He's Back

Chris Webber. Don Nelson. Golden State Warriors.

It took 13 years for Warriors fans to finally get over that disastrous combination. Now it’s back.

I don’t know what to think or feel. If you’re not a Warriors fan, let me help you understand the significance of this.

Imagine an 18-year-old boy who meets a girl that is perfect. Let’s call her “Chrissy” just to give her a name. He loves everything about “Chrissy” and can’t believe she’s actually with him. She becomes his girlfriend; he falls deep in love and is sure he’ll marry her.

But a year later, she dumps him with one of those “I love you but I’m not in love with you” speeches. He feels completely betrayed and devastated.

Even though they were together for only a year, the pain never really goes away for years to come. He dates other girls, has other girlfriends, but never feels the same as he did with “Chrissy.”

Twelve years later, he meets a great girl and falls in love again. For the first time in his life, he can truly say he’s completely over “Chrissy.”

Well, a year after that, “Chrissy” is back in his life. She gets a job working with him and he doesn’t know what to feel. He spent his entire 20’s trying to get over this girl. He finally does and now she’s back. And although she’s not nearly as pretty to him as before, he can’t help but feel emotional and awkward about the situation. He honestly doesn’t know what or how to feel.

That’s how I feel with Webber back. For me and many Warriors fans, “Chrissy” is Chris – as in Webber.

Last year’s run to end the 12-year playoff-less drought – the last time being with Webber as a Warrior – along with the magical first-round playoff win over Dallas was the equivalent of meeting the new girl and finally getting over the Webber curse.

For the first time since the Webber/Nellie fiasco in ’94, everything is good in Warrior-land with Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and the young guys like Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins.

And now the guy who broke our hearts is back. With Nellie as the coach.

Webber is not nearly the player he was when he played here last time, and it’s a low risk move on paper.

Actually, if you look at it logically, Webber should help the Warriors become a better team. He can spell the big guys, is a great passer, good rebounder and can hit the mid-range jumper. He should help in the high post when opposing teams play zone defense, something that has hurt the Warriors. He has a high basketball IQ, something Nellie loves. Say what you want, but he did help the Pistons last season. And they’re getting him for nothing.

But is that enough to outweigh all that emotional baggage?

I have no idea. What I do know is that his first game at Oracle Arena will have an electric atmosphere – I can’t wait to see what the crowd reaction will be. Talk about a soap opera.