Sacramento Kings' Top 5 Memories: Chris Webber, J-Dubb and More

When I was just a kid in Sacramento during the late 90’s, the hometown Kings had the whole city’s heart on a string. Their play alone could liven up what was otherwise a drab place to live. At the same time we could all descend into an emotional tailspin or spiral into a world of what-ifs over just one shot (Robert Horry; enough said).

When the Kings’ creative passing and flawlessly executed high-post offense lead to a number of playoff runs under head coach Rick Adelman, the people of Sacramento felt pride. Like for the first time the entire capital actually had some swagger.

The team’s ties to the city are enough to make any owner think twice about leaving. But recently the team filed a request to extend the deadline for determining whether or not they want to move to southern California. Quite frankly I have a hard time believing a move to Anaheim makes sense from a business stand point for owners Joe and Gavin Maloof.

It will be a shame to see them go, but I’ll always cherish the memories. Here are my top five memories from the Kings era in Sacramento.

5. Jason Williams

I remember when J-Will was being interviewed by Craig Sager at the 2000 Rookie-Sophmore game: “Don’t go to the concession stands ‘till halftime,” Williams warned us. He wasn’t messing around. He pulled off the league's first-ever elbow pass and brought the entire arena to its feet.

It was an adrenaline rush watching him play in so many games. He was the most entertaining athlete I’ve ever watched and his rookie season is the most underrated in NBA history.

White chocolate was the second coming of Pistol Pete Maravich until bad coaching and his immaturity kept him from realizing his full potential. He brought us a new world of passing and was on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays more than any other point guard his first season. I damn near cried when we traded him for Mike Bibby.

4. Vlade Divac Against the Jazz in Game 5, 1999

Before the Kings' MVP Chris Webber worked on his free-throws, he was terrible in crunch time. Let's just say the idea of getting the ball with the game on the line made him a little nervous.

In Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs against John Stockton and Karl Malone’s Utah Jazz, the Kings ran their entire fourth quarter offense through Divac. He was brilliant, coming up with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. He barely missed a hook shot that would have catapulted the Kings into history with one of the greatest upset playoff wins of all time.

It was the Kings' first playoff berth in eight years and Divac made us believe we could knock off the No.1 seeded Jazz. It was an amazing feeling.

3. Chris Webber's 51 Point 26 Rebound Performance

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 30: Chris Webber #4 of the Sacramento Kings claps near his teammate Mike Bibby #10 (R) in Game five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Utah Jazz during the 2003 NBA Playoffs at Arco Arena on April 30, 2003 in Sacra

Kings fans knew they had potential Hall of Famer in Webber. His passing skills were ahead of his generation and his decision-making in the low post was on par with Tim Duncan. To add to it, he had the smarts to actually take his game to the next level by drastically improving his shooting.

By the time he was 30 he could do everything, including knocking down threes. His statistics this game showed off his versatility. Aside from the 51 points and 26 rebounds he added five assists, three steals two blocks, and yes, one brick from three-land.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200101050SAC.html

2. Mike Bibby's Game Winner in 2002 WCF, Game 5

The look on Lakers coach Phil Jackson's face after the shot is priceless

This is where he got the nickname "Big Shot Bibby." Mike was savage in his prime. The high screen-roll game with he and Webber totally exposed Derek Fisher and Robert Horry during this series. Looking back on the way Mike was shooting and playing I can't believe he didn't drop forty a game on the Lake Show that postseason.

1. 2002 WCF Game 6 Officiating

Injustice in motion

Watching this game was like watching your father beat your mother while your older brothers and grandparents look on in silence.

Where's the outrage!?

I'll go to my grave believing the officiating was compromised. Tons of credible people have come forward to protest what may have been the greatest cover-up in NBA history.

In 2008, ESPN reported the contents of a letter submitted by the attorney of former referee and convicted felon Tim Donaghy.

"Referees A, F and G were officiating a playoff series between Teams 5 and 6 in May of 2002. It was the sixth game of a seven-game series, and a Team 5 victory that night would have ended the series. However, Tim learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew referees A and F to be 'company men,' always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series."

Like Jack Nicholson once said in the mystery thriller The Two Jakes: "You can follow the action, which gets you good pictures. You can follow your instincts, which will probably get you in trouble. Or, you can follow the money, which nine times out of ten will get you closer to the truth."

The End of an Era?

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LAS VEGAS - OCTOBER 13: (L-R) Brothers George Maloof, Gavin Maloof and Joe Maloof watch a preseason game between the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Thomas & Mack Center October 13, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lakers won 98-95. NOTE

The Kings are seriously considering this move to Anaheim, but the people of Sacramento deserve better. Have you ever rooted from a team and felt like you were really rooting for your family? That's what the Kings mean to their fans. Here's to hoping they stay where they belong.