It's official. Chris Webber will no longer be covering games for TNT. It has just been confirmed that the former five-time All-Star has “agreed to part ways” with his employer effective immediately.
This report comes via Andrew Marchand of the New York Post:
Chris Webber and TNT have agreed to part ways Thursday on the eve of the NBA playoffs, The Post has learned.
No further details were provided about this sudden turn of events, but it is certainly quite a shocker.
Webber's contract was set to expire at the end of this season, and earlier reports stated that the possibility of an extension was “very much in question.” Nevertheless, something significant must have happened for both parties to make a rather abrupt decision at a crucial juncture in the season. It looks like TNT and/or Webber could not wait any longer and had to part immediately. The timing of the divorce is clearly suspect — broadcasters often finish out either a contract or a season, in this case Webber calling one final set of NBA playoff games for TNT and then calling it a day with Turner. That did not happen here. It raises a lot of eyebrows. It's hard not to imagine that there's more to this issue than what's on the surface.
It is worth noting that Chris Webber had a falling out with TNT back in March when he decided not to take part in the NCAA Tournament coverage in the Indianapolis bubble. Turner officials were reportedly quite understanding about the situation at hand, but what drew their ire was how Webber waited until the last minute before making his decision. This left TNT scrambling to look for a replacement, and it looks like this issue took quite a toll on the relationship between both camps.
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