player had this to say, “Coach Izzo is a big part of my book. I consider him a friend, I’ve known him since I was about 15 years old. … I love Coach Izzo because when he goes into kids’ houses and he talks to kids, and he says what he says and he makes them promises, he holds true to those promises. Tom Izzo is one of the best men that I know.”

Bad Blood

Even though Chris and Fab 5 teammate (and longtime friend) Jalen Rose have had their own share of good times and bad, the two are certainly buds no longer. Things heated up quite a bit between the men after the release of ESPN’s documentary The Fab 5.

“I’m Over It”

After the release of the documentary, Chris made a decision to set some things straight regarding the huge timeout scandal. “I know that the ‘Fab Five’ documentary makes it seem like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m so scared to talk about it,’ but the truth is I got over it a long time ago. I’ve always tried to embrace it.”

Michigan For Life

Chris Webber was and will continue to be part of the whole Michigan State Enterprise. Recently, Chris agreed to be the honorary captain at a football game in Michigan. Fans were obviously thrilled for his upcoming appearance!

“I Do”

After retiring, Chris took another major step…this time in his love life. In 2009, he married his longtime girlfriend Erika Dates. The pair had quite a romantic ceremony and 200 of their family and closest friends were in attendance.

Settling Down

The couple was looking forward to starting a family immediately, but they were discouraged when they had fertility issues that prevented this from happening. Doctors told the couple that conceiving a child might not be possible… The pair were understandably heartbroken.

Difficult Times

We can’t even begin to imagine how difficult this time must have been for Chris and Erika. After 7 years of attempting to conceive, the couple was about to give up. That is, until something unbelievable happened…

Double The Fun

The couple was expecting!!! Finally, in 2017, they welcomed twins into the world, a boy and a girl! Chris and Erika must have been really excited when they first heard the news that they were pregnant! The couple made the announcement by posting this adorable photo on Instagram.

Proud Parents

Erika could barely contain her excitement about their two little angels either, posting a photo hours later of the little ones with their father holding up the “peace sign”. Clearly, these are two very proud parents!

God’s Grace

Chris posted a picture and captioned it with this: “After many years of trying and more than a few heartbreaks, we were blessed with these little ones.” He also used #godsgrace and #worththewait as hashtags.

Two Bundles Of Joy

Erika posted another picture, “Grateful… 7 years waiting for our family to grow, and we were double blessed. Never underestimate the power of prayer, even when ‘they’ tell you it’s impossible.” These two are so cute!

Like Father, Like Son

Now, this photo meme that someone created is just amazing. Just look at Chris and his little boy! Classic.

Thank You

“All in his time. Thank you to all of our family and friends and even strangers who shared our journey and kept us encouraged.” We definitely love this pic of a fun family outing!

Speaking Out

Later that month, the NBA retiree sat down for an interview with American Men’s Magazine Esquire on all things family. Chris shared some things which are quite personal with the publication. He said, “Being a father has taken the edge off. It’s just something my wife and I have been praying for and working toward for years. To have it happen is just – s***, I don’t know what to say. It’s the best feeling in the world.” The star has finally achieved all the things he could possibly want!

Absolute Joy

Chris also said this, “I don’t get any sleep, but I’m the oldest of five, and I used to do a lot of babysitting growing up. I have a big family, so we’re used to that. But it’s amazing just seeing something that’s your own, grow and develop. I’m just in awe. Most days it’s laughing and crying at the fact that something like this happened.”

Storybook Ending

Basketball and fame were not enough for Chris Webber. He can now finally relax knowing that he has two lovely babies with his lovely wife…quite the storybook ending if we say so ourselves.