The best recruiting class in NCAA history came in and changed the game. Before they came to college, players still wore short shorts and the only people caught wearing black socks on a basketball court were 60-year olds trying to be young again. They changed the game with their great basketball skills, and their swagger. The road to greatness wasn't very easy for some though; they lived a tough life, and used that as motivation to drive them to greatness. They were are Michigan's Fab Five.
In spring of 1991, the University of Michigan signed what was arguably the best recruiting class in the history of college basketball. Coach Steve Fisher signed five of the nation's top prospects - Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Webber and Rose were childhood friends from Detroit who turned into McDonald's All Americans. The 6'9" power forward, Webber, was regarded as the number one player in the nation. Rose was a tall guard standing 6'7", who played like a young Magic Johnson. Howard, another McDonald's All American, was a multi-talented forward from Chicago. Texas natives King and Jackson capped off the Fab Five Freshman. While Jackson was an incredible defensive player, King was a super athletic guard [Wieberg].
Growing up wasn’t exactly easy for the “Fab Five,” most grew up poor, and the only thing keeping them from leading a life of crime was basketball. Jalen Rose grew up on south side of Detroit, and saw dope and weed everyday on his way to school [ESPN 30 for 30]. Jalen Rose never knew his father; they spoke a few times over the phone when he was older, but growing up Jalen never knew his professional basketball playing father [ESPN 30 for 30]. Jalen’s dads name was Jimmy Walker, he was se...
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...p title a two years ago, but everyone will remember Michigan's Fab Five and the way they changed the game of basketball forever.
Works Cited
1. ESPN 30 for 30 - Fab Five, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0n3VtxfrRM, January 28th, 2014
2. Wieberg, Steve (March 28, 2002). "Fab Five anniversary falls short of fondness". http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/basketball/men/02tourney/2002-03-27-cover-fab5.html, February 7th, 2014
3. Milbert Neil, "Howard's Effort Honors Grandma." April 7th 1992. February 6th. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-04-07/sports/9202010228_1_juwan-howard-michigan-early-period
4. Chris Webber - Growing Up In Detroit
5. CRAFT KEVIN, “The Enduring Lesson of Michigan's Fab Five: Winning Really Isn't Everything.” APR 10 2013. February 8th.
Your dreams of being someone may not turn out the way you think they will. The documentary Hoop Dreams is a story about two boys from the ghetto that want to play in the NBA. Arthur ¨Man”Agee goes to Marshalls and William Gates goes to St. Joseph’s which are both situated in Illinois, where their dreams of becoming a pro basketball player vanished. Both of the boys face obstacles that are outside of themselves. Arthur´s family struggled with money, education, and pressure from others hurts him. Also, William struggled with balancing his family with basketball, the pressure from others, and education.
Tate, Loren, and Jared Gelfond. A century of orange and blue: celebrating 100 years of Fighting Illini basketball. Champaign, IL: Sports Pub. L.L.C., 2004. Print.
“Be more concerned with you character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” These words of John Wooden are just a few out of many wise quotes millions of people, not just athletes, are inspired by today and likely will continue to be inspired by for a very long time. Basketball fans and experts consider John Wooden as one of, if not, the greatest coaches of all time. Much of his success is a result of his beliefs and coaching system. Knowing the background of Coach Wooden’s playing and coaching career plays a significant role in understanding how he practiced his beliefs with his teams and how his philosophy and success intertwined to set a precedent for the remainder of collegiate basketball.
Sullivan, Robert, and Craig Neff. "Shame On You, Smu." Sports Illustrated, March 9, 1987.Article. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135953/1/index.htm
Pappano, Laura. “How Big-Time Sports Ate College Life” Norton Sampler: Short Essays for Composition, 8th ed. Pages 591-600. 2013.
Auerbach, Nicole, and Jeffrey Martin Sports. "One and Done, but Never as Simple as It Sounds." USA Today. Gannett, 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Like Robinson, these men paved the way for today’s players and are the reason that the best athletes in the world now play in the NBA.” (Dave Howell, NBA.com, Six Who Paved The Way, Page 1). African-Americans in basketball, more specifically the first 5 players, began to make people realize that African Americans were not foreign creatures, they were actual people. People also began to realize that African Americans make equally as significant contributions to the society and community as anyone else
and his brother Seth often went with his father Dell to games and warmed up with the team getting
As the veterans of the court the world’s best Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton just to name a few would choose their usual suspects with big broad shoulders, chiseled rock bodies and fully developed athletic abilities in the midst of them there he was a baby face ,long body, lanky kid with his arms hanging off him like a arangatang awaiting to be chosen his abilities to be unseen then with a southern accent hesitation in his voice “your with me kid” as he would run over to join his teammates I couldn’t be helped but be drawn to him.
One of the most influential people during the 90’s without question is Michael Jordan. He was known as the best basketball player of all time but his first love as a kid was baseball. As a sophomore in high school he was cut from the team so he practiced every day and during his junior and senior years he averaged 25 points a game and made the McDonalds all American game. He then got a scholarship to play basketball at North Carolina and that’s were his career hit off as he hit the game winning shot for North Carolina to win the national championship as a freshman. He then went into the NBA draft to be drafted 3rd overall and averaged almost 30 points a game. For the rest of his career he would win five regular season MVP awards, six NBA championships, six NBA final MVP’S, three All Star MVP’S and defensive player of the year. When his career was all said and done he went on to be the greatest basketball player that has ever lived(“Biography”).
many to be the greatest basketball player of all time (Kornbluth). My focus will be on his hardships,
Since colleges started to compete against each other in the 19th century, competition between them has grown rapidly. Recruiting is the greatest example as schools will give so much for the athlete that’ll bring championships. Schools are willing to forfeit millions of dollars for full ride scholarships. In return the athlete is to give his best on and off the field of play. The athlete would do this for four or maybe three years and if talented enough he or she would then pursue a professional career in the sport. This way of play would less until the end of the 20th century. Players would only play one year and would then go into a the pros. This new style- which is prominent in basketball- led to a new way of recruiting. A program would either embrace it or reject the coined term one and done athlete.
The championship game loss helps the audience, especially young adults with high, aspiring dreams, to understand, that even if you do work-hard and aren’t awarded with winning your goal, this isn’t the end of your journey. It only means you have to work harder in the future, if you want to succeed at your goal. This conclusion shows young children how to lose properly and how to be grateful for what they have, since being good a winning is a much easier task. For like a quote from Colin Powell, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” The under-class, basketball players learned from the mistakes in the title game, so they could go farther and win next year’s championship, because failure should never be your excuse to not attempt something.
In 1981, Michael Jordan stepped foot on North Carolina’s campus as a top recruited freshman and was soon to be one of only four freshmen to ever earn a starting spot under Coach Dean Smith. The University of North Carolina was where Michael Jordan’s legacy started, and as of now, it will not end anytime soon. In his playing days, Michael was a second overall draft pick, Nike client, six-time NBA champ, six-time NBA finals MVP, five-time NBA MVP, and a fourteen-time all-star. After his playing days were over, Jordan’s impact on the game and on the fans never died. He is a role model to many people spanning over all generations from old to young. Michael Jordan not only changed the game of basketball, but more importantly, he changed the sports industry. Because of his American values of motivation, dedication, and a hard work ethic, he has helped defined the way society views the sports industry.
What is the difference between a'smart' and a Retrieved November 4, 2002. ERIC Digest. Hanson K., & Shwartz W. (1992). Equal mathematics education for female students, 78. 4.