Kings great Chris Webber once put Jason Williams ‘under the bus’ with the luggage
Kings great Chris Webber recounted some rookie hazing stories Saturday on TNT, saying he once made Jason Williams ride “under the bus” in the luggage compartment.
Webber, who now works as an NBA analyst for TNT, made his confession during the Miami Heat’s 124-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Webber said he made Williams ride “with the luggage” from the airport to the team hotel, adding that Sacramento’s flashy former point guard was a good sport who eagerly accepted such challenges.
The story was confirmed on Twitter a short time later by Pete Youngman, the Kings’ former Director of Sports Medicine, and J-Will himself, who joked that he was traumatized by the experience.
“I’m scarred for life!!!!” Williams tweeted.
Youngman provided additional details, saying the act of rookie hazing occurred in Orlando during the 1998-99 season. The Kings made their only stop in Orlando that season on Feb. 22 on the second night of a brutal back-to-back after visiting the Minnesota Timberwolves the night before. The Magic beat the Kings 107-96. Webber had 22 points and 13 rebounds. Williams was held to seven points on 2-of-9 shooting, but he had seven assists, five rebounds and five steals after escaping the luggage compartment.
“We had no idea until we got to the hotel, open a luggage bay and out pops a flushed face Jason!” Youngman said on Twitter. “It wasn’t a very hot Florida day, but buried in bags with no ventilation for a 25 minute ride usually isn’t the best breathing environment.”
Those were better days in Sacramento, where the Kings are searching for a new general manager after Vlade Divac resigned following five losing seasons.
Williams and Webber provided the razzle-dazzle as the Kings went 27-23 in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season to make the first of eight consecutive playoff appearances under former coach Rick Adelman. Webber was named to the All-NBA Second Team. Williams was a first-team NBA All-Rookie selection.
Former Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie was named NBA Executive of the Year after hiring Adelman; drafting Williams; acquiring Webber from the Washington Wizards; bringing Peja Stojakovic over from Greece; and signing a class of free agents that included Divac, Scot Pollard, Jon Barry and Vernon Maxwell.
