Jalen Rose Says Michigan's Hiring of Juwan Howard Will Reunite Fab Five
The days of discord between the Fab Five are over thanks to the hiring of Juwan Howard as Michigan's new head coach, ESPN analyst Jalen Rose said on Thursday.
Speaking on ESPN's morning show Get Up!, Rose publicly proclaimed that Howard's hiring will reunite the Fab Five of Rose, Chris Webber, Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson despite years of friction between Michigan's famed 1991 recruiting class.
"I just gotta acknowledge this on national television. Those days are over," Rose said. "Not seeing eye to eye. There will not be any disrespect to the program. There will not be any side shows. There will not be any friction amongst the Fab Five. We're about to all come together like Voltron and make sure we do what we gotta do to put us back on top of the map."
When asked to clarify if that meant that even he and Webber will reunite, Rose responded, "Yes. Absolutely. No doubt about it."
Michigan's Fab Five led the school to national title game appearances in 1992 and 1993, but things turned sour when Webber became one of several players linked to receiving improper payments from former booster Ed Martin. The scandal led to the Final Four banners being removed from the Crisler Center and a 10-year disassociation ban between Webber and the university, which ended in 2013.
Rose and Webber grew especially distant over the years, often feuding in public over their differences. Rose believes the two can bury the hatchet now that Howard has agreed to a five-year deal to serve as the Wolverine's head coach.
The Wolverines finished the 2018 season 28–6 and fell to Texas Tech in the Sweet 16.