Wolverine Digest

NBA Legend Says He Wanted To Be A Wolverine

The University of Michigan has had some phenomenal basketball players come through Ann Arbor and, according to one future Hall-of-Fame inductee, he wanted to be one of them.
Christopher Breiler|
NBA Legend Says He Wanted To Be A Wolverine
NBA Legend Says He Wanted To Be A Wolverine

You don't have to look very hard at the history of Michigan Basketball to appreciate the tremendous amount of talent that has called Ann Arbor home. From guys like Chris Webber to Glenn Rice, the Wolverines have routinely pumped out top-level NBA talent. 

While it's always fun to admire what was, it can also be fun to contemplate what could have been. 

During a recent interview on CBS with Michigan Basketball head coach Juwan Howard, NBA legend Dwyane Wade indicated that he also wanted to play college basketball in Ann Arbor. 

"I wanted to go to Michigan because of Juwan Howard, Chris Webber and Jalen Rose," said Wade.

Unfortunately, Wade was only recruited to play basketball by three programs due to reported academic issues: Illinois State, DePaul and Marquette.  Wade would ultimately settle in with Marquette, where he averaged nearly 20 PPG during his two-year colligate career before becoming a first-round NBA draft pick in 2003.

Wade isn't the only NBA legend who was impacted by what was going on in Ann Arbor during the Fab Five era. Kevin Garnett, who bypassed college altogether, said that he nearly became a Wolverine for one specific reason: Chris Webber. 

"I was going to Michigan because I loved Chris Webber, they had (Robert) Tractor Trailer, I was super cool with him," said Garnett. "I thought I was going to go to Michigan and I was goin, man. You know, obviously things changed and life changed. Whenever you're going through whatever you're going through, you've got the make the best decision for 'now'."

Though guys like Wade and Garnett never actually donned the Maize and Blue in Ann Arbor, it's clear that they're still big fans of the Michigan Basketball program and, in particular, Juwan Howard. In fact, when word surfaced that Howard was in the running to take over as head coach at the University of Michigan, NBA legends rushed to voice their support.

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Christopher Breiler
CHRISTOPHER BREILER

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