It’s been more than 30 years since Chris Webber called the most infamous timeout in NCAA Tournament history.
Webber, starring collegiately for Michigan, called a timeout that the Wolverines didn’t have at the 1993 national title game. After UNC missed the front-end of a one-and-one, Webber grabbed his 11th rebound of the night with 20 seconds remaining and the Wolverines trailing, 73-71. Webber began to make his way up the floor – and traveled, though it wasn’t called – before trying to call a timeout.
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Michigan didn’t have any timeouts remaining. So, the Wolverines were hit with a technical foul. UNC went on to win the game, 77-71. Webber’s blown timeout call continues to live in infamy.
Chris Webber was the best player on the floor that night.
Webber, who refused to speak about the infamous timeout incident for years, finally opened up about it, during an interview on “Steam Room” with Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley. He appeared on the show with his former Michigan teammate, Jalen Rose.
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The former NBA star’s response to Johnson’s question was perfect.
Webber had great answer when asked about it
“How did that impact you?” Johnson asked. “How did it change you?”
Webber was very introspective when speaking with Johnson and Barkley.
“I always say this EJ, if I had one game to show my children, I would show them the timeout game,” he said.
“Because that game I was the best player on the floor. I led in points, scoring, rebounding and others. And I would show them that it doesn’t matter. That you can have a great game and still lose. And I would hope that their thought would be, ‘Daddy was that good and he continued to get better after his worst moment.’
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“It took a lot…luckily I was the No. 1 overall pick right after.”
But Webber admitted it was really hard.
“I leaned on a lot of people to get through it. I wouldn’t change a thing. We make so many mistakes in life. And how we define us is really how we handle those moments.”
Michigan, which failed to win a national championship with its Fab Five – Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson – will have a shot at a title this year.
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Michigan is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and a popular pick to win the NCAA Tournament.
The first round begins on Thursday.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Mar 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
