Fab Five Legacy

Denis Waitley once said, “Attitude is the criterion for success.” Many philosophies about basketball and the way it should be played and coached have surfaced over the years. The Fab Five created a fresh new philosophy and showed the world that their new way of thinking could turn into greatness. They came out with a new look, a new attitude, and a new way of playing. Shaped by the players’ circumstances, Michigan’s Fab Five impacted basketball extensively and left their legacy still seen today. The players and coach all took many different paths that led to where they ended up together and the greatness they accomplished.

The Fab Five had a well-experienced coach to lead them in their career. His name was Steve Fisher, and he attained prior

The first was Juwan Howard, from Chicago’s South Side. He was born when his parents were young, so his grandmother was tasked with raising him. Juwan Howard’s grandmother died shortly before his decision to attend Michigan University. Howard went on to help recruit Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, both from Texas. The next was Jalen Rose, who was raised by a single mother, while his father, Jimmy Walker, a professional basketball player, was out of the picture. He played AAU (Ametuer Athletic Union) with the last of the Fab Five, Chris Webber. Chris Webber was the top high school player, and Howard also helped recruit him

Hip Hop was a growing culture all around the world, and the Fab Five set a trend of mixing hip hop with basketball (ESPN). They would blast rap music before their games to get pumped up, which is a practice still seen in modern culture in most of the NBA stars of today, including LeBron James. They listened to hip hop, had tattoos, and talked smack, all of which caused people to view them as “too street”(Spencer 1). As Samuel Johnson said, “Age looks with anger on the temerity of youth, and youth with contempt on the scrupulosity of age”(Albom 3).This was at the time of the Fab Five, and he was showing how the Fab Five had a superior energy and point of view that impacts the world.

The Fab Five also impacted the fashion side of basketball. In their time period, basketball players wore short, hip hugging shorts. Immediately when Michigan’s season started, Jalen Rose asked for the biggest pair of shorts possible. All the players wanted bigger shorts just so they could be comfortable. This fad soon was catching on all over the world. The Fab Five also wore black socks to match their black shoes, while most players of that time wore white (Fuch