It’s NCAA Tournament time for basketball fans everywhere, and it’s always a blast to look back at the standouts of past tourneys. There are many personalities that transcend just basketball, and former Michigan and NBA standout Jalen Rose fits that mold. In the 1992 version of The Big Dance, he and his Fab Five brethren helped Michigan defy March Madness odds.
We take a look at Rose’s career, both on and off the court, and what he has accomplished. Check out the highlights below, but before you do, take a second to check out BetMGM’s $2 Million Bracket Challenge.
The Highlights
1990 -- Rose helps lead a star-studded Detroit Southwestern high school team to a state championship game after the school had lost in the title game in seven of the previous seasons. The 1989-90 season was Rose’s junior year, and he played alongside future NBA talent like Vashon Lenard and Howard Eisley.
Rose averaged 18 points, six assists and eight rebounds per game as a junior forward. He led the program to another state title as a senior in 1991.
1991 -- The Fab Five is born on the campus of the University of Michigan. Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, and Chris Webber -- who nearly became a prep teammate of Rose’s in Detroit -- joined together and took the college basketball world by storm.
By the time Christmas rolled around, Michigan head coach Steve Fisher routinely played the quintet together -- all freshmen, no upperclassmen. The Fab Five would make it to the national championship both years it was fully intact, in 1992 and 1993. For two years, they were quite popular in March Madness bracket betting.
1994 -- Rose is selected No. 13 overall by Denver in the 1994 NBA Draft. In his first season, he starts 37 out of 81 games and averages 8.2 points and 4.8 assists per game. He is named to the 1995 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, along with college teammate Juwan Howard, who makes the list playing for Washington.
1998 -- Now playing for Indiana -- his second and most successful NBA career stop -- he helps the Pacers reach the Eastern Conference finals. It is the first of three straight trips to the Eastern finals, and in 2000 he averaged 18.2 points per game as he, Reggie Miller, and the rest of the Pacers reached the NBA Finals.
2003 -- Rose had his most productive full season, statistically -- this time with the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 22.1 points per game, was deft from 3-point range (133 on the season) and dished for 4.8 assists per game. You name it, he did it. Unfortunately for Rose and the Bulls, the team only won 30 games and finished sixth in its division.
2007 -- On April 24, Rose played the final game of his 13-year career, finishing with the Phoenix Suns. He plays in 29 games, coming off the bench. His final minutes came in the playoffs against the L.A. Lakers in a blowout win, as he scored two points in his nine minutes of play.
2007 -- After basketball wrapped, he began work with ABC/ESPN, and it quickly became apparent he’s a strong presence in the media world. He became an analyst on SportsCenter and a co-host on NBA Countdown. This is just the beginning of a colorful career in the media.
2011 -- He produced The Fab Five, the story about Michigan’s famed quintet. It is a massive hit.
2016 -- He is awarded the 11th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award, which spotlights individuals who have made major contributions to both human and civil rights. Also, for those who have helped lay a foundation for future leaders through sports.
Also, in 2016, he earned the Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award, given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
2021 -- Rose becomes the first guest ever on BetMGM’s new Unleashed podcast. Feel free to give it a listen below.
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Brian McLaughlin is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of BMac and Herd’s FCS Podcast. He has written for The Sporting News, headed up the PARADE Magazine High School All American teams, covered FCS college football for HERO Sports ... and two NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments (2009 and 2010). Follow BMac on Twitter @BrianMacWriter.
