In Thomas Wolfe’s “You Can’t Go Home Again,” Wolfe writes about a man who returns to his homeland and is met with resentment and hatred. George Webber couldn’t come home, but can Chris Webber?
The Philadelphia 76ers got off to a bad start in 2006 and have since decided to start over. They first gave their star player Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets and now the 76ers have bought Chris Webber out of the remaining year with half of his contract. After the deal is over, Chris Webber is free to sign for a new team. Originally, Webber was looking to sign with five possible teams: Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami. Now it has been announced that Chris Webber is going to sign with the Bakers and return home.
Webber was born and raised in the city of Detroit and attended a Detroit country school Schools in prep school and was highly recruited. player in the state of Michigan with Magic Johnson. Webber led Detroit Country School Day to three state championships, was named Mr. Basketball and was 1990 – 1991 High school year game. Webber then attended the University of Michigan where he led the Wolverines to the championship game twice as a member of the Fab Five.
Chris Webber has had a very up and down NBA career. Webber went to Golden State where he got off to a good start, averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds per game on his way to winning Rookie of the Year and leading the Warriors to the playoffs. Webber then landed in Washington where he once again led the Bullets to the playoffs but was hampered by injuries for the most part. In 1998 Chris Webber was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe and Webber was enjoying the best part of his career. Since Chris Webber, the Sacramento Kings have become a title contender and have enjoyed some of the best seasons in their history. Unfortunately for the past two years injuries have arisen again and Webber has sailed to Philadelphia where he still has a lot of injuries.
Injuries and Webber’s lack of enthusiasm caused the 76ers to cost him, but Webber now says he’s healthier than he’s been in years. Even the Bakers are hoping that a competitive game will inspire Webber more than playing the miserable 76ers. It is not known how Webber will fare when he returns to Detroit. In 2002 Webber was convicted of perjury. In court, he admitted that he would have received huge sums of money from Michigan running and sports, so that all of the Wolverines’ results from Webber’s two years in Michigan would have been hit. So when Webber takes the court in Detroit, will he once again be treated like the prodigal son coming home? Or will George Webber be found with injury and hatred like Thomas Wolfe?
