Chris Webber is preparing to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, and it appears the honor has served as a catalyst for the Fab Five to put their differences aside.
In an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic this week, Webber said the Fab Five is “back together” and revealed that his former Michigan teammates will be in attendance in Springfield, Mass., on Saturday.
“You’re going to see us together a lot. I’m very happy that those guys are coming to the Hall of Fame to be with me. … I am Michigan, they are Michigan, any alumni, they are Michigan,” Webber said. “You’re going to see a lot of us, starting with the football game in a couple weeks. It’s definitely a process, a healing process and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
Webber said he feels he is part of the Michigan basketball program because Juwan Howard, another member of the Fab Five, is the head coach. He said Howard being successful with the Wolverines is the priority for the Fab Five and that “everything else will fall into line.”
A Michigan official told Charania that Webber is welcome back with the program and that the school wants to formally honor the Fab Five at some point. Webber said he would love that but emphasized that the focus should be on Howard and the current Wolverines team.
“I would love for us to have everything, from retirement banners to all of that great stuff. But I feel good right now that they have a hell of a leader (in Howard),” Webber said. “I think all those things come in due time, but I’m sure he’s got work to do getting his guys ready because he’s going to get that championship that we didn’t. Oh, wait, did I say that? Did I put that pressure on him? Oh, well, he can handle it.”
Webber hinted in a separate interview this week that his issues with Jalen Rose are not totally resolved. It appears the two have come a long way, however. They shared an awesome moment on live TV earlier this year when Webber was announced as a member of the 2021 Hall of Fame class.
It took Webber several years to make the Hall of Fame, and many believe he was snubbed for so long because of his involvement in the NCAA scandal with Ed Martin at Michigan. Webber was estranged from Michigan and his former teammates for quite some time, and Rose spoke out in favor of him reconciling with the school back in 2018.
There may still be some issues for Webber, Rose and other members of the Fab Five to work through, but it is clear Michigan wants to acknowledge the team as an important part of the school’s history. It is only a matter of time before that happens.
