Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973), known as "C-Webb," was an American professional basketball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), with most of his time spent with the Sacramento Kings. He was chosen first overall in the 1993 NBA draft and earned five NBA All-Star honors, five All-NBA Team selections, and the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He also played for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons during his NBA career.
Webber was named National High School Basketball Player of the Year and helped his high school win three Michigan State High School Basketball Championships. In college, he was a first-team All-American and played for the Michigan Wolverines' 1991 freshman class, known as the Fab Five. This group reached the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games as freshmen and sophomores. However, Webber was charged by a federal grand jury and lost his All-American honors from the NCAA due to his involvement in a scandal involving payments from boosters to players.
Webber has worked as a commentator for NBA games and taught at Wake Forest University and Morehouse College. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
High school career
Chris Webber attended Detroit Country Day School from 1987 to 1991. During this time, he was the most sought-after high school basketball player in Michigan since Magic Johnson. Webber helped his team win three MHSAA State championships. In his senior year, he scored an average of 29.4 points and grabbed 13 rebounds each game. He was named Mr. Basketball of Michigan and the 1990–1991 National High School Player of the Year. He was also named Most Valuable Player in both the McDonald's and Dapper Dan All-Star games.
College career
After graduating from Detroit Country Day School, Webber went to the University of Michigan for two years. As a member of the Michigan Wolverines, Webber was part of a group called the Fab Five, which included himself, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. All five players entered college as freshmen in 1991. The Fab Five led Michigan to the NCAA finals twice but lost both times. The group wore long, baggy shorts and black socks, which made them very popular because they brought a hip hop style to basketball. Four members of the Fab Five—Webber, Rose, Howard, and King—later played in the NBA. In their first season, the Fab Five helped Michigan reach the NCAA championship game against Duke, becoming the first team in NCAA history to have all five starting players as freshmen.
On April 5, 1993, during Michigan’s second straight appearance in the NCAA championship game, Webber had the ball with 11 seconds left. Michigan was trailing 73–71. Webber tried to call a timeout, but his team had no timeouts left. This mistake led to a technical foul, which helped North Carolina win the game. People still talk about this error. When Webber joined Inside the NBA in 2008, a joke part of his introduction was asking, “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.” This mistake was also mentioned in the 2018 movie Uncle Drew, where Webber played a character named Preacher.
This game ended Webber’s two-year college basketball career. In his second season, he was named a first-team All-American and a finalist for two major awards. However, these honors were later removed because of NCAA and University of Michigan rules related to a scandal. In the scandal, Webber accepted over $200,000 from a local supporter while playing for Michigan. Webber was found guilty of lying under oath and was banned from any connection with the Michigan program until 2013.
Even after the ban, Webber attended the 2013 NCAA championship game between Michigan and Louisville. He watched the game from a private suite, not near the court where his Fab Five teammates sat. Before the game, Webber wrote on Twitter, “I’m here at the Georgia Dome to support the Michigan men’s basketball team as they try to win a National Championship. I’ve known some of the players since they were kids, and I’m excited for them and all the student athletes wearing the Michigan uniform tonight.”
In 2002, Webber was charged with lying to a grand jury during an investigation into a numbers gambling operation run by a Michigan basketball booster named Ed Martin. The investigation later included the University of Michigan basketball program. Martin was convicted of tax evasion and robbery but died before testifying about his financial ties to Webber.
As part of the investigation, Webber admitted to lying about accepting illegal loans from Martin. Martin had given Webber money since the 8th grade. Webber agreed to pay $100,000 and complete 330 hours of community service. Because of this, Michigan lost its 1992 Final Four victory over Cincinnati and its runner-up status in the 1992 tournament. The university also lost its 1992–93 season, removed banners from its arena, and erased Webber’s records. The NCAA ordered Michigan to stop working with Webber until 2013. Webber later said this decision was “hurtful” because he and his Fab Five teammates “gave everything to Michigan.”
After Webber admitted to the scandal, the Michigan State High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) said Detroit Country Day should forfeit games Webber played in, including three state championships. However, the school investigated and said there was no proof Webber accepted large amounts of money from Martin while in high school. The MHSAA said it had no legal power to force the school to forfeit games.
Webber was suspended by the NBA for eight games: five for breaking league rules about substance abuse and three for lying to the grand jury. These suspensions happened after Webber recovered from an injury that kept him out for half the 2003–04 season.
A documentary called The Fab Five, made by ESPN Films, explored the scandal. It aired in 2011. The University of Michigan said it would not work with Webber until he publicly apologized for his role in the Ed Martin scandal. The ban on the Fab Five ended in 2013. Webber did not appear in the documentary.
In 2018, Webber returned to the University of Michigan for the first time since the ban. He was invited by football coach Jim Harbaugh to be an honorary captain for a game against Penn State. Webber said the experience was emotional, saying, “Tell you what, fellas, this was a great moment, in front of 100,000 people. I had goosebumps and chills, and definitely some watery eyes.” He also met with the football team but did not meet with the basketball team or staff. Head coach John Beilein said, “I think it was a great step in the right direction that he was here.” After Juwan Howard, a Fab Five teammate, became the basketball coach in 2019, Webber told TMZ he is open to reconciling with Michigan basketball and said, “Howard is my friend…. and therefore, I put pride aside,” but he wants his return to the Crisler Arena to be private.
Professional career
In 1993, the Orlando Magic selected Webber with the first pick in the NBA draft. He was the first sophomore to be chosen first overall since Magic Johnson. The Magic quickly traded Webber to the Golden State Warriors. In return, they received Penny Hardaway and three future first-round draft picks. Over his 15-year NBA career, Webber earned $178 million.
Webber had a strong first season, averaging 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He helped the Warriors return to the playoffs, but they lost to the Phoenix Suns in three games. Webber had a conflict with his coach, Don Nelson. Nelson wanted Webber to play primarily in the post, even though Webber had strong passing and ball-handling skills for his height of 6 feet 10 inches. Webber preferred playing at power forward rather than center, as Nelson often used smaller, faster lineups. In the 1994 off-season, the Warriors acquired Rony Seikaly so Webber could play power forward. However, the differences between Webber and Nelson were considered unresolvable. Webber used a one-year escape clause in his contract, stating he would not return to the Warriors. Golden State agreed to a sign-and-trade deal, sending Webber to the Washington Bullets (later renamed the Wizards) for forward Tom Gugliotta and three first-round draft picks. Two of these picks were ones the Warriors had traded to the Magic to acquire Webber, as the Magic had included them in a trade with the Bullets less than four months earlier.
With the Washington Bullets, Webber reunited with his college teammate and friend, Juwan Howard. On December 27, 1995, Webber recorded a triple double with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the Warriors. In the 1995–96 season, injuries limited Webber to 15 games. He recovered the next year, averaging 20.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He was named to the 1997 All-Star team, his first All-Star appearance. That same season, Webber led the Bullets into the playoffs for the first time in nine years, but they lost to the Chicago Bulls in three games. By 1998, Webber had become a top power forward, but his time in Washington had taken a toll.
On May 14, 1998, Webber was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Webber did not want to join the Kings initially, as they were a struggling team. However, he had his best years in Sacramento and nearly led the team to the NBA Finals. When Webber joined the Kings, the team also signed small forward Peja Stojaković and center Vlade Divac, and drafted point guard Jason Williams. In his first season with the Kings (a shortened 1998–99 season), Webber averaged 13.0 rebounds per game, ending Dennis Rodman’s seven-year streak as the league’s rebound leader. Under coach Rick Adelman, the Kings reached the 1999 Playoffs, where they lost to the Utah Jazz, led by Karl Malone and John Stockton.
In the years that followed, Webber and the Kings became one of the league’s top teams and title contenders. He was named to the All-Star team again in 2000 and 2001, solidifying his reputation as one of the best power forwards in the NBA. In the 1999–2000 season, Webber was the cover athlete of NBA Jam 2000. That season, he led the Kings to 44 wins and into the 2000 Playoffs, where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers. After losing the first two games in Los Angeles, the Kings won the next two in Sacramento, including a standout performance from Webber in Game 4. The Kings lost Game 5 and the series to the Lakers, who went on to win the championship.
Webber reached his peak in the 2000–01 season, averaging a career-high 2
Legacy
In 2003, Webber was placed at #64 on SLAM Magazine's list of the Top 75 NBA players of all time. In 2005, he was ranked #11 in an ESPN.com poll of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. In 2009, he was listed at #72 on Bill Simmons' list of the Top 96 NBA players in The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy, a popular book. In 2021, to celebrate the NBA's 75th anniversary, The Athletic named Webber as the 65th greatest player in NBA history.
On February 6, 2009, the Sacramento Kings retired Webber's number 4 jersey during a game against the Utah Jazz.
In 2021, Webber was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Webber's youngest brother, David, also won 3 Michigan High School Athletic Association state championships (1995–97) and was awarded the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.
Post-basketball life
After retiring from the NBA, Webber became a commentator on NBA TV's NBA Gametime Live. He worked on the Tuesday Fan Night with Ernie Johnson and Kevin McHale. He also appeared as a main guest analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA from 2008 to 2021. During Charles Barkley's time away from the show, Webber filled in alongside guests like Gary Payton and Mike Fratello. Since 2017, he has been a regular on Players Only, a segment of NBA on TNT’s Monday coverage that includes only former NBA players as studio analysts, announcers, and commentators. In 2021, Webber left TNT just before the NBA playoffs. He has said he hopes to become a general manager and team owner in the future. In 2025, Webber returned to TNT Sports as a college basketball analyst and will appear on the network’s coverage of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas in November.
In August 2010, Webber played in the NBA Asia Challenge 2010 at Araneta Coliseum in Metro Manila. This exhibition game matched NBA legends and Development League players against stars and legends from the Philippine Basketball Association.
Webber owned a restaurant called Center Court With C-Webb in Sacramento, California. It opened in 2006 but closed on November 17, 2009, due to the Great Recession.
In 2009, Webber married Erika Dates in a private ceremony at his home in Atlanta. About 200 guests, including family and friends, attended the event.
In 2015, Webber was the executive producer for the film Somewhere in the Middle by Lanre Olabisi. He also helped produce songs by Nas, including "Surviving the Times" from Nas’s Greatest Hits album and "Blunt Ashes" from Hip Hop Is Dead.
In late 2016, Webber began hosting a podcast called Fearless or Insane on Podcast One. In 2018, he acted in the movie Uncle Drew, which starred Kyrie Irving. He used makeup to look older for his role as Preacher.
In 2016, Webber started teaching at Wake Forest University as a professor of practice, focusing on sports storytelling. In 2021, he began teaching an online course on athlete activism at Morehouse College.
In 2021, Webber announced a private equity fund to invest in businesses owned by minorities in the cannabis industry. He said, "It’s important to increase diversity in leadership within the cannabis industry and create fair opportunities for people from our communities. For too long, minorities have faced unfair treatment and punishment for cannabis use while others have benefited." In 2022, he launched a cannabis brand called Players Only, offering products like flower strains, cartridges, apparel, and recovery items.
Personal life
In 1994, Chris Webber began collecting African-American artifacts after joining the NBA. He started with two slave records and believed the items reflected his values and goals. He collected them to help him face life's challenges, but he did not plan to display them until his collection grew and needed more storage. His collection includes an original 1901 autobiography by Booker T. Washington, and documents, letters, and postcards signed by Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. When not on display, the artifacts are stored at the Sacramento Public Library's Archival Vault. In the past, the collection has been shown at the Crocker Art Museum and Wayne State University.
On June 28, 2007, Webber displayed his collection during the Celebrating Heritage Exhibition at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. At a news conference, he said, "I hope children see these artifacts and understand there is no excuse for not being successful. There is no excuse for not finding something you love or working hard."
Webber is involved in charities and founded The Timeout Foundation in 1993. The foundation helps youth by providing educational and recreational opportunities. In 1999, he created C-Webb's Crew, which donates tickets to Kings home games for at-risk youth and their families. Over 3,000 young people and their families have attended games through this program.
Webber has received community awards, including the Sacramento Kings/Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award, the NBA Community Assist Award in 2003, and the Wish Maker of the Year award in 2003 from the Sacramento Make a Wish Foundation.
In 2006, Webber hosted a charity event called Bada Bling! at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The event included a live auction and a celebrity poker tournament. Many NBA players and celebrities attended, and all money raised went to The Timeout Foundation. Webber held a second Bada Bling event in 2007 at the same location.
In 1998, Webber was arrested after a traffic stop in Maryland. He was charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, and other violations. A jury found him not guilty of the assault, resisting arrest, and drug charges, but he paid $560 in fines for smaller violations. Later that year, during a promotional trip to Puerto Rico, U.S. Customs found marijuana in his bag, and he paid a $500 fine. Fila, a shoe company, ended its partnership with Webber, but he received $2.61 million from an arbitrator for breaking the contract.
In 2010, after closing his first restaurant, the property owner, Promenade, filed a $3 million lawsuit against Webber. The lawsuit claimed he violated a 20-year lease agreement signed in 2005 and owed overdue rent. Promenade sought money to help re-lease the property.
Discography
Webber has created hip hop music, including two songs for rapper Nas: "Blunt Ashes" and "Surviving the Times." He also participated in a short audio piece on the Grammy Award-winning music album Poverty's Paradise by the group Naughty by Nature.
Awards and achievements
- Selected to the NBA All-Star team five times (1997, 2000–2003)
- Named to the All-NBA First Team in 2001
- Selected to the All-NBA Second Team three times (1999, 2002, 2003)
- Named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2000
- Won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 1994
- Named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1994
- Led the NBA in rebounding in 1999 with an average of 13.0 rebounds per game
- Named Mr. Basketball USA in 1991
- Received the Naismith Prep Player of the Year award in 1991
- Won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in 1991
- Named USA Today High School Player of the Year in 1991
- Received the Parade High School Player of the Year award in 1991
- Selected to the First-team Parade All-American twice (1990, 1991)
- Named McDonald's All-American Co-Most Valuable Player in 1991
- Earned the title of Mr. Basketball of Michigan in 1991
- Number 4 retired by the Sacramento Kings
- Number 44 retired by Detroit Country Day School
- Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021
Date
Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973), known as "C-Webb," was an American professional basketball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), with most of his time spent with the Sacramento Kings. He was chosen first overall in the 1993 NBA draft and earned five NBA All-Star honors, five All-NBA Team selections, and the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He also played for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons during his NBA career.
Webber was named National High School Basketball Player of the Year and helped his high school win three Michigan State High School Basketball Championships. In college, he was a first-team All-American and played for the Michigan Wolverines' 1991 freshman class, known as the Fab Five. This group reached the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games as freshmen and sophomores. However, Webber was charged by a federal grand jury and lost his All-American honors from the NCAA due to his involvement in a scandal involving payments from boosters to players.
Webber has worked as a commentator for NBA games and taught at Wake Forest University and Morehouse College. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
High school career
Chris Webber attended Detroit Country Day School from 1987 to 1991. During this time, he was the most sought-after high school basketball player in Michigan since Magic Johnson. Webber helped his team win three MHSAA State championships. In his senior year, he scored an average of 29.4 points and grabbed 13 rebounds each game. He was named Mr. Basketball of Michigan and the 1990–1991 National High School Player of the Year. He was also named Most Valuable Player in both the McDonald's and Dapper Dan All-Star games.
College career
After graduating from Detroit Country Day School, Webber went to the University of Michigan for two years. As a member of the Michigan Wolverines, Webber was part of a group called the Fab Five, which included himself, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. All five players entered college as freshmen in 1991. The Fab Five led Michigan to the NCAA finals twice but lost both times. The group wore long, baggy shorts and black socks, which made them very popular because they brought a hip hop style to basketball. Four members of the Fab Five—Webber, Rose, Howard, and King—later played in the NBA. In their first season, the Fab Five helped Michigan reach the NCAA championship game against Duke, becoming the first team in NCAA history to have all five starting players as freshmen.
On April 5, 1993, during Michigan’s second straight appearance in the NCAA championship game, Webber had the ball with 11 seconds left. Michigan was trailing 73–71. Webber tried to call a timeout, but his team had no timeouts left. This mistake led to a technical foul, which helped North Carolina win the game. People still talk about this error. When Webber joined Inside the NBA in 2008, a joke part of his introduction was asking, “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.” This mistake was also mentioned in the 2018 movie Uncle Drew, where Webber played a character named Preacher.
This game ended Webber’s two-year college basketball career. In his second season, he was named a first-team All-American and a finalist for two major awards. However, these honors were later removed because of NCAA and University of Michigan rules related to a scandal. In the scandal, Webber accepted over $200,000 from a local supporter while playing for Michigan. Webber was found guilty of lying under oath and was banned from any connection with the Michigan program until 2013.
Even after the ban, Webber attended the 2013 NCAA championship game between Michigan and Louisville. He watched the game from a private suite, not near the court where his Fab Five teammates sat. Before the game, Webber wrote on Twitter, “I’m here at the Georgia Dome to support the Michigan men’s basketball team as they try to win a National Championship. I’ve known some of the players since they were kids, and I’m excited for them and all the student athletes wearing the Michigan uniform tonight.”
In 2002, Webber was charged with lying to a grand jury during an investigation into a numbers gambling operation run by a Michigan basketball booster named Ed Martin. The investigation later included the University of Michigan basketball program. Martin was convicted of tax evasion and robbery but died before testifying about his financial ties to Webber.
As part of the investigation, Webber admitted to lying about accepting illegal loans from Martin. Martin had given Webber money since the 8th grade. Webber agreed to pay $100,000 and complete 330 hours of community service. Because of this, Michigan lost its 1992 Final Four victory over Cincinnati and its runner-up status in the 1992 tournament. The university also lost its 1992–93 season, removed banners from its arena, and erased Webber’s records. The NCAA ordered Michigan to stop working with Webber until 2013. Webber later said this decision was “hurtful” because he and his Fab Five teammates “gave everything to Michigan.”
After Webber admitted to the scandal, the Michigan State High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) said Detroit Country Day should forfeit games Webber played in, including three state championships. However, the school investigated and said there was no proof Webber accepted large amounts of money from Martin while in high school. The MHSAA said it had no legal power to force the school to forfeit games.
Webber was suspended by the NBA for eight games: five for breaking league rules about substance abuse and three for lying to the grand jury. These suspensions happened after Webber recovered from an injury that kept him out for half the 2003–04 season.
A documentary called The Fab Five, made by ESPN Films, explored the scandal. It aired in 2011. The University of Michigan said it would not work with Webber until he publicly apologized for his role in the Ed Martin scandal. The ban on the Fab Five ended in 2013. Webber did not appear in the documentary.
In 2018, Webber returned to the University of Michigan for the first time since the ban. He was invited by football coach Jim Harbaugh to be an honorary captain for a game against Penn State. Webber said the experience was emotional, saying, “Tell you what, fellas, this was a great moment, in front of 100,000 people. I had goosebumps and chills, and definitely some watery eyes.” He also met with the football team but did not meet with the basketball team or staff. Head coach John Beilein said, “I think it was a great step in the right direction that he was here.” After Juwan Howard, a Fab Five teammate, became the basketball coach in 2019, Webber told TMZ he is open to reconciling with Michigan basketball and said, “Howard is my friend…. and therefore, I put pride aside,” but he wants his return to the Crisler Arena to be private.
Professional career
In 1993, the Orlando Magic selected Webber with the first pick in the NBA draft. He was the first sophomore to be chosen first overall since Magic Johnson. The Magic quickly traded Webber to the Golden State Warriors. In return, they received Penny Hardaway and three future first-round draft picks. Over his 15-year NBA career, Webber earned $178 million.
Webber had a strong first season, averaging 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He helped the Warriors return to the playoffs, but they lost to the Phoenix Suns in three games. Webber had a conflict with his coach, Don Nelson. Nelson wanted Webber to play primarily in the post, even though Webber had strong passing and ball-handling skills for his height of 6 feet 10 inches. Webber preferred playing at power forward rather than center, as Nelson often used smaller, faster lineups. In the 1994 off-season, the Warriors acquired Rony Seikaly so Webber could play power forward. However, the differences between Webber and Nelson were considered unresolvable. Webber used a one-year escape clause in his contract, stating he would not return to the Warriors. Golden State agreed to a sign-and-trade deal, sending Webber to the Washington Bullets (later renamed the Wizards) for forward Tom Gugliotta and three first-round draft picks. Two of these picks were ones the Warriors had traded to the Magic to acquire Webber, as the Magic had included them in a trade with the Bullets less than four months earlier.
With the Washington Bullets, Webber reunited with his college teammate and friend, Juwan Howard. On December 27, 1995, Webber recorded a triple double with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the Warriors. In the 1995–96 season, injuries limited Webber to 15 games. He recovered the next year, averaging 20.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He was named to the 1997 All-Star team, his first All-Star appearance. That same season, Webber led the Bullets into the playoffs for the first time in nine years, but they lost to the Chicago Bulls in three games. By 1998, Webber had become a top power forward, but his time in Washington had taken a toll.
On May 14, 1998, Webber was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Webber did not want to join the Kings initially, as they were a struggling team. However, he had his best years in Sacramento and nearly led the team to the NBA Finals. When Webber joined the Kings, the team also signed small forward Peja Stojaković and center Vlade Divac, and drafted point guard Jason Williams. In his first season with the Kings (a shortened 1998–99 season), Webber averaged 13.0 rebounds per game, ending Dennis Rodman’s seven-year streak as the league’s rebound leader. Under coach Rick Adelman, the Kings reached the 1999 Playoffs, where they lost to the Utah Jazz, led by Karl Malone and John Stockton.
In the years that followed, Webber and the Kings became one of the league’s top teams and title contenders. He was named to the All-Star team again in 2000 and 2001, solidifying his reputation as one of the best power forwards in the NBA. In the 1999–2000 season, Webber was the cover athlete of NBA Jam 2000. That season, he led the Kings to 44 wins and into the 2000 Playoffs, where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers. After losing the first two games in Los Angeles, the Kings won the next two in Sacramento, including a standout performance from Webber in Game 4. The Kings lost Game 5 and the series to the Lakers, who went on to win the championship.
Webber reached his peak in the 2000–01 season, averaging a career-high 2
Legacy
In 2003, Webber was placed at #64 on SLAM Magazine's list of the Top 75 NBA players of all time. In 2005, he was ranked #11 in an ESPN.com poll of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. In 2009, he was listed at #72 on Bill Simmons' list of the Top 96 NBA players in The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy, a popular book. In 2021, to celebrate the NBA's 75th anniversary, The Athletic named Webber as the 65th greatest player in NBA history.
On February 6, 2009, the Sacramento Kings retired Webber's number 4 jersey during a game against the Utah Jazz.
In 2021, Webber was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Webber's youngest brother, David, also won 3 Michigan High School Athletic Association state championships (1995–97) and was awarded the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.
Post-basketball life
After retiring from the NBA, Webber became a commentator on NBA TV's NBA Gametime Live. He worked on the Tuesday Fan Night with Ernie Johnson and Kevin McHale. He also appeared as a main guest analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA from 2008 to 2021. During Charles Barkley's time away from the show, Webber filled in alongside guests like Gary Payton and Mike Fratello. Since 2017, he has been a regular on Players Only, a segment of NBA on TNT’s Monday coverage that includes only former NBA players as studio analysts, announcers, and commentators. In 2021, Webber left TNT just before the NBA playoffs. He has said he hopes to become a general manager and team owner in the future. In 2025, Webber returned to TNT Sports as a college basketball analyst and will appear on the network’s coverage of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas in November.
In August 2010, Webber played in the NBA Asia Challenge 2010 at Araneta Coliseum in Metro Manila. This exhibition game matched NBA legends and Development League players against stars and legends from the Philippine Basketball Association.
Webber owned a restaurant called Center Court With C-Webb in Sacramento, California. It opened in 2006 but closed on November 17, 2009, due to the Great Recession.
In 2009, Webber married Erika Dates in a private ceremony at his home in Atlanta. About 200 guests, including family and friends, attended the event.
In 2015, Webber was the executive producer for the film Somewhere in the Middle by Lanre Olabisi. He also helped produce songs by Nas, including "Surviving the Times" from Nas’s Greatest Hits album and "Blunt Ashes" from Hip Hop Is Dead.
In late 2016, Webber began hosting a podcast called Fearless or Insane on Podcast One. In 2018, he acted in the movie Uncle Drew, which starred Kyrie Irving. He used makeup to look older for his role as Preacher.
In 2016, Webber started teaching at Wake Forest University as a professor of practice, focusing on sports storytelling. In 2021, he began teaching an online course on athlete activism at Morehouse College.
In 2021, Webber announced a private equity fund to invest in businesses owned by minorities in the cannabis industry. He said, "It’s important to increase diversity in leadership within the cannabis industry and create fair opportunities for people from our communities. For too long, minorities have faced unfair treatment and punishment for cannabis use while others have benefited." In 2022, he launched a cannabis brand called Players Only, offering products like flower strains, cartridges, apparel, and recovery items.
Personal life
In 1994, Chris Webber began collecting African-American artifacts after joining the NBA. He started with two slave records and believed the items reflected his values and goals. He collected them to help him face life's challenges, but he did not plan to display them until his collection grew and needed more storage. His collection includes an original 1901 autobiography by Booker T. Washington, and documents, letters, and postcards signed by Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. When not on display, the artifacts are stored at the Sacramento Public Library's Archival Vault. In the past, the collection has been shown at the Crocker Art Museum and Wayne State University.
On June 28, 2007, Webber displayed his collection during the Celebrating Heritage Exhibition at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. At a news conference, he said, "I hope children see these artifacts and understand there is no excuse for not being successful. There is no excuse for not finding something you love or working hard."
Webber is involved in charities and founded The Timeout Foundation in 1993. The foundation helps youth by providing educational and recreational opportunities. In 1999, he created C-Webb's Crew, which donates tickets to Kings home games for at-risk youth and their families. Over 3,000 young people and their families have attended games through this program.
Webber has received community awards, including the Sacramento Kings/Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award, the NBA Community Assist Award in 2003, and the Wish Maker of the Year award in 2003 from the Sacramento Make a Wish Foundation.
In 2006, Webber hosted a charity event called Bada Bling! at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The event included a live auction and a celebrity poker tournament. Many NBA players and celebrities attended, and all money raised went to The Timeout Foundation. Webber held a second Bada Bling event in 2007 at the same location.
In 1998, Webber was arrested after a traffic stop in Maryland. He was charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, and other violations. A jury found him not guilty of the assault, resisting arrest, and drug charges, but he paid $560 in fines for smaller violations. Later that year, during a promotional trip to Puerto Rico, U.S. Customs found marijuana in his bag, and he paid a $500 fine. Fila, a shoe company, ended its partnership with Webber, but he received $2.61 million from an arbitrator for breaking the contract.
In 2010, after closing his first restaurant, the property owner, Promenade, filed a $3 million lawsuit against Webber. The lawsuit claimed he violated a 20-year lease agreement signed in 2005 and owed overdue rent. Promenade sought money to help re-lease the property.
Discography
Webber has created hip hop music, including two songs for rapper Nas: "Blunt Ashes" and "Surviving the Times." He also participated in a short audio piece on the Grammy Award-winning music album Poverty's Paradise by the group Naughty by Nature.
Awards and achievements
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