Michigan's Fab Five - Where are they now?
The Fab Five were University of Michigan's recruiting class for 1991, that is considered among the greatest class ever recruited. The members of the Fab 5 were as follows - Chris Webber, Jalen Rose (both Detroit natives), Juwan Howard (a Chicago native), Jimmy King and Ray Jackson (both from Texas). They are a huge reason for the baggy shorts and swag level that you saw in the mid to late 1990's and even now.
The five players were so dominant together that although they all did not start in the team's first game, once they did no other player sneaked into the starting five for the Michigan Wolverines.
It's been 24 years since the Fab 5 (or rather Chris Webber specifically) lost their second consecutive NCAA Championship game. Here we tell you what all these Fab Five members are up to now:
5. Ray Jackson
The only member of the Fab Five to never suit up for the NBA. And that took a toll on him, as Jackson shared in a 2007 article with Yahoo Sports: "It took me a long time to get over the fact that I was the only one that didn't make it to the NBA from the Fab Five, but I'm over it because I'm back home and I'm happy with what I'm doing with my life."
However, on the good side, he was one of the Fab Five to not be called in front of a grand jury during the University of Michigan Basketball scandal. He was found not guilty of taking large amounts of money.
He played all four years of college and then went undrafted in the 1995 NBA Draft. He was drafted 35th overall in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), NBA's minor league at that point. Jackson was named the CBA's Rookie of the Year and that turned some eyes in the NBA however, he was cut twice in the preseason - New York Knicks (1996) and Detroit Pistons (1997).
Where are they now? - He currently lives in his hometown of Austin, Texas and coaches basketball at his former high school.
4. Jimmy King
Jimmy King - the team's starting shooting guard - was along with Ray Jackson, among the members of the Fab Five that weren't called in front of a grand jury during the University of Michigan's basketball scandal. He was also with Jackson in this respect, that the duo played all possible four years at the college before declaring for the NBA draft.
King was drafted 35th overall in the 1995 Draft by the Toronto Raptors. He played 62 games for the team before being traded the following offseason to the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas waived him and eventually signed him to a 10-day contract close to the end of the regular season. He continued to play basketball in Europe and in the CBA, where he won a championship and was named MVP in 1998.
Where are they now? - King began his coaching career in 2016 as the head coach of the Ecorse Community High School men's basketball team in Ecorse, Michigan.
3. Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard is the only member of the Fab Five to win an NBA Championship. He did so with the Miami Heat, not once but twice, when they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder (2012) and the San Antonio Spurs (2013) in the consecutive Finals.
He was drafted 5th overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets (now Wizards). During his 19 seasons in the league, Howard played for as many as eight teams - the Bullets, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Bobcats ( now Hornets) and Miami Heat.
Where are they now? - Howard has been serving as an assistant coach to Erick Spoelstra for the Miami Heat since 2013.
2. Chris Webber
Chris Webber is probably and arguably the most accomplished individual NBA player from the Fab Five. He was the only member of the college team to leave for the league after two years. He was drafted No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic but was immediately traded to the Golden State Warriors.
He was named the Rookie of the Year in 1994 and has been named to five All-Star Games and All-NBA teams over the course of his 15-year career. A majority of his time in the league was spent with the Sacramento Kings, where he played a pivotal role in the team being in the upper echelon of the NBA. His career numbers read - 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 831 games.
Where are they now? - Webber is currently a commentator and TV analyst with Turner Sports Television (TNT) and NBA TV.
1. Jalen Rose
Off the five, Jalen Rose is the most well-off - on and off the court. On the court, he played in the NBA for 13 years representing six teams in that process - Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns. His most successful time as a player came with the Pacers, when he was a key member as the team made it to three straight Conference Finals in the late 1990's and the NBA Finals in 2000.
Rose was named the 2000 Most Improved Player of the Year. His career averages are as follows - 14.3 points, 3.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 923 games. So clearly he had played the most number of NBA games.
Where are they now? - Rose has been part of ESPN for the better part of the last decade as a game analyst on multiple NBA shows that run on the network. He is also the co-founder of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, which is based in Detroit Michigan.