U-M Legend Webber Inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
9/11/2021 7:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Former University of Michigan men's basketball Fab Five member, All-American, five-time NBA All-Star and NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Webber was inducted Saturday (Sept. 11) as part of the 16-member Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
In addition to Webber, the Class of 2021 includes 15 additional honorees -- ninth-winningest coach in NBA history Rick Adelman, two-time NBA champion and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, NBA Finals MVP and 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, the first Black NBA head coach Bill Russell, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Champion Ben Wallace, two-time NCAA national champion Villanova coach Jay Wright, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith, seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player Lauren Jackson, three-time NBA Champion and FIBA EuroBasket MVP Toni Kukoc, the first president of the WNBA Val Ackerman, founder of the Five-Star Basketball Camp Howard Garfinkel, two-time NBA Coach of the Year Cotton Fitzsimmons, four-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion Bob Dandridge, former WBL basketball legend Pearl Moore and former baseball and basketball player (1920-40) Clarence "Fats" Jenkins.
A high school phenom at Detroit Country Day School, Webber was named the McDonald's All-American Game MVP, Michigan's Mr. Basketball, and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 1991. Heading to Ann Arbor, Webber helped change the game of college basketball as a member of the vaunted Fab Five.
Starting every game in his two-year U-M career (70), Webber averaged a double-double, scoring 1,210 points (17.4 ppg) and grabbing 702 rebounds (10.0 rpg). His 175 blocks still rank third all-time. Despite the U-M program later accepting NCAA sanctions, Webber was instrumental in the Wolverines reaching two straight NCAA Final Fours and advancing to back-to-back national title games (1992, '93).
The 1992 USBWA National Freshman of the Year, he added the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year and All-Big Ten second team honors in 1992, as well as honorable mention All-American accolades. The following season, Webber became the fourth Wolverine to be named a consensus first team All-American and added All-Big Ten first team honors. Electing to leave early for the NBA, Webber was selected the No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, joining Cazzie Russell as the only two Wolverines to be selected with the No. 1 overall selection in an NBA draft.
In his 15-year NBA career, Webber played for five different franchises -- Golden State, Washington, Sacramento, Philadelphia and Detroit. The 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year, he was a five-time NBA All-Star (1997, 2000-2003) and earned All-NBA first team honors in 2001. Playing in 831 career games, he carried a 20.7-point scoring average and 9.8 rebounds per game -- leading the league in 1999 (13.0 rpg).
Following his professional playing career, Webber spent 13 years as an analyst with TNT's Inside the NBA. Webber is active in various charities and created The Timeout Foundation in 1993. The foundation's mission is to provide positive educational and recreational opportunities to youth. In 1999, Webber created C-Webb's Crew where at-risk youth and their families receive tickets to a Sacramento Kings regular-season home game. To date, over 3,000 youths and their families have attended a game.
Webber becomes the second Wolverines to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, as he joins former U-M legend, NBA player and two-time NBA champion (coach) Rudy Tomjanovich, who was in the Class of 2020.
Chris Webber Career Highlights
• 5x NBA All-Star (1997, 2000, '01. '02, '03)
• 5x All-NBA Team; First (2001), Second (1999, 2002, '03), Third (2000)
• 1999 NBA Rebounding Leader (13.0 rpg)
• 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year
• 1994 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• 1993 No. 1 overall NBA Draft Pick
• 1993 Consensus First Team All-American
• 1993 All-Big Ten First Team; Second Team (1992)
• 1992 Honorable Mention All-American
• 1992 USBWA National Freshman of the Year
• 1992 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• 1991 National High School Player of the Year
• 1991 McDonald's All-American
• 1991 State of Michigan Mr. Basketball
• 2x Parade First Team All-American (1990, '91)
• No. 4 jersey retired by the Sacramento Kings
• No. 44 jersey retired by Detroit Country Day
• NBA Career: 15 seasons, 831 games, 17,182 (20.7 ppg), 8,124 (9.8 rpg), 3,526 (4.2 apg)
• U-M Career: 2 seasons, 70 games, 1,218 (17.4 ppg), 702 (10.0 rpg), 166 (2.4 apg), 175 (2.5 bpg)
