Bibby's deal is done

[LakerMania]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news/ap/...ngs-bibby.html

Sources: Bibby to return to Kings
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
August 16, 2002


SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Mike Bibby, the point guard who became a star during the Sacramento Kings' run to the Western Conference finals, has agreed to a new contract with the Kings, The Associated Press has learned.

Bibby, a restricted free agent, arrived in Sacramento last summer in a trade with the Grizzlies for Jason Williams. His signing was confirmed Thursday night by two basketball sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The length of Bibby's new contract wasn't immediately available. Bibby and his agent, David Falk, originally sought a lucrative long-term contract reportedly worth more than $100 million, but they might have agreed to a one-year deal that would make Bibby an unrestricted free agent next summer.

One source said the Kings will announce the signing at a news conference Friday in Las Vegas at The Palms casino, which is owned by the Maloof family. Brothers Joe and Gavin Maloof also own the Kings.

Though Bibby was never seriously thought to be leaving Sacramento, his signing keeps the entire nucleus intact from the team that finished with the NBA's best regular-season record.

The Kings also added Keon Clark on Wednesday, signing the highly regarded free agent forward to a one-year deal for their $4.5 million salary-cap exception.

Bibby averaged 13.7 points and 5.0 assists during the regular season, seamlessly making the transition from lowly Vancouver to high-flying Sacramento, which won its first Pacific Division championship with Bibby starting 80 games.

He then elevated his game to remarkable levels in the playoffs, averaging 20.3 points per game as the Kings stretched the Lakers to seven games in the conference finals.

Bibby scored 29 points in Game 7, capping a string of 10 20-point games in the Kings' final 11 playoff contests. In Game 5, he hit the game-winning jumper with 8.2 seconds left.

With Bibby in charge, Sacramento was second in the league in scoring at 104.6 points per game. The Kings didn't miss a beat from the previous three seasons, when they were among the league's most exciting teams with Williams running the show. The team also improved its defense, allowing just 97 points per game.

As recently as Wednesday, Geoff Petrie -- the Kings' tight-lipped president of basketball operations -- would not disclose the status of the team's negotiations with Bibby. Neither Petrie nor Falk has spoken publicly about the negotiations

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I hope Bibby has milked the Kings for a fortune! Please! Please! Please! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[Just211]

great. I look forward to watching Bibby and Nash sqaure off in the playoffs for a while.

[aexchange]

i shall call bibby mini-croshere.

[Drbio]

nice pocket change for Bibby. I think this puts pressure on the Sonics to pony up their offer for Lewis.

[kg_veteran]

<< i shall call bibby mini-croshere. >>



[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] My thoughts exactly. Bibby will probably maintain his play at a higher level than Croshere, but if he remains a 13 ppg, 5 assist guy, the Kings will look pretty silly for doling out $80 million (unless the guy can mysteriously up his game that much EVERY year in the playoffs).

[MavKikiNYC]

<< i shall call bibby mini-croshere. >>



It's not off-track to raise the question, but I saw Croshere's lifetime-security-winning playoff performance a couple of years ago, and I saw Bibby's last year.

While I liked Croshere a couple of years ago and was glad to see him do well, Bibby looked to me much more like a legitimate 'star' with his performance in last year's playoffs.

No guarantees, of course, but I hope Bibby is able to maintain his level of play. It was fun to watch.