Mon Jan 28, 2008 1:03 pm EST
Reports out of the Bay Area have the Golden State Warriors near a deal to sign ex-Warrior Chris Webber to a free agent deal. This would reunite Webber with his one-time nemesis, then and current Warriors coach, Don Nelson.
The duo met last week at Webber's Sacramento-area restaurant, and we have to apologize to whoever created this back-and-forth. Thanks to a mole who was hired by Yahoo! to camp out in a dumbwaiter, we're able to bring you the chilling conversation that sealed the deal
Don Nelson: Hey Chris.
Chris Webber: Coach.
Nellie: Nice place.
C-Webb: Yeah, it's turned out pretty well. Did you get a drink?
Nellie: Yeah.
C-Webb: We have, y'know, the Johnny Walker Blue here.
Nellie: No, it's cool. I've a ride back. Plenty of little bottles in the back of the limo.
C-Webb: Cool.
Nellie: Yeah.
C-Webb: So Mullin wants me?
Nellie: Guess so.
C-Webb: You cool with that?
Nellie: Whatever.
C-Webb: Because the Pistons ...
Nellie: Just stop.
C-Webb: Yeah.
(12 second pause.)
C-Webb: They don't want me.
Nellie: I know.
C-Webb: What'd you guys get for me, originally?
Nellie: Tom Gugliotta.
C-Webb: Good player.
Nellie: Good player.
C-Webb: And you turned him into ... ?
Nellie: They turned him into Donyell Marshall.
C-Webb: You weren't around then. And the Warriors got ...
Nellie: Danny Fortson and Adam Keefe. Four-way deal. I wasn't around for that.
C-Webb: No, no. It's cool. Just curious. You were with the Knicks, by then, right?
Nellie: No. I was with the Knicks during the Googs-for-Marshall deal.
C-Webb: Right, right. The Knicks. Anthony Mason as point
forward, right?
Nellie: Yeah.
C-Webb: Convince Patrick to play off the ball?
Nellie: Yeah.
C-Webb: Yeah.
Nellie: Can you still dunk?
C-Webb: Yes.
Nellie: Cool. Just asking.
C-Webb: After the Knicks ... that was Dallas, right?
Nellie: Yeah.
C-Webb: Traded Sam Cassell, Jim Jackson, a bunch of guys for Shawn Bradley.
Nellie: It was an 11-player deal. There's a lot more to it than ...
C-Webb: But he was the main cog, right?
Nellie: Yeah.
C-Webb: But, you got rid of Chris Gatling. All-Star that same month. Traded him at his peak for Bradley, right? Good deal.
Nellie: Are you still with Tyra, or ...
C-Webb: No, but we're cool.
Nellie: Is she on your cell phone? Could we call her? Could we talk to her, say, right now ... or do you have to call into her office?
C-Webb: No, but we're cool.
Nellie: That's good. That's good.
C-Webb: Yeah.
Nellie: I do have to say, it was a shame the way the refs let Samaki Walker guard you in the 2002 playoffs. I mean, there's no way Samaki Walker could stop Chris Webber from getting 30 and 15. No way he could stop you from getting to the Finals.
C-Webb: Yeah, well, that thing wasn't fair. Ralph Nader, in fact, put together a protest on our behalf.
Nellie: I hear he had to do that for Bob Pettit, after the 1958 Finals.
C-Webb: Really?
Nellie: No.
C-Webb: Yeah. Kind of set myself up for that one.
Nellie: Yeah.
C-Webb: Let the son pass on re-signing Steve Nash in order to grab Erick Dampier?
Nellie: Are you still in touch with any of your 76ers teammates? You did play for them, right? I want to see what Calvin Booth is up to.
C-Webb: Why didn't you keep that mustache? That looked good.
Nellie: Did you shoot a free throw last year, or was that ...
C-Webb: Do you ask Baron Davis to stop shooting threes, or does he just hit you a lot?
Nellie: Has Michigan paid off its student-athlete loan, yet?
C-Webb: Did the NBA outlaw fish ties, or did they just manage to stop the Dewar's truck from hitting Milwaukee, first?
Nellie: Are you not allowed to show your championship rings at the restaurant, or ...
C-Webb: Are you only allowed to see yours once Dave Cowens has his yearly "Salsabration?"
Nellie: "Salsabration?"
C-Webb: It's a celebration, with lots of Mexican food and chips and salsa and
the championship rings you earned off of his hard work.
Nellie: First of all, it's called "Cinco de Mustache," and that's where we don't shave for a month and show up on the fifth of July with our best mustaches, and secondly ... I don't know why I'm telling you this.
C-Webb: Because you want to sign me.
Nellie: I'm bored.
C-Webb: I know you are. It's cool.
Nellie: Seriously?
C-Webb: Yeah.
Nellie: Sorry about trading for Billy Owens.
C-Webb: He had skills.
Nellie: So did you.
C-Webb: What?
Nellie: Nothing.
C-Webb: I don't want to play defense, rebound, or play in the low post.
Nellie: I don't like defense, rebounding, or you.
C-Webb: What?
Nellie: You ... playing in the low post. If you're going to come back, you'll have to stop interrupting me.
C-Webb: Can I wear number 75? My cousin saw it in a dream about a license plate that was on the back of a swordfish.
Nellie: Does Austin Croshere wear a piece?
C-Webb: Deal. (To a waitress, who isn't listening) A Johnny Walker Blue neat, and a new round of mini southwestern wraps for my new coach!
Nellie: Do you want to work past May?
C-Webb: No.
Nellie: Cool.
Ball Don't Lie is an NBA blog edited by J.E. Skeets. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Posted Nov 26 2009
Posted Nov 26 2009
Posted Nov 25 2009
Edited by MJD
Edited by 'Duk
Edited by J.E. Skeets
Edited by Greg Wyshynski
Edited by Matt Hinton
Edited by E. Brennan
Edited by Jay Busbee
Edited by Jay Busbee
Edited by Steve Cofield
Edited by Chris Chase
Edited by Chris Chase
Edited by Andy Behrens
47 Comments
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WARRIORS!!!!
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Seeing is believing. WARRIOR FOR LIFE
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The Warriors could use TWO players like Biedrins. If they had that, and a big power forward, the warriors would be NBA Champions.
Of course I understand your statement coming from someone who has NEVER played basketball at this level (NBA). WARRIOR FOR LIFE
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Get rid of Biedrins = Al Harrington at Center and Barnes at PF with no real backups
...nice one smart guy
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Awesome.
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