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The University of Michigan Fab Five Essay

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There seems to be a fine line, a three-point line, between pushing the envelope and pushing a revolution. In 1991, five freshmen from the University of Michigan brashly stepped over that line redefining the world of college basketball as we knew it and in the process, revolutionized the relationship between style and sport. These men were "fresh" in more ways than one, causing an entire nation to dub them fabulous. They brought a hip and a hop to a game that was previously flat. Anyone following college basketball loved or hated to love the "Fab Five," evincing that either way five things were on people's minds or television screens. Whether you were a kid begging your mom to take you to a sporting goods store, like I was, to "get those…show more content…
With a grin on his face and hands over knees, Juwan explains how they became five: "Back then high school basketball players weren't legitimate pro prospects so blue chip recruits would call other blue chip recruits in order to sway their decision." The more details about his pursuit of the other four, the more his grin grows, "I knew if I could get Jalen I could get Chris since they were both from Detroit. Ray, on the other hand, was a whole different story." Being from Texas and the son of a Preacher, Ray's decision really wasn't his. Ray's father made it clear that school and family come before basketball. Impersonating his father's initial response Ray can't help but get animated "Michigan? Ray you've never seen snow!" But when decision making time came Michigan's prestigious academic history, a full scholarship, and combined with the Ray's constant badgering was "the right choice" according to the Preacher. The fifth guy was Jimmy. Juwan didn't even have to call him. Before Jimmy was even off the phone with Coach Steve Fisher he made his decision to attend Michigan. It was out of habit that the Fib Five displayed style, when they dunked over someone they danced and talked trash to them because that was how they were used to playing. They all grew up playing street basketball. Taunting, trash-talking, and flashiness are all characteristics of playground basketball
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