When Juwan Howard was hired to lead the Michigan Wolverines in 2019, he hinted at the possibility of a Fab Five reunion.
“The brotherhood is special to me,” he said of the group that led Michigan to back-to-back Final Four appearances in 1992 and 1993, during his introductory news conference.
Five years later, their dream came true when all of the Fab Five (Howard, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson) were all together on Michigan's campus for the first time in more than 30 years. They took a courtside seat for the Wolverines' 73-65 home victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
After the game, Howard credited his former teammates as “the real ones” who stood by him through tough times.
“Family always supports family” Howard said while standing in front of his team with the other members of the Fab Five after the game. “You see which ones are the real ones. The real ones come out when things get a little tough. The real ones don't run away. And the real Michigan fans that support this team right here, you're looking at them.”
Fa〽️ pic.twitter.com/smI1e6KJ9F
– Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) January 15, 2024
Legends. pic.twitter.com/9cpqfKzpUL
– Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) January 15, 2024
In the early 1990s, the Fab Five made an impact not only on the court but off it as well.
A collection of young black men who wore baggy shorts, sported high boots and loved hip-hop resonated with African-American sports fans across the country. They were flashy and fun… and very good.
Four of them played in the NBA.
Rose averaged 14.3 points per game in a long NBA career before beginning a career as a television personality and analyst. Howard won two NBA championships with the Miami Heat and earned a spot on the 1996 NBA All-Star team. And Webber was recently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame after a stellar career. Rose, Howard and Webber each earned more than $100 million during their careers.
But their post-Michigan success only made questions about a possible reunion more pressing.
An NCAA scandal had distanced the Fab Five from the program. Michigan removed its 1992 and 1993 Final Four banners after Webber was accused of accepting booster money, an NCAA violation. Webber and Rose then publicly feuded, which also complicated a potential reunion, even after Howard was hired.
But Howard promised, shortly after being hired, that he would get the group back together. Although Michigan has not returned the banners and the school did not formally celebrate the Fab Five during Monday's victory, one of the biggest teams in college basketball came together in a great moment for college basketball.
“To be able to be there on a day like this is so special when you need them the most,” Howard said after the game. “What I mean by needing them more is that when you have a team that has been fighting so hard, like our team, and they come up short, game after game, sometimes you have doubts that come to mind because you have those human emotions. .
“But to see a group of brothers who have put on that jersey before and who have been through difficult times, to be able to walk through that door and lift up our group and inspire them in some way, like they were inspired today by the It was special to see their presence. It was special to be a part of.”
