Post by CandyKANE on Oct 8, 2002 7:31:09 GMT -5
From ESPN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- David Webber has spent most of his life trying to escape his older brother's shadow. Now, he's right next to him.
The high-scoring guard out of Central Michigan just completed training camp with the Sacramento Kings, whose leading scorer and rebounder happens to be Chris Webber, his famous sibling.
Even though he doesn't expect to make the Kings' loaded roster, David survived the first round of cuts Monday.
"It's good to see Chris, but this is all about business,'' he said. "I've got to show I can play on this level.''
Chris is seven years older than David, so most of their playing experience against each other consists of informal pickup games back home in Michigan. But if the two meet during a scrimmage this week, the rookie knows he'll get no special treatment.
"That's what's been happening since he was little and I used to beat him up and lock him in the closet,'' Chris said with a grin. "He's bigger now, so I really can't do that, but I'll definitely give him an elbow if he needs it.''
There's no nepotism at work in Sacramento. David is convinced he can play in the NBA, even if he doesn't crack the Kings' roster. The Kings agree, or they wouldn't have invited him to work out with the team.
"I'm not expecting to make it here, but it's the process of getting better, getting noticed and landing somewhere,'' David said. "This is something to help me get better. I'm a good player, and I think I can play somewhere. I feel I earned the position that I'm in.
"I took the (Kings') offer because it was presented to me, not because of who my brother is.''
David said the pressure of following in his brother's footsteps was tough to bear at times. David went to exclusive Detroit Country Day High School, just like his older brother -- and that's where the taunts started. No matter what David did, he wasn't Chris -- and everybody let him know it.
Chris was recruited by nearly every college in the nation before ending up at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to two NCAA championship games as part of the famed "Fab Five'' recruiting class. He entered the NBA draft in 1993 before his junior season, and was the first pick overall.
At 6-foot-2, David is seven inches shorter than his big brother. Coming out of high school, he probably wasn't good enough to play under the bright lights of the Big Ten; instead, he followed another brother, Jason, to Central Michigan.
David averaged 16.3 points a game in four seasons with the Chippewas. He was the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year after his junior season, and he's third on the school's career scoring list.
He spent almost his entire 109-game college career hearing about his brother's achievements and misadventures.
"It happened pretty much all the time,'' David said. "People say things, but you just learn to block it out eventually. It was rough, but you get used to it.''
Chris has had scrapes with the law and with his coaches during his NBA career, though many of those problems had disappeared in Sacramento until this summer, when he was indicted on charges of lying about his relationship with a Michigan booster. He has pleaded innocent, and any trial isn't likely to begin until next year.
The brothers have a close relationship, often talking on the phone after games. David spent extensive time in Sacramento this summer working out with several Kings besides his brother, including guards Mike Bibby, Bobby Jackson and Mateen Cleaves -- another Michigan native and David's good friend.
David simply hopes to polish his game and impress a few scouts during his time with the Kings. The possibility of joining his brother in the NBA is still a dream -- but for at least a couple of weeks, they're living it.
"David's a good player, and he'll play somewhere,'' Chris said, "even if it's not here.''
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- David Webber has spent most of his life trying to escape his older brother's shadow. Now, he's right next to him.
The high-scoring guard out of Central Michigan just completed training camp with the Sacramento Kings, whose leading scorer and rebounder happens to be Chris Webber, his famous sibling.
Even though he doesn't expect to make the Kings' loaded roster, David survived the first round of cuts Monday.
"It's good to see Chris, but this is all about business,'' he said. "I've got to show I can play on this level.''
Chris is seven years older than David, so most of their playing experience against each other consists of informal pickup games back home in Michigan. But if the two meet during a scrimmage this week, the rookie knows he'll get no special treatment.
"That's what's been happening since he was little and I used to beat him up and lock him in the closet,'' Chris said with a grin. "He's bigger now, so I really can't do that, but I'll definitely give him an elbow if he needs it.''
There's no nepotism at work in Sacramento. David is convinced he can play in the NBA, even if he doesn't crack the Kings' roster. The Kings agree, or they wouldn't have invited him to work out with the team.
"I'm not expecting to make it here, but it's the process of getting better, getting noticed and landing somewhere,'' David said. "This is something to help me get better. I'm a good player, and I think I can play somewhere. I feel I earned the position that I'm in.
"I took the (Kings') offer because it was presented to me, not because of who my brother is.''
David said the pressure of following in his brother's footsteps was tough to bear at times. David went to exclusive Detroit Country Day High School, just like his older brother -- and that's where the taunts started. No matter what David did, he wasn't Chris -- and everybody let him know it.
Chris was recruited by nearly every college in the nation before ending up at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to two NCAA championship games as part of the famed "Fab Five'' recruiting class. He entered the NBA draft in 1993 before his junior season, and was the first pick overall.
At 6-foot-2, David is seven inches shorter than his big brother. Coming out of high school, he probably wasn't good enough to play under the bright lights of the Big Ten; instead, he followed another brother, Jason, to Central Michigan.
David averaged 16.3 points a game in four seasons with the Chippewas. He was the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year after his junior season, and he's third on the school's career scoring list.
He spent almost his entire 109-game college career hearing about his brother's achievements and misadventures.
"It happened pretty much all the time,'' David said. "People say things, but you just learn to block it out eventually. It was rough, but you get used to it.''
Chris has had scrapes with the law and with his coaches during his NBA career, though many of those problems had disappeared in Sacramento until this summer, when he was indicted on charges of lying about his relationship with a Michigan booster. He has pleaded innocent, and any trial isn't likely to begin until next year.
The brothers have a close relationship, often talking on the phone after games. David spent extensive time in Sacramento this summer working out with several Kings besides his brother, including guards Mike Bibby, Bobby Jackson and Mateen Cleaves -- another Michigan native and David's good friend.
David simply hopes to polish his game and impress a few scouts during his time with the Kings. The possibility of joining his brother in the NBA is still a dream -- but for at least a couple of weeks, they're living it.
"David's a good player, and he'll play somewhere,'' Chris said, "even if it's not here.''