As a long time Sacramento Kings fan, I've seen it all.  The seasons during which we would pray for 30 wins; making the playoffs for the first time in 1996 after a too long drought; the deals that brought Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, Jason Williams, and Peja Stojakavic to the team all in the same season; the so-close-it-still-hurts-to-think-about loss to the L.A. Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals; and this season, the purging of that championship-contending team with the ousting of Divac, Webber, and Doug Christie.  Most notably Webber's recent trade to Philadelphia.

Chris Webber's Sacramento story has been nothing if not compelling.  When the Kings traded Mitch Richmond to get him in 1998 he didn't want to report to the team, and by the time he was traded to Philadelphia he didn't want to leave.  He did show up eventually in 1998, of course, and at first his plan was to bide his time, then bolt when his contract was over.  And it showed, because his heart wasn't always in it.  I remember a playoff game against Phoenix where he practically disappeared, and seemed surprised that his teammates won the game despite his lack of effort.  When it came time for him to sign a new contract, he didn't leave after all, he stayed in Sacramento and decided to give it a serious run.  But his numerous injuries have kept him off the floor, and he's been slowly degrading to the point where at times this season he's looked like my step-father - who hobbles down the court on Saturday mornings with a bad back.

The thing is, Webber complained a lot while he was in Sacramento.  Reporters asked him about his relationship with Tyra Banks and he boycotted the local media in protest.  He'd have a bad night and hear a smattering of boos from the fans and he'd criticize the fans for not supporting him.  He'd criticize his teammates for being soft, criticize the team management for not keeping players he liked on the team.  Neglecting to point a finger at himself, he never seemed keen to look very closely in the mirror.  He tried to project a tough-guy image, but he's just not that tough.  Since he couldn't handle Sacramento's softball media, I always wondered how he would be able to handle the New York or Philadelphia media.  Now we know.  Not very well.

He's barely been in Philly two weeks and he's already upset about his playing time and the (perceived) under-utilization of his skills.  He's avoiding reporters by leaving the locker room after games before the media is allowed in.  The fans are booing him more strongly than any booing he ever endured in Sacramento.  Webber has since stated that the fans booing him didn't bother him, but if there's one thing to know about Chris Webber, it's that he takes things personally.  You can bet your bottom dollar the booing bugged the shit out of him.

And if there's two things to know about him, the second is that he always knows how to spin things afterwards to make them sound palatable.  He flashes a broad smile and tells you everything you want to hear.  I think he fancies himself a straight-shooter in the mold of Charles Barkeley or Shaq, but he's not really.  He never had the balls to stand behind his statements, he always seemed to be changing his story, or his comments were "misunderstood."  Just wait, Philly fans, you'll see what I mean.

In general, he just isn't fitting in with his new team yet.  Which is pretty much the same thing that happened last year in Sacramento.

Last season, Webber missed the first 50 games or so while recovering from surgery, and the Kings were the best team in the league in his absence.  The offense flowed and they racked up wins.  Then Webber came back and made no effort to fit in with what the team was doing.  He didn't want to work himself into the flow, he wanted to be The Man™.  In doing so, he disrupted the good thing the team had going.  Looks to me like he's doing the same type of thing in Philadelphia.

To put it into perspective, think about your own career.  When you change companies, do you march into your new boss's office and tell him how things are gonna be because you know better then him and the rest of the company combined?  Or do you lay low until you get the feel for what the company is trying to accomplish and how you fit in?

When it comes to his skills, there's no denying he is a very good player.  But he's not a great player.  It's rare that he puts his team on his back and wins games practically on his own.  Which is exactly what guys like Kevin Garnett, Shaq, Allen Iverson, and Tim Duncan do.  When in the clutch, Chris Webber is not your man, but he thinks he is.  Therein lies a problem.  Webber is first to point out his greatness and last to acknowledge his weaknesses.

And Webber's number one weakness lately is lack of hustle.  It's almost as if he feels chasing a loose ball is beneath him, grunt work for the lesser paid players.  He's got points to score and assists to dish out, no time for muscling under the defense to get that tough rebound and putback basket.  Already apparent with the new Kings, they have more hustle.  Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas, and Corliss Williamson (acquired in the trade for Webber) will hustle.  They'll play hard and defend for every minute they are on the court.  The same cannot be said for Webber, which is one reason why he's having a hard time already in Philadelphia.

I'm no Chris Webber basher, I like the guy and liked his game up to a couple years ago.  I enjoyed watching him play for the Kings, and I think he's a decent person off the court.  But I can't deny the part of me that feels like now he's getting what's been coming to him.  Part of me is happy to see him miserable in Philadelphia right now.  Because he never acknowledged how good he had it in Sacramento.