West Coast Connection Forum
Lifestyle => Sports & Entertainment => Topic started by: GangstaBoogy on January 16, 2007, 05:31:14 PM
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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons hope Chris Webber can do for them what Rasheed Wallace did in 2004, come on board midseason and spark a run to an NBA championship.
Webber does, too, because winning a title would fill the biggest void on his resume.
"I'm excited to be home in Detroit, but I'm more excited about being on this team," Webber said Tuesday after signing with his hometown team. "If this was not a good team, it would not be that much fun.
"This team was already great before I got here, so in no way am I acting like I'm doing this team a big service. I'm part of a great machine."
Webber will make about $650,000 with a prorated contract for the veteran's minimum to play the rest of the season. The Pistons have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and are the first team since the early 1990s to advance to four straight conference championships. But they appear to need some help.
"I honestly feel like he can energize us and add an element the same way Rasheed did a few years ago," Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said. "I'm hoping the results will be the same.
"What we were missing, Rasheed brought. What we're missing right now, I think he can bring that. We don't need a high-flying guy, who's just trying to get 20 points every night."
Detroit coach Flip Saunders said Webber would play as a reserve Wednesday against Utah.
Webber, who grew up in Detroit and played at Michigan, became a free agent after Philadelphia bought out the final 1 1/2 years of his contract last week.
The five-time All-Star agreed to give the 76ers $2 million this season and $2 million next season when he was due to make about $43 million over the two years. Sacramento gave him a $123 million, seven-year contract in the summer of 2001.
Webber strongly considered joining the Miami Heat or the Los Angeles Lakers, but he couldn't pass up the chance to play in Detroit. He will start at center for a contending team at home, where he can improve his image with disgruntled fans.
After announcing Monday he would join the Pistons, Webber watched them play Minnesota in a front-row seat at The Palace. He was greeted by a rousing, standing ovation.
It was a much warmer welcome than Webber had received previously because of his involvement with deceased Michigan booster Ed Martin that led to NCAA sanctions. He plead guilty to a federal criminal contempt charge.
"I think the reaction in the past was different for a lot of reasons, things I've gone through, but yesterday was significant because they welcomed me back home," Webber said.
When given a chance to tell his side of the booster scandal, Webber declined.
"Today, I'm talking about being a Detroit Piston," he said. "I don't think this is the forum to talk about something that happened 15 years ago."
The 33-year-old Webber did acknowledge that he cares what people in Michigan think about him.
"I would like to reconnect with any fans that may not be supportive," he said.
If Webber helps push the Pistons from contender to champion, he'll likely make more critics forget his past.
Dumars said the team plans to trade one of its frontcourt players, perhaps unhappy center Nazr Mohammed, to make room for Webber.
Mohammed started the first 33 games of the season before being benched last week. He was signed last summer after Detroit lost Ben Wallace to Chicago, and he might be replaced by Webber.
"The starting five that we'll put out there eventually, with him, it's going to be right up there with the best in the league," Dumars said.
Detroit kept Webber away from the rival Heat and the Lakers without paying him much or giving anything away.
"Best-case scenario," Dumars said.
Webber has scored 21.4 points and grabbed 10 rebounds a game since he was the No. 1 overall pick in 1993, making him one of five active players averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Last season, he averaged 20.2 points and 9.9 rebounds in 75 games for the Sixers.
Slowed by knee, foot and ankle injuries, he averaged 11 points and 8.3 rebounds in 18 games in Philadelphia -- a place he didn't want to play after Allen Iverson was traded earlier this season.
"If somebody would have told me in my career I was going to play with, on one team, Rasheed Wallace, (Antonio) McDyess, Chris Webber, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, I'd say, 'Maybe so -- on an All-Star team,"' All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups said. "It's unbelievable."
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AjdzFFLUoGYC5rOI5IZApCK8vLYF?slug=ap-pistons-webber&prov=ap&type=lgns
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Webbers funny to watch. One of the ugliest outside shots in the league, I dont think this guy has a verticle of more than 2 inches anymore. I do think he will help Detroit tho.
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Webbers funny to watch. One of the ugliest outside shots in the league, I dont think this guy has a verticle of more than 2 inches anymore. I do think he will help Detroit tho.
Yeah man, I don't see him being a factor in the NBA anymore.
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Webbers funny to watch. One of the ugliest outside shots in the league, I dont think this guy has a verticle of more than 2 inches anymore. I do think he will help Detroit tho.
huh Webb has always had a nice outside game for a big, that has been his problem he has relied on his outside shot way to much instead of playing in the post.
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^^LOL, seriously, Webber was known MOSTLY for his 15-20 footer in his day...
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(http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/b4/full.getty-73014333ae002_chris_webber_6_17_20_pm.jpg)
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Webbers funny to watch. One of the ugliest outside shots in the league, I dont think this guy has a verticle of more than 2 inches anymore. I do think he will help Detroit tho.
huh Webb has always had a nice outside game for a big, that has been his problem he has relied on his outside shot way to much instead of playing in the post.
jst cuz he made it didnt mean it looked pretty. i dont know how hit that jumper as much as he did, his shot was always flat. But hey if it goes in it goes in...
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Webbers funny to watch. One of the ugliest outside shots in the league, I dont think this guy has a verticle of more than 2 inches anymore. I do think he will help Detroit tho.
huh Webb has always had a nice outside game for a big, that has been his problem he has relied on his outside shot way to much instead of playing in the post.
jst cuz he made it didnt mean it looked pretty. i dont know how hit that jumper as much as he did, his shot was always flat. But hey if it goes in it goes in...
There's a difference between an ugly shot and an ugly looking shot...and ugly shot means it doesn't go in, an ugly looking shot means the form looks fucked up...PeACe
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Webbers funny to watch. One of the ugliest outside shots in the league, I dont think this guy has a verticle of more than 2 inches anymore. I do think he will help Detroit tho.
huh Webb has always had a nice outside game for a big, that has been his problem he has relied on his outside shot way to much instead of playing in the post.
jst cuz he made it didnt mean it looked pretty. i dont know how hit that jumper as much as he did, his shot was always flat. But hey if it goes in it goes in...
There's a difference between an ugly shot and an ugly looking shot...and ugly shot means it doesn't go in, an ugly looking shot means the form looks fucked up...PeACe
I meant his shot looks UGLY, so Does Kevin Martins but he shoots 50 percent per game 8)
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pistons had been my favorite east team since the days of grant hill. as long as they never beat the lakers for the championship again, i'm happy for them
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pistons will suck 8)
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pistons will suck 8)
if only :(
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Thank God we didn't sign him.
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Webbers funny to watch. One of the ugliest outside shots in the league, I dont think this guy has a verticle of more than 2 inches anymore. I do think he will help Detroit tho.
huh Webb has always had a nice outside game for a big, that has been his problem he has relied on his outside shot way to much instead of playing in the post.
he shoots the ball off his tipytoes, dude looks like an idiot when he goes up to shoot. I dont know how he even makes that shot after throwing line drives at the rim.
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I'll watch a Piston's Game now...
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Webbers funny to watch. One of the ugliest outside shots in the league, I dont think this guy has a verticle of more than 2 inches anymore. I do think he will help Detroit tho.
huh Webb has always had a nice outside game for a big, that has been his problem he has relied on his outside shot way to much instead of playing in the post.
he shoots the ball off his tipytoes, dude looks like an idiot when he goes up to shoot. I dont know how he even makes that shot after throwing line drives at the rim.
I always wondered that as a kings fan, but it DOES go in. So wut can you say? Beofre this year at least...
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How 'bout Cook? That shit is flatter than Kate Moss and still manages to go in...Cook has an AMAZING shot for a flat shooter. Then you got Radmanovic, who shoots that shit like he's tryna break some lights...
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i believe we were talking about chris webber...**more proof NIK has to bring the lakers/kobe into every discussion**
the reason why i think chris webber's shot did go in back in the day for all those years in golden state, washington and in sac was because he had a drive and a will to win, nowadays when i see him play it's like he's just out there to get a check. can't knock it but his heart was definately cut out when he failed to get a championship with the kings
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i believe we were talking about chris webber...**more proof NIK has to bring the lakers/kobe into every discussion**
the reason why i think chris webber's shot did go in back in the day for all those years in golden state, washington and in sac was because he had a drive and a will to win, nowadays when i see him play it's like he's just out there to get a check. can't knock it but his heart was definately cut out when he failed to get a championship with the kings
I think he just lost his passion and is starting to feel like he's going to end his career without a championship. He's obviously passed his prime but he's still got some years in him.
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i believe we were talking about chris webber...**more proof NIK has to bring the lakers/kobe into every discussion**
We were on the subject of flat shots, moron... :loser:
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I want cwebb to get a ring 8)
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I want cwebb to get a ring 8)
i want him to call another timeout when he doesnt have any left!!!
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I want cwebb to get a ring 8)
i want him to call another timeout when he doesnt have any left!!!
nah fuck that
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my own good chris webber memory is him going behind the back and dunking over sir charles i used to have that poster in my room in my old house
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my friend told me the sixers payed him to leave? is that true? he said they bought out his contract.
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my friend told me the sixers payed him to leave? is that true? he said they bought out his contract.
its called the amnesty clause same thing that happend the michael finley in dallas. anyways keep it JATLIFE MY NINJA
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my friend told me the sixers payed him to leave? is that true? he said they bought out his contract.
yeah, then he signed the prorated league minimum
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my friend told me the sixers payed him to leave? is that true? he said they bought out his contract.
yeah, then he signed the prorated league minimum
so how much did the sixers give him?
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my friend told me the sixers payed him to leave? is that true? he said they bought out his contract.
yeah, then he signed the prorated league minimum
so how much did the sixers give him?
as usual, a little less than what he would have made if he had been playing for them until his contract was up... (1.5 years) I don't know how much but I think he was makin something around 18 mil or so a year, so he should have gotten something around 25 mil
That's nothing compared to how Mourning ripped the Nets and Raptors off, though.