A MAN AMONG KINGS WEBBER KEPT FRANCHISE'S HOPES ALIVE BY STAYING.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO - One by one, each of the Sacramento Kings stepped up to the top of the 3-point arc at the end of practice Thursday with a clear objective: Make the shot and go home. Miss it and run wind sprints.

First came Vlade Divac. Clank. Then Mike Bibby. Brick. Hedo Turkoglu came next, followed by Bobby Jackson. Two more misses.

Finally, it was Chris Webber's turn, and as he scoped out his teammates - now huffing and puffing running up and down the court - he just smiled and laughed. Then he turned around and lofted a rainbow shot that fell softly through the net.

Swish.

The irony could not have been more pronounced. Last year at this time it seemed as though Webber would be the one running - away from the Kings as an unrestricted free agent - taking with him any chance Sacramento had of winning an NBA title and crippling a franchise that Webber himself had carried to elite status after years of misery.

When Webber walked off the court at Arco Arena after the Lakers swept the Kings out of the second round of the playoffs last year, most of Sacramento thought it was for the final time.

But a funny thing happened to Webber on his way home to Detroit, or the bright lights of New York, the two places everyone assumed he'd escape to from little Sacramento: He took a long, hard look at his situation and decided he not only liked it, he needed it, signing a seven-year, $122-million contract to remain with the Kings.

A year later, Webber is firmly entrenched as the mega-star on a star-studded Kings team that seriously believes it can dethrone the world champion Lakers, their opponent in the Western Conference finals starting Saturday.

Webber, who once threatened never to set foot in Sacramento after he was banished there from Washington in 1998, isn't thinking about running anywhere anymore.

``I'm just happy, man, and I'm enjoying this,'' Webber said. ``This is the furthest I've ever been in the NBA and that makes it the most important time of my career. But it's also fun.''

And that shows on the court, where Webber averaged 23.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and two blocked shots per game to lead Sacramento over Utah in the first round and Dallas in the second. In the regular season, Webber and the Kings won the Pacific Division with an NBA-best 61-21 record.

Last year, Webber wasn't nearly as effective against the Lakers. Not with the distraction being caused by his contract situation and bothered by an ankle injury he suffered just after the All-Star break. In eight playoff games last season, Webber shot 38.8 percent from the field and had 31 turnovers.

This year, no longer burdened by his future plans or injuries, Webber sat down with Kings coach Rick Adelman before the playoffs and told him he'd do whatever Adelman wanted.

So far, he's made good on his promise.

``He's been terrific,'' Adelman said. ``I just told him to play his game and be a playmaker whether it's scoring points or giving it to other guys. But also that it wasn't all on his shoulders.''

When Webber decided to stay put, the Kings went to work on surrounding him with a supporting cast better suited to deal with the Lakers. The basic core stayed the same - Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Doug Christie, Divac, Turkoglu, Scott Pollard and Bobby Jackson all returned - but the key move was trading erratic point guard Jason Williams for steady Mike Bibby, who has had a calming effect on Webber and the rest of the Kings.

Bibby's influence has been particularly noticeable on the road, where the Kings have transformed from average to dominant. After closing the season with 12 wins in their final 15 road games, the Kings won both games in Dallas in the semifinals and beat Utah at the Salt Palace after losing Game 2 at Arco.

``We're more under control now,'' Webber said. ``And I think that's a tribute to Mike.''

Still, this is Webber's team. His teammates understand that, and though they held their breath when Webber was deciding whether to go or stay, they never tried to influence his decision.

``We felt Chris was giving us his effort on the court (last year) and that's all we could worry about,'' Pollard said. ``He was doing what he was supposed to be doing. I felt he was playing as hard as he could and giving us his best effort and that's all you can hope for as a teammate. You don't need to worry about what they're worried about off the court.''

This time around there are no worries about the franchise player abandoning the team. The only concern now is getting past the Lakers, finally.

``No worries,'' Divac said. ``Because he didn't leave, did he?''

Western Conference finals

LAKERS vs. KINGS

Game 1: Saturday

at Sacramento

3:30 p.m., TV: Ch. 4

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Sacramento power forward Chris Webber spurned opportunities to play in such places as Detroit and New York to stay with the Kings, a team he's turned into a title contender.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

(2) Sacramento's Chris Webber is averaging 23.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and two blocked shots per game in the playoffs.

LM Otero/Associated Press

Box:

(1) Western Conference finals (see text)

(2) KINGS' KING