Classic Photos of Michigan's Fab Five

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Mar 15, 2011

Classic Photos of Michigan's Fab Five

Michigan's Fab Five - Jimmy King, Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Ray Jackson - arrived in Ann Arbor in 1991 and through their style and play became one of the most memorable teams in college basketball history. Here are some rare photos of the group.

The team was led by Steve Fisher, who took over as the Wolverines coach in 1989 and led the team to that season's national championship. In this photo, Fisher talks with his son Mark in the Michigan locker room.

The team was led by Chris Webber, a Detroit native who led Detroit Country Day School to three state titles. He was named Michigan's Mr. Basketball and the 1990-91 National High School player of the year.

Jalen Rose starred at Southwestern High in Detroit before arriving at Michigan. He is the biological son of Jimmy Walker, a college star at Providence and No. 1 overall pick in the 1967 NBA Draft, though he took no part in Rose's upbringing.

Juwan Howard, who was born and raised in Chicago, attended Chicago Vocational Career Academy. He was named to the 1991 All-America basketball team by Parade magazine and won McDonald's All America honors.

Like King, Ray Jackson was a Texas native who made the trek to Ann Arbor. At Austin's LBJ High, Jackson earned a reputation for his scoring prowess and rim-rattling dunks.

Jimmy King arrived in Ann Arbor from Plano, Texas, where he was a four-time All-America at Plano East High.

It didn't take the Fab Five long to make an impact. After finishing 14-15 the season before, the Wolverines won nine of their first 10 games on their way to a 25-9 record. They also made an impact off the court as the group set style trends with their baggy shorts, black sneakers and shaved heads.

Michigan earned a No. 6 seed in the 1992 NCAA Tournament. In the Elite Eight, the Wolverines earned a rematch against Ohio State, which had beaten them twice during the regular season by double digits. In this photo, Chris Jent and Juwan Howard argue with the ref after a double technical foul was called on both.

Michigan would go onto beat the Buckeyes, 75-71, as all but two Wolverines points were scored by the Fab Five.

Jalen Rose salutes the crowd after the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes to advance to the Final Four.

The Wolverines beat Cincinnati in the Final Four, but would lose the national championship game to Duke. The defeat was difficult for the Wolverines, but the Fab Five still put together the best season of any freshman class in college basketball history.

Michigan returned for the 1992-93 season determined to win a national championship. In this photo from an early November practice, Jimmy King lends a hand to Chris Webber as the forward stretches his legs.

Led by Rose and Webber, the Wolverines finished the season with a 26-4 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

After breezing through to the Sweet 16, Michigan knocked off George Washington and Temple to advance to the Final Four. The Wolverines faced off against Jamal Mashburn (pictured) and Kentucky, who took the game to overtime before Webber and the Fab Five prevailed, 81-78.

On one of the most memorable championship games in tournament history, the Wolverines and Tar Heels battled until the final seconds. That's when Chris Webber famously called a timeout that Michigan did not have. The Wolverines were assessed a technical foul and North Carolina converted both shots to secure a victory.

A month later, Chris Webber announced his intention to declare himself eligible for the NBA Draft, where he was taken first overall by Golden State.

With Webber out of the picture, the Fab Five became the Fab Four.

The Wolverines started the season at 11-4 before winning nine straight Big Ten games to finish with a 21-7 record. Though the team was without Webber (seen here hugging Howard after a home game at Crisler Arena), it secured a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight, where it was knocked out by Arkansas.

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

After their junior seasons, Rose and Howard declared for the NBA Draft. Howard was chosen fifth overall by the Washington Bullets. Rose was taken by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th overall pick and made fashion headlines for the red pinstripe suit he wore.

The legacy of the Fab Five took a major hit in the late '90s after it was revealed that booster Ed Martin illegally lent more than $600,000 to four Michigan basketball players, including $280,000 to Webber, who eventually pled guilty to lying to federal investigators about his involvement with Martin. The school took down the banner of the 1993 squad as part of its self imposed sanctions.