Michigan’s Fab Five only played together for two years but is still talked about today as one of the most iconic gatherings of talent on one team in college basketball history. Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson helped Michigan defy all of the March Madness odds.
It reached the national championship game both years it played together (1992 and 1993) and reached the Elite Eight in 1994 after Chris Webber had left for the NBA the year prior.
But how did the players do in the NBA? We present a look at their careers.
And before we forget, check out BetMGM’s $2 Million Bracket Challenge.
The Fab Five Comparison
CHRIS WEBBER, PF
NBA CAREER AVG.: 20.7 ppg., 9.8 rpg., 4.2 apg., 1.4 blocks per game -- in 15 seasons
THE RUNDOWN: After being drafted by the NBA No. 1 overall in 1993, he was immediately traded by the Orlando Magic to the Golden State Warriors. In his professional career spanning 1993 to 2008, he played for the Warriors, Washington, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Detroit, and he came back to Golden State for a swan song and played the final eight games of his career there.
Webber was a five-time NBA All-Star, the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year, and had his No. 4 jersey retired by the Sacramento Kings.
JALEN ROSE, SF
NBA CAREER AVG.: 14.3 ppg., 3.8 apg., 3.5 rpg., 80.1% free-throw percentage -- in 13 seasons
THE RUNDOWN: Rose was selected No. 14 overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets and played there for the next two seasons before ending up with the Indiana Pacers from 1996-2002. He also had stops in Chicago, Toronto, New York, and Phoenix during his career. In 1995 he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team (second team), and in 2000 he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
Rose has since become an immensely popular member of the media world and produced the documentary The Fab Five, which told the story of Michigan’s groundbreaking quintet of players in the early 1990s. He was also recently the first guest ever on BetMGM’s new Unleashed podcast.
JUWAN HOWARD, C
NBA CAREER AVG.: 13.4 ppg., 6.1 rpg., 2.2 apg. In 19 seasons.
THE RUNDOWN: Howard was taken No. 5 overall in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft, just a handful of spots ahead of his Fab Five brother Jalen Rose. He’s the only member of the Fab Five to earn two NBA Championship rings (both with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013), and he was an NBA All-Star in 1996. He played for Washington, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Houston, Charlotte, Portland, and finally, the Miami Heat in his career.He actually had two stops apiece in Dallas and Denver.
Since leaving the NBA, he has become a successful coach at his alma mater and currently has Michigan in the NCAA Tournament. He has helped make the Wolverines an intriguing pick on fans’ March Madness betting bracket.
JIMMY KING, SG
NBA CAREER AVG.: 4.5 ppg., 1.8 rpg., 1.4 apg. In 64 games over two seasons.
THE RUNDOWN: King was taken 35th overall in the NBA Draft’s second round by the Toronto Raptors in 1995. He also had a short stint with the Denver Nuggets. He also played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association -- where he was named the league’s most valuable player in 1998 while playing in Quad City.
Along with the NBA and CBA, King spent time playing in the NBDL, the WBA and the IBL, as well as stints in Venezuela and Poland.
RAY JACKSON, SG/SF
NBA CAREER AVG.: Never played
THE RUNDOWN: Jackson went undrafted in 1995, joining Jimmy King as the only two members of Michigan’s Fab Five who played all four years for the Wolverines. Jackson was the lone member of the group never to play a minute in the NBA, although he did get preseason looks from the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons before being released. He did play in the CBA though and was named the 1996 CBA Rookie of the Year while playing for Grand Rapids. He also played professionally in France, Argentina, and Venezuela.
More Fab Five
For more awesome content featuring a Fab Five legend, check out Rose’s appearance this week on the Unleashed podcast.
