TNT commentator Chris Webber smiles during a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers on April 1, 2014.
Chris Webber is back in the news as a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame, an honor that USA TODAY describes as potentially “another chapter to his memorable, yet sometimes troubled, basketball career.”
We’ll find out April 3 if Webber makes the final cut. But he’s already been accepted into the TruTV lineup. Starting at 10 p.m. Monday, the alumnus of Detroit Country Day, the University of Michigan and 15 NBA seasons presents “Chris Webber’s Full Court Pranks.” It sounds like “Punk’d,” only with sports stars and some of their biggest fans as the object of friendly punking.
No regrets for ex-Michigan star, Hall of Fame finalist Chris Webber
The eight-episode series is hosted by Webber, who’s also an executive producer along with former NBC entertainment boss Ben Silverman and the cynically funny David Spade, among others. Special guests will include big names like actor-former basketball player Rick Fox, Olympic gold medal-winning soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo and former baseball slugger Nick Swisher.
The former member of the Fab Five has experienced career highs (U-M’s NCAA Final Fours) and lows (his guilty plea to criminal contempt in a booster scandal). Webber said recently that he doesn’t regret anything about his high school or college basketball days, vowing instead that, “I’m thankful that God has allowed me to be here today.”
Will his new show be a trick or a treat? Webber has plenty of TV experience as a guest on sitcoms, talk shows and as an announcer of last year’s NBA All-Star Game. But TruTV is rolling out his series without fanfare or, as of press time, even a preview video. Is this a sign of limited faith or some sort of prank yet to be revealed? Either way, the joke could be on us.