Back in the 1990's Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson, Jimmy King & Co. won 56 games and reached the NCAA final in each of their two seasons together. Their talent was breathtaking; their trash-talking, baggy-shorts style endearing; their influence profound, even to this day. They drew record television audiences, set fashion trends and touched off a licensing and merchandising boom that perhaps nudged all of college athletics along its current marketing-crazed course.
Then the university punished its men's basketball program after a federal investigation revealed that former booster Ed Martin had given a total of $616,000 to Chris Webber and three other ex-Michigan players.They forfeited the victories, ordered the championship banners taken down and couldn't play in the post-season.
Now we are more than a decade later and where are those Fab Five Players now?
Chris Webber - Is playing his 13th season right now with the Detroit Pistons. Webber played for several team GS Warriors, WA Bullets, SAC Kings, PHI Sixers, and now the DET Pistons.
Jalen Rose - Is playing his 12th season right now for the Phoenix Suns. Rose too played for several teams DEN Nuggets, IND Pacers, CHI Bulls, TOR Raptors, NY Knicks, and now the PHO Suns.
Juwan Howard - Is playing his 12th season right now for the Houston Rockets. Once again Howard played for a few teams also.... WA Bullets, DAL Mavericks, DEN Nuggets, ORL Magics, and now for the HOU Rockets.
Jimmy King - King was short lived in the NBA starting out with the Toronto Raptors and playing 62 games before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Ronald "Popeye" Jones. King was then eventually wavied and instead signed with the Denver Nuggets on a 10 day contract and only played in 2 games. Kings also played in Europe for the CBA and was MVP in 98 for the Quad City Thunder. He also played for the Bronze Medal USA TEAM in 98. King now is known to be working as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch.
Ray Jackson - Jackson was never drafted into nor played in the NBA. He was drafted in the (CBA) by the Grand Rapids Hoops, #35 in the 3rd round in 1995. While with the Hoops, he received the 1995-96 CBA Rookie of the Year Award. Jackson now runs a moving company and Rise Up Inc., a not-for-profit organization that assists children socially, educationally and on the basketball court.
So there you have it.... I did my homework and I hope we never forget the Fab Five. So what these kids got into a little trouble. What normal young Freshman doesn't get into some type of trouble..... at least they didn't go down doing drugs or caught up in a murder or rape story like the Duke Lacross players. These kids got caught taking money ($$$) that doesn't help them become better basketball player or enhance how they played back in the 1990's... Make no doubt about it they were the very best in college HISTORY and they were just FRESHMAN !
1 comment:
I did'nt know that Howard was still playing. I always loved those guys and they were so exciting to watch. Even though they made some bad decisions, and who didn't when they 19, I still liked them through it all. And Webber is really helping out the pistons too.
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