With just seconds remaining in Game 5 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals and the contest hanging in the balance, Mike Bibby rose to the occasion.
Sacramento trailed the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 91-90 with only 11.4 seconds to play in the midst of an incredibly intense series between the in-state rivals.
The boisterous crowd at ARCO Arena stood and cheered in anticipation as the Kings readied to inbound the ball during a crucial juncture of not only the current game, but the Western Conference Finals as a whole. What happened next would go down as a moment Kings fans would not soon forget.
Following the go-ahead shot, the Kings would hold on for the victory after a missed jumper from Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, giving Sacramento a 3-2 lead in the series.
Doug Christie, who played alongside Bibby in the Kings backcourt, reflected on his fond memories of witnessing No. 10’s momentous play.
“As we drew it up, I’m thinking what’s [Webber] going to do with the ball?” said Christie. “It was more of a decoy, which was kind of brilliant on [head coach] Rick [Adelman’s] behalf. I think the whole arena, everyone watching on TV, and the Lakers thought the ball was going to Webb and that he was going to do something. Lo and behold, Mike comes off full speed and just absolutely knocks down a dagger.”
Bibby’s shot and the ensuing victory propelled the Sacramento fans into a frenzy and laid the foundation for No. 10’s reputation as a reliable crunch-time scorer.
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