How could C Webb not being haunted by the timeout? The only thing I can equate it to, is the Bill Buckner error in the World Series.
It might even be worse, because it was compounded by the fact that Webber, was also involved in a scandal, that led to him being banned from the University, Michigan being put on probation, wins being vacated and the Fab 5 banners being taken down. So, I am not surprised that Webber feels a certain way about Michigan now, especially with the current team one win away from the championship the Fab 5 could never win, but Jalen Rose wants Webber to get over it.
“The elephant in the room has been Chris Webber,” Rose told Bill Simmons on his podcast on Sunday. “While he loves us like brothers and vice versa there has been a communication separation that has basically taken place since we all were teammates. I think the time out had a lot to do with it. I think he wants to disassociate himself with that moment and with that school, in theory with us, to kind of rebuild his life mentally to say, ‘My career really started my rookie year in the NBA, but that’s really not how it works.'”
“He was the person eventually that ended up having the unfortunate timeout. He was the person involved with the Ed Martin situation that led to the banners being taken down and the wins being vacated. He was the person that chose not to participate in the Fab Five doc,” Rose continued. “Now hopefully he’s not the only person that chooses not to participate in celebrating Michigan basketball being back on top 20 years after we played in the final game. It would mean so much to the university, so much to the current players…The world knows that he’s going to be in Atlanta, so it’s almost like a flagrant omission if he decides not to come.”
I am a proponent of leaving school when you know you are going to be a high draft pick. Chris Webber knew he was going to be the #1 pick in the NBA draft, but I truly believe he should have stayed in school. I think Michigan would have went undefeated. I believe Webber would have been a monster and exercised a lot of demons. He was a very good NBA player, but if those demons would have been exercised in college, I think he would have been even better. There was always something holding him back from being great.
I disagree with Rose that it would be a “flagrant omission”, because no one knows exactly how Webber is feeling and maybe he doesn’t want to be a distraction.
I do hope he comes, the Fab 5 meant more to a lot of kids myself included (I still has a Webber Michigan Jersey in storage from when I was 13 years old) than just basketball. It would be nice to see them all together again supporting the Wolverines.