Comments on: Column: The Fab Five’s Real Leaders

By: ScratchingMyHead

ScratchingMyHead — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 13:55:19 +0000

The unfortunate thing about this whole episode is that these were young black men who bonded together and changed Michigan basketball but people did not like them because they did not present themselves in a sub-servient manner. No one want to deal with the issue of race unless its to show the so-called negative aspects of tier time here at Michgia. Quite frankly, in enjoyed and appreciated what they bought to the game as you can see it exemplified to all areas of the sport today.

By: Fred Zimmerman

Fred Zimmerman — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:09:27 +0000

You bet, John. Always enjoy your stuff.

By: John U. Bacon

John U. Bacon — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:24:45 +0000

Fred,

Point well taken.

No question, Jalen Rose was the internal leader of that team, as evidenced by his assuming the point-guard position when he was hardly a natural “one.”

As I reported in Basketball Digest in 1996: “‘Jalen was from inner-city Detroit, and carried himself like Superfly,’” says Jason Whitlock, who covered the team for The Ann Arbor News. ‘That’s what kids respected. He had an amazing impact on all the others but Juwan.’”

“‘He made sacrifices,’ [Perry] Watson says. ‘He knew they couldn’t all be the go-to guy. Jalen decided Chris was the main man, and everyone else followed his lead.’”

But clearly Fisher and Webber were the public faces of the Fab Five, and the most frequent spokesmen. I should have clarified I was referring to their off-court, public roles.

I hope that clears up any confusion about what I knew, and when I knew it!

Thanks for reading, and for writing.

-JUB

By: Fred Zimmerman

Fred Zimmerman — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:48:55 +0000

When you see someone who is not a point guard boyd playing point guard, that is usually a clue that they have both unusual coordination *and* a strong desire to run things.

By: Fred Zimmerman

Fred Zimmerman — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:36:24 +0000

Good post, but, John, even 20 years ago it was obvious that Jalen Rose was the leader of the team. The clue was that he was the guy with the ball in his hands all the time, even though there were some noteworthy limitations to his game — that painful left handed jump shot was pretty weak at first.