My heart is full…Jalen and Chris…About damn time.
8 Likes
Think it’s pretty likely that some prep and prior communication went into this on-screen moment.
Good point, but there are some semantics. For instance, Christian Laettner was inducted into the college HOF and as a member of the Dream Team. But he is not an individual HOF inductee. By definition the Naismith Hall of Fame is NOT an NBA only Hall of Fame. It recognizes professional, international and American amateurs as well. Nick Gallis who never played an NBA game was inducted into the Naismith HOF for his impact in international Basketball. Coach Cal is also an individual HOF inductee.
I would think that at some point, Laettner gets in. Maybe way down the road but (as much as I hate to admit it) he had the strongest college career of anyone I’ve watched since the 80’s.
I’m pretty surprised he isn’t in already. He was one of the best and most recognizable college players of all time (partially because just as many people hated him as loved him…but still). He was also on the Dream Team and played for a while in the NBA.
Yep. He even made one all-star team.
Laettner’s mom is already in, he’s just going to have to wait his turn.
1 Like
Rockin the 2021 Big Ten champions shirt, I love it!
9 Likes
As someone that works in TV I am pretty surprised there was no pre-interview or at least a warning. Pretty crazy. I guess it’s a unique situation though.
4 Likes
The fab five was before I was even born, so I get that I might not have the full picture when I say this, but just grow up already Chris. Dude acts like the world is out to get him, it honestly makes his whole vibe so unlikeable.
2 Likes
I think Chris is a very polarizing guy. I can see why people wouldn’t care for him but he was the one facing a federal grand jury. I’m not sure anyone else unless they have had to face that understands what he went through (his own doing). I like Jalen as well but this stuff has gone on for decades. If this frustration or anger hasn’t been hashed out now it never will. There are so many angles from the testimony, to the banners taken down, to the school falling on their own sword and wanting to distance themselves from the Fab 5 for years.
1 Like
When NIL passes the banners should go back up
5 Likes
Yeah, the drama has been going on for 20 years and I’d rather it not suck our current head coach in there. Let’s go hang some new banners and hope they mend fences without it having to drag the current state of the program into it.
3 Likes
Yeah, maybe you had to be there. And Chris is obviously polarizing. I see him more as a little bit tragic, extraordinarily talented and with very unique skills. I think if he’d been able to get an NBA championship he might have been able to dispel that aura of player dogged by stinging failure. Always loved them all, myself.
8 Likes
The others cooperated, Chris lied - to a grand jury. Had Ed Martin not died, Chris could have served jail time. He dug a hole for himself. BTW, the other 4 Fab5 members were not implicated in the Ed Martin scandal. Taylor, Traylor and Bullock were.
5 Likes
I agree with this. Somebody mentioned and I can’t remember who it was because it’s been so long maybe it was Bryan Burwell of the Detroit News. Mentioned that Chris wasn’t like Juwan and Jalen to the extent of their background. Chris got to go to Country Day and his family wasn’t rolling in money but it wasn’t a struggle for the family.
2 Likes
I don’t hold much of what Chris did in college against him - nothing really. I think players should get paid, he did, that’s fine. I also don’t hold his comments at the time about amateurism against him.
I think Chris has been sort of of obnoxious since, as if Michigan committed some sort of specific offense against him that it hasn’t to other players. He seems to want special treatment (I mean, more special than other alumni), and his willingness to show up to football games, etc., while keeping basketball at arms length rubbed me the wrong way.
I think the most important thing to Chris Webber is his ego, and I personally don’t have much desire to stroke it. I don’t think he’s a bad guy, I don’t think his offenses are grievous - I just get annoyed by him.
Peripherally, his announcing career should have been a demerit on his HOF case…my god.
1 Like
That’s my take too and has been since I was at Michigan from 1993-1997. I totally understand and agree with the cause that Webber was fighting for. He couldn’t afford a pizza but people were making millions off of his jersey, his image, his fame. I get it - and agree. In that way I wasn’t totally upset with the fact that he (and others) took money, even if Chris’ background wasn’t quite aligned with other members of the team at that time.
My problem wasn’t with Chris taking money from a rich gambler or even his behavior about NCAA rules. It was that he seemed to have no regard at all for the future of Michigan’s program or the other players associated with it. He didn’t care that his actions were going to take down Michigan. He didn’t care that he undercut his own teammates and coaches. It was always about Chris. Had he come out and addressed the situation and taken some responsibility for his actions - even if they were justified in his own mind - I would feel differently.
If I’m not mistaken, Jalen has admitted to taking money back then (though a smaller amount) and owned it. Owned his role in that era. That’s the missing piece with Chris. He thinks he did nothing wrong and doesn’t care what happened to Michigan.
3 Likes
Chris is stuck on the idea that the Fab 5 were exploited, that others made money off their fame, and, therefore, he was entitled to take a lot money from a local numbers runner on the side and lie to a grand jury about it - a combination of stupid and bad legal advice. He discounts the damage to the university because it made money selling Fab 5 gear. That might be an understandable attitude for a 20 year old CWebb, but the hope was that he would gain perspective as he matured. No evidence of the yet.
3 Likes