Fab Five spoke as teens, not adults

By Brad Simmons
Mar 16, 2011

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Much is being made of ESPN’s documentary about Michigan’s Fab Five that debuted this past week.

The program was masterfully produced and never felt like a two-hour presentation. If it were up to me, it would have been four hours long.

The point of the special was that five teenagers – Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson – put the basketball world on its ear and set trends that are still seen almost two decades later.

But most of the buzz is based on the players’ comments about Duke and the players they recruit.

Everyone needs to take a step back and realize what they were watching.

The program was about the Fab Five circa 1992 and 1993. The stories were told from their view point as 18-19 year old kids. They were telling it like they saw it 19 years ago. They didn’t like Duke. So what? There were a lot of people that didn’t like Duke then (including me), and a lot who don’t like them now.

I’ll be the first one to tell you I was pulling for the Fab Five against Duke in all of their matchups.

That was then, this is now. Growing older and being in the media has helped me understand things differently. There is nothing I love more then watching the mastery of Coach K assembling a team and molding them into one unit and year after year pushing the program to the top of the college basketball world. It’s amazing to watch it in Durham and in Chapel Hill as well. I grew up a fan of neither, but I respect what has been built and enjoy watching those teams succeed.

Point being, the thinking of an 18 or 19-year-old is completely different than that of a mature adult.

Back to the Fab Five. What aired on the documentary were mere segments of interviews with the players. Their statements created a stir, and ESPN knows that’s what makes a compelling story. That has to be taken into consideration. The players actually gave Duke their proper due in the broadcast.

Too much has been made of the “hatred” of Duke. What should be understood and appreciated is that five kids, although they didn’t win a Big Ten title or a national championship, created a buzz and a culture in basketball like no other group before or since.

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RE: Fab Five spoke as teens, not adults

I'll bet that Rose wishes he could retract his statements. He's making some huge bucks. He can't ill afford to do a Billy Packer and hit the street. Dickie V needs to lighten up for his games when they call him to do a Duke game too. Biased individual for Duke. Oh. Wait. He did come to the fore for VT getting snubbed in the NCAA's. Dickie V stated until the last minute when VT beat Duke...... that Duke was going to win. Ha.

RE: Fab Five spoke as teens, not adults

I think Black people take the staements for what they were............we understand that Rose is hurt because he wasn't recruited by Duke. The coach didn't recruit him because he wasn't considered good enough, as opposed to Grant Hill. I am sure that wasn''t the first time Rose has felt that way and until he passes to the next life it won't be the last. Somehow, though, being found in a house where crack was being smoked, taking money from a booster,believe me the Coach made the correct decision. The "Uncle Tom" syndrome is a thing of the past. No one even pays attention to that statement anymore, unless they are looking for attention. Maybe thats it, he (Rose, and Fab Five) just crave attention. Also, if the only legacy they left was baggy shorts, which the film made a central theme, I guess that would be it because they sure didn't make it on the basketball court.............DUKE'S UN FAB FIVE DEFINITELY DID.....BACK-TO-BACK NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS..............

RE: Fab Five spoke as teens, not adults

Defend the video how you will, but the video did not just express a dislike for Duke, it basically accused Duke of being racist and African-American Duke players as being submissive to racists. This is a problem today, as many AAs consider other AAs that are articulate and educated as being sell-outs or "uncle Tom's". Rose makes it seem like he thinks it is okay to feel that way.

RE: Fab Five spoke as teens, not adults

This whole story is getting VERY boring VERY fast....let's move on to something else that's important, please.

RE: Fab Five spoke as teens, not adults

Jalen Rose also admitted he was angry with his own father for not being there for him the way Calvin Hill was there for Grant. Jalen admitted he and some of the other Fab Five players changed the way they felt about the Duke players once they actually played against them.

I thought it was very brave of Jalen to admit how he felt when he was a teenager who was angry at the world. Duke just happened to represent the world he felt was rejecting him. As for Grant Hill's response, it was as expected, concise and well articulated. This public discourse should help the American people understand that there is not a black way of thinking/voting or anything else. Black people are a group of individuals who have a common history in this country with individual life experiences, just like every other ethnic group in America.

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