SACRAMENTO -- Chris Webber has been one busy guy. Not only is Sacramento's star power forward playing in the biggest series of his life against arguably the best player at his position in the history of the game -- Karl Malone -- but he has had to find time to deal with the FBI and chat live on the Web.
Webber confirmed on Thursday that he was interviewed by the FBI about alleged cash payments he and other players received from a booster while at the University of Michigan."They called me, and I didn't have anything for them," Webber said. "It was less than a traffic ticket."
ESPN cited sources that said federal wiretaps revealed that Webber, Jalen Rose, Maurice Taylor, Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock talked to booster Ed Martin about cash payments he made to them while they were at Michigan.
Webber also took some time out to be on a live chat on NBA.com on Thursday afternoon. The biggest revelation in the chat was his change of mind as far as playing in Sacramento is concerned. Upon being traded by the Wizards to the Kings last summer, Webber made it clear that he didn't want to be in Sacramento. He also said he would leave the team as soon as he could. That may not be the case now.
"I'm definitely enjoying myself here in Sacramento," he said. "It's funny what a difference a year can make. In the beginning, when I was traded, it wasn't so much where I was going, it was just resisting, almost, where I was leaving."
FANDEMONIUM: While the Delta Center has earned a well-deserved reputation as a tough place to play, Arco Arena is its equal or better in decibels of volume. The Kings are the talk of the entire city and the lead story on the evening news -- much like the Jazz were during their two runs to the NBA Finals.
Kings fans, like Jazz fans, bring some interesting signs to the arena. Here's a sampling:
"Hey Karl, was Isiah your size."
"Tell Stockton's mom to stop putting his shorts in the dryer."
"Who needs a Mailman when we've got the Web."
"Stockton and Malone -- Crybaby Hall of Fame."
"Piston Pete is alive -- #55," referring, of course, to Sacramento's flashy point guard Jason Williams.
FEELING THE PRESSURE: Peter Vecsey, the New York Post NBA columnist and NBC-TV commentator, took Malone to task after Utah's loss on Wednesday, giving the Kings a 2-1 lead in the series. He called the Jazz star "insecure" and said that it's obvious the pressure of being the league favorite had gotten to him.
"The prospect of succeeding the Bulls as NBA champs scares (Malone) witless," wrote Vecsey, adding, "Sounding very much like a loser-in-waiting, he humbly admitted he was impatient, rushing a bunch of shots, and he didn't let Game 3 come to him."
DECEIVING STATS: Through two games the Jazz led in many statistical categories. Utah had scored more points, grabbed more rebounds, forced more turnovers, made more free throws and blocked more shots in the series.
Of course, the Kings led in the only stat that really counted, leading 2-1 in games won.
THEORY OF RELATIVITY: Sacramento forward Scot Pollard spent his young life growing up in Utah. That meant expending considerable effort in Salt Lake before Games 1 and 2 trying to acquire tickets for friends and relatives.
Said Pollard: "I definitely have a lot of friends and relatives up there." But asked on Thursday if he'd like to return to Utah again for a Sunday game, he added, "I don't want to see them if that's what it means."
FEAR FACTOR: Sacramento coach Rick Adelman has seen too many years of Stockton-to-Malone to take them lightly.
Despite a 2-1 lead in the series going into Friday's game, Adelman pointed out that Karl Malone wouldn't have only two points at half on Friday, as he did on Wednesday. "Right now, he's just missing shots," said Adelman.
Pressed further on the Kings' defense of Stockton and Malone, Adelman grimaced. "They scare me to death," he said.
WEIGHTY CONSIDERATION: It's been a long time since the Sacramento Kings were such a hot item -- if ever.
More than 300 media members received credentials for the games at Arco Arena this week, including those from such far-flung locales as France and Japan. All this has been a trial for the team's media relations director, Troy Hanson, who has a 1-month-old son.
"I've been going crazy," Hanson told the Sacramento Bee. When asked how big his son was at birth, he replied, "Six-eleven. I mean, 6 pounds, 11 ounces."