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Jalen Rose’s New Book On ‘Fab Five’ Needs Detail On Chris Webber

By Michael Whitlow

Mar 8, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; General view during the first quarter of the game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Indiana Hoosiers at Crisler Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; General view during the first quarter of the game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Indiana Hoosiers at Crisler Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Before the days of John Calipari building modern-day “super classes” at Kentucky, the original super class was the class that former Michigan head coach Steve Fisher recruited before the 1991 season.

Led by No. 1 overall recruit Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson and Juwan Howard all committed to Michigan and became known as “The Fab Five.” In two seasons together, the Wolverines went to back-to-back national title games and changed the landscape of college basketball with their style of play, their swagger, and a unique sense of fashion in that day.

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After the infractions were cited and punishments were handed down to the Michigan program throughout the years (including Michigan players accepting money from Ed Martin), ESPN produced a 30 for 30 documentary called, The Fab Five in 2011. Four of the five members of “The Fab Five” — Howard, Jackson, King and Rose — all participated in the documentary.

Remember the 2013 title game between Michigan and Louisville? Yeah, those same four members sat together. The outlier in the Fab Five equation since the early ’90s has been Chris Webber. Now, Webber may become a bigger part of the saga that is “The Fab Five.”

Jalen Rose’s new book, “Got to Give the People What They Want,” will be released Oct. 6, and will include more details about the Fab Five years at Michigan. Last week, Rose spoke at his golf outing in Michigan about the book, and said that even though his relationship with Webber has been rocky for 20-plus years, there’s no bashing of Webber in the book.

"“You will see when it comes out,” Rose said. “(Webber) is my brother. It’s no slight or dis.” Rose said he wishes Webber still were part of his inner circle, but believes they will patch up their differences. “I unite,” Rose said. “When you have a fractured relationship you hope that time heals all wounds. I think that will be the case. It does bother me but I think we will find ways to mend fences.”(Terry Foster, The Detroit News)"

Not only did Webber not participate in ESPN’s documentary four years ago, he didn’t sit with the rest of his teammates in Atlanta for the title game two years ago.

Mitch Albom, an author and a former reporter at the Detroit Free Press during the Fab Five days, had one of the best quotes of the entire ESPN documentary.

Webber will rarely talk about his days at Michigan at all, while Rose has been the most vocal of the quintet. Rose and Webber were closer than brothers during their time in Ann Arbor, and it’s interesting to see what Rose actually mentioned in his new book. Some details that weren’t mentioned in the documentary — specifically on Chris Webber — would be a good start.

Just like the rest of us, Rose realizes it’s been 24 years since “The Fab Five” committed to Michigan and there’s no point in hiding stories, details and notes on the whole scandal. Michigan’s been punished multiple times for different infractions since the last time the fabulous freshmen took the floor. For Webber, what’s the point of hiding anymore?

The curious thing about the whole situation is why the other four stars from the group are still close, while Webber remains the outcast. Rose, along with Howard, Jackson and King, all have seemed like guys who just wants to patch things up with an old friend.

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