1. THE FAB FIVE STORY – IMMORTAL OR
INFAMOUS?
Presented By: Jawanza Robinson
2. WHO WERE THE FAB FIVE?
Chris Weber, Jalen Rose, Juan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson comprised what
was known as the Fab Five.
Ranked in the Top 100 in Class of’ ’91.
Attended the University of Michigan
from 1991-1993.
3. WHAT MADE THEM SPECIAL?
Early in their first season, 1991-92, all five
freshmen were starting.
Back-to-back Final Four appearances.
4. ESPN 30 FOR 30 “THE FAB FIVE”
"The Fab Five" relives the
recruitment process that got all five
of them to Ann Arbor, the cultural
impact they made, the two runs to
NCAA title game, the Webber
"timeout" in the 1993 championship
and the scandal that eventually
tarnished their accomplishments.
9. ETHICAL DILEMMA
A federal investigation reported
that Chris Webber accepted
$280,000 from Ed Martin, a local
booster.
The investigation revealed that
Martin contributed $616,000 to
Webber and to three athletes who
played for Michigan after Webber
did — Robert Traylor, Maurice
Taylor and Louis Bullock.
11. QUESTIONS
Did the media report the incident with Jalen Rose ethically?
Was it fair to punish the University of Michigan when only a few players engaged in unethical
conduct?
Should the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eliminate or update its amateurism
rules?
Do you consider the letters University of Michigan alumni sent as fan rage?
Did the University of Michigan go too far by removing Final Four banners from Chrysler Arena?
12. FINAL THOUGHTS
The legacy of the “Fab Five” and their impact on the history of intercollegiate athletics is
both memorable and valuable. Although they were unable to win a national
championship, their presence was felt well beyond the basketball court, no matter which
arena they played in. Some of the ethical dilemmas they faced tarnished their legacy
while others empowered everything they aspired to represent.
I believe the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) should collaborate with
internal and external stakeholders such as agents, coaches, boosters, as well as the
National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Basketball Players Association
(NBPA), to amend amateurism rules for student-athletes. Doing so, would better prepare
student-athletes for a career in the sports industry as well as reduce scandal in
intercollegiate athletics.
Weber & Rose (Detroit), Howard (Chi Town), King (Plano, TX), Jackson (Austin, TX)
Top 100 in class
Check dates of attendance @ U of M for all five players.
- b-2b f4 apparances ; lost in ‘92 to Duke, ‘93 to Duke; HS players could not declare for draft in ’91; 20 years earlier freshmen were not allowed to play basketball in the NCAA; 1st 5 start game was Feb. 9th 1992 in ND (not only did they win the F5 scored every point)
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The Fab Five gained fans and detractors alike for their unabashed confidence and trendsetting style
The Fab Five’s success, especially for Nike, blended the business side of college sports with the athletic side for the first time on a large scale.
Merchandise royalties increased from $1.6M in ‘89-90 (prior to F4 appearance) to $10.5M post ’92
Sophomore season they began to feel exploited; saw Fab 5 Nike shoes in stores, cologne, tee shirts (with their images on them); made wearing Black socks fashionable, began to silently protest by wearing solid blue shirts with no logo
- Media would judge FAb5 not only how they played but how they looked, how they dressed, what type of music they listened to and created sterotypes about them as people (called thugs, hoodlums, b/c of tats earings, bald heads, where they came from and where they were playing) now its popular
- Rose was present @ a drug raid Feb ‘93 while playing video games @ a friend’s couch back in Detroit; found a bag of crack on a friend no more in the house; everyone got a ticket for loitering in a place where drugs were stored; said law enforcement got a tip on drug activity from the house; media reported Rose was @ a “crack house” and was “involved in drugs”;
Originally indicted for perjury in the case, Webber wound up pleading guilty to a misdemeanor and performing community service. Money he characterized as loans to be repaid when they reached the NBA.
Add pictures to this slide of stakeholders
President/Professors of University of Michigan
Ed Martin and the Martin family
Current and future student-athletes
Coach Fisher and other coaches at the university
The Media
