As an NBA journeyman, Mike Bibby had stints with six franchises during his career, playing alongside the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, to name a few. What’s perplexing, a bit shocking even, is that he doesn’t consider one of these three legends the biggest superstar he ever played with.
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On the Straight Game podcast, Bibby informed Chris Webber, his former Sacramento Kings teammate, that he holds the big man on a higher pedestal than even James and Anthony, complimenting various aspects of Webber’s character: “You were the best player and you were the leader.”
Bibby spent his prime playing alongside Webber, from 2001 to 2005. The point guard described Webber’s qualities, stressing that the power forward’s leadership had trickled down and inspired the rest of the team.
“I played with a lot of superstars, and I always tell people you’re the best superstar I ever played with,” Bibby said to Webber. “You held yourself accountable, you held everybody on the team accountable.”
Bibby also revealed what made him want to join C-Webb in Sac-Town. While spending the first three seasons of his career with the Vancouver Grizzlies (from 1998 to 2001), he noticed the massive crowds the Kings were drawing, and he wanted to be part of a franchise with a larger fanbase.
Bibby recalled his best seasons came while playing with the Kings. He spent seven seasons with the franchise, from 2001 to 2008, far more time than he spent anywhere else.
Bibby and Webber were able to lead Sacramento to their most successful season in recent memory—a Western Conference Finals in 2002. Bibby’s probably best remembered for his clutch Game 5 game-winning shot which helped him secure a 7-year, $80.5 million contract.
While the series did not go their way, Bibby, Webber, and the Kings were able to give the mighty Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers a scare. The Lakers won 4-3, overcoming their biggest challenge en route to a three-peat.
Bibby loved his time with Webber in Sacramento
Bibby did spend time playing with Anthony, LeBron, and Wade, but he played in just 39 games with the Knicks and 22 contests in Miami. So he never got a chance to settle into rhythm alongside those stars. On the other hand, Bibby has fond memories of winning with Webber.
With that context in mind, it’s easier to understand why the former playmaker passed over the Knicks legend and the King. He simply didn’t spend enough time with them to truly have an opportunity to mesh. Bibby was also nearing the end of his career by the time he made it to Miami and New York.
The guard recalled that he was nervous about joining the team after being traded for fan-favorite Jason Williams. But the team embraced him right away.
“The guys treated me like I was there for five, six, seven years,” Bibby said. “I didn’t know if the fans would like me or if the team would like me. In my first year, we had the best record in the West. I had the best time of my life and my career playing in Sacramento with those guys.”
After experiencing the most amount of individual and team success of his career in Sacramento—setting his personal record of scoring 1,506 points in the 2003-2004 season alone—it’s a bit more reasonable for Bibby to side with his old friend Webber over stars he only spent mere months playing with.
