Locked in

Sacramento's Webber has only one thing on his mind

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- If you believe Chris Webber, the NBA title is the only thing on his mind these days, even while he's driving around in his Bentley convertible with supermodel girlfriend Tyra Banks at his side.

Webber has all the fame and fortune of a basketball superstar, but he doesn't have the rings to go with it. He won three Michigan state titles in high school, but he has yet to end another season with a celebration.

"It's all I think about," Webber said. "Everything is focused on getting that championship. I don't eat or sleep or do anything without a ring on my mind."

In his mind, that lack of team success has been the giant asterisk on an otherwise wonderful life. It has left him open to a sea of criticism from other players, fans and media who probably will never affirm his spot among the game's greatest players without a title.

Now, everything comes down to Game 7 of the Western Conference finals at Arco Arena on Sunday -- the first Game 7 of his checkered career.

Webber's early NBA failures, his clashes with teammates and coaches, his redemption with the Kings, his decision to remain in Sacramento -- all of it will be validated if the Kings' leading scorer and rebounder plays an important role in getting his team past the Los Angeles Lakers and into the NBA Finals.

If not, Webber will be in for another summer of second-guessing and frustration. After nine NBA seasons, he's getting tired of the wait.

"It would mean so much that I bet my eyes would start watering, thinking about it," Webber said. "After the way I was hurt [on Friday night], I don't even want to think about that possibility until after the game [Sunday]. We can talk a long time, because it will mean a lot. Hopefully I can answer that for you tomorrow."

Webber, averaging 23.9 points and 11 rebounds in the postseason, had one of his best playoff games in his four years with the Kings in their Game 6 loss Friday night. He had 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, playing his inside-outside game efficiently and sharply.

But Webber wasn't transcendent. He didn't carry Sacramento to victory despite a 40-25 free-throw-shooting differential and the foul disqualifications of centers Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard. By the final seconds, Webber was standing with hands on hips, his best scowl creasing his face.

"The game was funny more than fun," Webber said. "It was a great game to play, but it's not fun when you see things happening like they happened. ... I'm not going to say what I really feel. I'll get fined. I'll keep my opinions to myself."

Earlier in his career with Golden State and Washington, Webber was much more given to prolonged pouting spells over failures and slights. On Saturday, he criticized the officiating in Game 6 again, but he spent most of his time looking ahead to the possibilities of Game 7.

"I definitely know he has grown," coach Rick Adelman said. "He has learned to stop worrying so much about [stuff] he can't change. You've got to cut it loose and forget about it. Nothing you can do about it."

But no matter what Webber has done, he has been expected to do more, ever since Orlando made him the first overall pick in the 1993 draft.

It's the devil's bargain of those who aspire to superstardom -- a bargain with which Shaquille O'Neal is already familiar. With every basket by O'Neal in Game 6, Webber got a firsthand look at the way a superstar carries his team to playoff success when every other factor suggests failure.

The second-largest contract in NBA history, worth about $123 million over seven years, kept Webber in Sacramento as a free agent last summer. But the decision was easier when he realized that the Kings were the greatest threat to the Lakers' burgeoning dynasty.

Webber often reminds observers that the Kings don't want him to dominate games, given their balanced offensive attack and superb ball distribution.

But Webber grew up watching the greatest teams of the 1980s and early 1990s. In his heart,he still believes he must carry the Kings on his back, just as any great player eventually must do.

"This is Game 7. This is what we've all been dreaming about since we've been on the court acting like we were Magic and Jordan and Bird," Webber said. "I do know what this means, and how serious this is."

 

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