Arizona Wildcats: Top 30 athletes in school history

Nov 20, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings former player Mike Bibby sits courtside next to Kings owner Vivek Ranadive during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Chicago Bulls 103-88. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Bibby brought a lot of joy to both Wildcats fans and NBA fans alike. 

Mike Bibby, the son of former NBA and UCLA player and former USC basketball coach Henry Bibby, decided to attend the University of Arizona and play point guard as a Wildcat.

Bibby was voted the Consensus All-American in 1998. But that isn’t what Wildcats fans remember most about him, what they remember most is that Bibby helped the Wildcats as a freshman win the NCAA National Championship under Lute Olson. Arizona beat Kentucky 84-79 in the final game.

Bibby was named Pac-10 Player of the Year (1997–98) in his sophomore year. He also was named to the First-team All-Pac-10. That year he started in all 69 games, won All-America honors and averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 3-pointers per game.

Arizona was lucky to have Bibby for only two years; he entered the 1998 NBA draft Bibby selected as the No. 2 overall pick by the Vancouver Grizzlies. In his first year in the NBA, he made the 1999 All-Rookie first team.

Bibby’s NBA career spans 14 years. He played for five teams beginning with three seasons with the Vancouver Grizzlies, six seasons with the Sacramento Kings, three with the Atlanta Hawks, and one each for the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

Bibby never won an NBA championship, although that was one of his goals, he came close in his second to last season playing with the Miami Heat. His first NBA Finals appearance came with the Heat; they played against the Dallas Mavericks, which beat the Heat in six games (4-2) in 2011 to earn their first NBA title. If only he could have stayed in Miami for one more year he would have won a ring.

Bibby will always be a champion to Wildcats fans.

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