Professional NBA players and athletes in general spend a lot of time on the road, away from their families. Long flights, with transitions from city to city and hours to kill before tipoff. And let's be honest, they also have plenty of free time, and plenty of money for entertainment.
That downtime is often spent playing video games, sometimes cards, sometimes anything competitive enough to kill the boredom. But those sessions rarely stay harmless for long. Someone always suggests a side bet, just to make things a little more interesting.
That's exactly the kind of situation former Sacramento Kings floor general Mike Bibby still remembers vividly. To this day, Bibby believes his former teammate, Chris Webber, still owes him money for constantly losing to him in Madden during their time together in Sacramento.
"I think Web still owes me some money from Madden. I used to beat the sh-t out of him on Madden," Bibby said on the recent episode of "Straight Game" podcast.
"He bet a lot of money on Madden, and if you get skunked, like 21-0, you gotta owe double. He never gave me my money, I don't think," the retired point guard added.
Bibby spent seven seasons in Sacramento. Webber did as well. Even though their career paths overlapped for just four seasons together, the duo developed instant chemistry. So much so that, at the time, they were considered one of the best one-two punches in the entire league. It didn't take long before the Kings turned into a legitimate contender, built around their unique connection and unselfish approach.
Those years marked the greatest stretch in franchise history. Led by Bibby and Webber, Sacramento won 61 games during the 2001–02 season, the best record in the NBA. They came just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals in what remains a highly controversial Western Conference Finals series against the Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers .
What made it all work was the lack of ego. Both players were capable of taking over games, but neither felt the need to do it alone. Everything was about the team, about making the right play, about trusting the system. That mindset played a huge role in their success.
It was an exciting time to be a Sacramento fan. And their chemistry likely grew even stronger off the court, with Bibby regularly beating Webber in Madden, and conveniently "forgetting" to collect his hard-earned money.
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The Kings were gearing up for another iconic run after many felt they were robbed at the table against the star-studded Lakers. For some, it truly felt that way. Sacramento came back with the same core, determined to finish the job. They ended the regular season with a 59–23 record, sitting on top of the Pacific Division.
But everything fell apart in an instant.
During Game 2 of the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks , Webber tore his ACL. The injury came on an alley-oop play, one that Webber himself asked Bibby to throw.
"As soon as I threw it up and he went to grab it, and he came down, I was like, damn, you never know. It went there that quick. I knew it wasn't the right thing to do at that time, but you've got Chris Webber telling you to throw the ball up, you throw it up," Mike recalled in his appearance on the "Forgotten Seasons" podcast.
It was a bittersweet moment that marked the end of a golden era. And somewhere along the lines of the greatest Sac-Town team ever, there's still that unpaid Madden debt quietly tying Bibby and Webber together.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
