![]() ![]() Left to right: Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber in 2004. It was a time Webber shied away from discussing while still a player. In a recent conversation with The Athletic, he opened up about the work he did to achieve greatness and how he came to believe that his time in Sacramento was just as fulfilling as any success he could have achieved in a bigger market. He did it by doing what no one else had ever done, briefly turning Sacramento into a championship contender and a team that captivated the basketball world by taking on the mighty Lakers. But two decades later, with Webber on the brink of enshrinement, it’s clear he gained the respect he craved. Winning with the Lakers would have brought what Webber chased his entire career: respect. Said Webber: “They had more pressure to win championships.” And on the court, it would be different too. ![]() It’s the franchise where great players become cultural icons. The Lakers? That’s the team where good players become household names. Sacramento? Did anyone want to go to Sacramento? One of the best shooting guards of all time, Richmond, spent most of his career with the Kings, but he languished in Sacramento for so long he’s still most associated with Golden State and Run TMC. “I thought there was going to be a trade for Elden Campbell, Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel for me,” Webber said. Webber held out hope that he’d be flipped to his preferred destination, the Lakers. “They wanted to banish me to Sacramento,” Webber said. A franchise that hadn’t had a winning record since 1985 in the city. In May 1998, after being labeled a problem on and off the court, Washington dealt him to Sacramento for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Robert Horry was traded to the Lakers after throwing a towel in the face of his coach in Phoenix. Lakers coach Phil Jackson was smug and condescending. Rick Fox was the pretty boy who would go on to marry Vanessa L. ![]() Bryant was an arrogant wunderkind taking the league by storm. Shaq was drawn to Hollywood with a lucrative contract. The Lakers were what many hated about the league. ![]()
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