49 Chris Webber Rookie Cards
January 20, 2008
For the past 14 years, I didn’t want to look at these cards. Now I have to. Webber is joining the Warriors for their 49th game of the season. To commemorate this event, I’ve dug deep into my closet to post 49 Chris Webber rookie cards…
Notice how I didn’t say celebrate? I’m still not sure how I feel about this reunion (ask me in a few days).
I DO know how I felt about Webber before, during, and after 1993. I started following him when he played for Michigan. I didn’t like the those Bobby Hurley/ Grant Hill/ Christian Laettner Duke teams, so I was definitely rooting for the Wolverines in the ‘92 NCAA Championship game. I read Mitch Albom’s Fab Five book and became further engrossed with Chris Webber and Jalen Rose.
And then my favorite team did what it took to get him. Three future 1st round draft picks seemed rather steep, but it didn’t matter because Chris Webber was the Warriors’ savior. He was going to lead the Warriors to the promised land (with Avery Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, and Chris Mullin by his side). So I decided to collect as many Chris Webber rookie cards as I could get my hands on. The Warriors won 50 games his rookie year before getting swept by the Suns in the playoffs. But that didn’t matter, because Webber was the NEXT Barkley. Or so I hoped.
And then everything fell apart…
Webber exercised a one-year escape clause in his contract (has that happened since?) and forced the Warriors to trade him. Don Nelson was gone one year later. From 1994-2006, the Warriors won 332 games and lost 620. To say it was an agonizing 12 years would be an understatement. I couldn’t stand Chris Webber anymore. Every time I watched him play, I wished him the worst. I stopped collecting cards soon after that and hid my Chris Webber binder deep in a closet where I wouldn’t have to see it again. I didn’t like Don Nelson either. They both left, yet they were able to find success elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Warriors organization was left in shambles and their fans simply had to accept it or find another team.
And then Don Nelson returned. Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson took their games to the next level and Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins turned into two of the best youngsters in the league. I had to forgive Coach Nelson. The Warriors are incredibly fun to watch and suddenly they’re everyone’s favorite team (shout out to all the non-bandwagon fans!).
14 years later, C. Webb is back. I still can’t believe it and I’m skeptical that anthing positive will come out of this. Can you blame me? I’d like to be able to forgive Webber and just throw those 12 years of agony out the window, but the memories run deep.
So I dug into that closet and pulled out my Chris Webber binder.
It feels like I’m 13 again, but perhaps looking at these cards is the 1st step that I need to take. So here you go: 49 Chris Webber rookie cards (actually 48 and a before/after magazine/photo that says it all)…
Notice the clear blue skies?
Post-Webber Era:
Sittin on the dock of the Bay
on a cloudy day
Dam! You probably have every Webber card ever known to mankind!
I love these ghetto-ass cards which didn’t even get the license to keep ‘Michigan’ on his jersey. As for Webber’s return, I think he’s got a good chance to be a good contributor, if only in very limited situations. Could he help in a playoff series against a big, athletic team? Well, lets say I trust him to get out and cover Mehmet Okur or Kirelenko outside of the post better than Biedrins.
Technically speaking, these 49 cards are not “rookie” cards, since they are cards from his Big Blue days. ha ha!!
Uncle D, techinically speaking you should have checked the post, and looked at the cards before speaking, only a handful of them feature him in his Michigan jersey, and they are rookie Cards, they aren’t College Basketball Cards, they were made after he was drafted into the NBA. They are rookie sets made by classic, which features each player that is drafted in their college gear, sometimes they come before the draft. do your homework before you hate.
I own the art of the painted card. It is by an artist named Craig Hamilton. Can you give me the card number and set that it is in? That would be a great help, I can’t seem to find any info on that card. I do know it was a limited chase card.
Cheers
dude webber was the shiz. and helpe alot of teams.hes myfav player in the nba.jsut et me know if you whant t get rid of thoues cards
I believe I might have a card that you do not have in your collection. Email me if you are interested.
Its a card of him slamming in Barkley’s face actually
John - I don’t have those cards on me, but next time I’ll check the back for more info. It may have just been a promo card and I dont know anything about the artist.
Carlos - I’m not trying to get any more CWebb cards but josh might be interested. Plus, Barkley’s probably my favorite power forward of all-time, so I wouldn’t want to see him in that condition.