Webber Making Himself at Home : NBA: Newest Bullet is showing he has clout on and off the court in Washington.

The jam was so vicious, so momentous, Chris Webber couldn’t contain himself. He drew a taunting technical on the play that marked the rebirth of the franchise, and it was all part of the fun.

Webber’s thunderous slam over Detroit’s Mark West gave the Washington Bullets a 10-point lead with 1:45 left. The fans at USAir Arena--the same fans Webber ripped for cheering the New York Knicks on Tuesday night--went absolutely bonkers.

“It was great,” Webber said. “That statement had more power than it really meant. Everyone took it personally. Everyone was cheering even louder, when I said it was just a small percentage of them.”

Hey, when Webber talks, Bullets fans listen. Took it personally? The fans booed Grant Hill at the foul line! Grant Hill, the Washington homeboy! Grant Hill, the goody-two-shoes Dookie!

One fan held a sign saying, “Senator Webber goes to Washington,” but don’t insult him with such talk. The Bullets’ newest star is exercising more influence than any two-faced politician.

He called the fans “disrespectful,” their cheering for the Knicks “a joke,” and man, did they take the hint. Webber would raise his arms last night, and the crowd would rise in unison, as if attending a Billy Graham revival.

Senator Webber.

He’s not just the team savior.

He’s the head cheerleader, too.

Head cheerleader, master jammer, gritty warrior.

Webber scored 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in the Bullets’ 115-104 victory over Detroit--all this, on a night he required three stitches above his right eye after catching an elbow from Hill midway through the third quarter.

He returned with 10:30 left, returned after refusing a pain-killing shot for the stitches, choosing to bite on a towel instead. At that point, the Bullets were still 0-4 since The Trade. Webber had to come back.

The taunting technical? It was merely an unleashing of Webber’s emotions. West said Webber wasn’t actually guilty of trash talking. “He didn’t say anything,” West said. “He just looked.”

Just looked.

If a look could represent a thousand words ...

“I got cut near the eye, and I was a little mad about that,” Webber said. “My mother, father and brother were watching the game in Detroit. My friends and family, my whole life’s in Detroit.”

“I can see where he (the referee) was coming from. I was looking that way. But even if he wasn’t there, I would have looked and huffed. I can accept it.”

So can the Bullets. Indeed, maybe now everyone will just relax. Bullets officials read Webber’s observations about the fans, and went into, uh, a slight panic.

Chris, you’re not unhappy, right?

RIGHT?

“We went to Chris and said, “You told us when you came here that you were committed for the long haul. You’ve got to let the fans know that,” team president Susan O’Malley said.

“We said, ‘It’s OK to say the fans should cheer for us.’ But you have to say, ‘I’m here for the long haul, so I want the fans to cheer for us.’ ”

Webber said no problem. He’s sensitive to the perception that he’s a spoiled brat at 21. He doesn’t want his image to suffer any further.

The truth will come out. That’s what Webber keeps saying about his relationship with former Golden State coach Don Nelson. But he could be referring to his own character as well.

On that topic, Webber says the truth already is out. He keeps saying it and saying it - he’s at “peace of mind” with the Bullets, and won’t be leaving as a restricted free agent after this season.

“I’m staying here,” Webber said before Friday night’s game. “I don’t know how many times I have to say it. Just because we’re losing won’t make me change my mind. I’m happy here.”

The Bullets can match any offer to keep Webber, but the Warriors were in the same position, and it didn’t help them. Which is why Webber’s every facial expression and every public remark is suddenly under added scrutiny.

Got to keep him happy, right?

Wrong, Webber said. All wrong.

“After this last ordeal, I don’t want any leverage, no agents,” Webber said. “I’ll just go in with Mr. Pollin myself and the discuss the things I want.

“All the little things I don’t know about, the agents can handle that. But Mr. (Abe) Pollin and I can just talk. That’s the kind of guy he is.

“No more leverage. No more posturing. I think we’re going to have a good, long relationship.”

O’Malley agrees.

“Absolutely - I have no doubt in my mind,” she said. “That is not PR smoke. Chris Webber is not going to jump around. He’s here.”

He’s here, all right.

Woofing, and winning, too.