Manuel's Response To Webber's 'Apology' Claim Leaves People Scratching Their Heads
A little over 24 hours after news broke that Chris Webber had claimed he received an apology from Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, it sounds like there may be just a slight discrepancy in how the two remember the conversation.
In a statement released to the Detroit News on Thursday, Manuel shared his recollection of the discussion with Webber - making clear that there was no apology.
“I enjoyed the conversation with Chris when we met several years ago,” Manuel said. “But I can assure you I made no apology to Chris and, for those who may be curious, I never asked him to apologize to the University of Michigan.
“I wish Chris nothing but the best, and I’m happy that he’s being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.”
Manuel's statement to the Detroit News is completely at odds with a series of statements Webber made earlier in the week as he prepares for his induction into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
According to Webber, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel privately apologized for the way the school handled the fallout after an investigation discovered that Webber had taken illegal payments from former booster Ed Martin. Webber would eventually plead guilty to criminal contempt in federal court after initially denying the charges in front of a grand jury - admitting to accepting more than $38,000 for what he described was a "loan".
As a result of his guilty plea, the University of Michigan banned Webber from having any involvement with the University for a period of 10 years, along with removing all of his accomplishments from the record books.
After nearly two decades of friction, it sounds like the University of Michigan is ready to fully embrace Webber once again. As the former Fab Five member prepares for his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, Webber participated in a series of interviews discussing his college basketball career - including some interesting dialog with Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel.
"I was told by the athletic director at the University of Michigan that he was sorry," said Webber. "And he wasn't even there at the time. He told me that he did his research and that he needs to apologize. His exact words were he needs 'to apologize to the 18-year-old Chris Webber because we didn't protect him."
It's not all that uncommon for people to remember things differently, but this definitely seems like more than just a simple miscommunication. Webber shared details of the conversation, including the suggestion that Warde wanted to apologize to the "18-year-old Chris Webber" for not protecting him. Given all that's transpired between the University of Michigan and Webber, that kind of a statement coming from the Michigan AD doesn't seem like something you would forget - or misremember.
With the Fab Five expected to be on hand for Webber's induction over the weekend, it will be interesting to see if this small discrepancy between Webber and Manuel hinders what appeared to be a promising reunion just 24 hours ago.
