2007, March 30: Metro NY - Just Fabulous

Legacy of Michigan Final Four teams is seen on every court in the country... They've combined for 42 NBA seasons, six All-Star games and over 45,000 points. But when you talk to people about the Fab Five, they want to talk about the shorts and the socks. "When they came out with the black shoes and black socks and big shorts, everybody wanted to go to Michigan," says Knicks guard Nate Robinson. It's been 15 years since Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King took the basketball world by storm, reaching the NCAA finals with five freshmen starters. They did it again as sophomores before Webber left to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. They won 56 games those first two seasons, but made fans with their style - both of play and in apparel. "I had the shoes that they wore and everything," says Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson, who had just turned 10 when Fab Five met Final Four. "I wanted to go to Michigan. It was one of the greatest teams ever." The greatness transcended sports, too. The link between basketball and hip-hop had already formed, but nothing gave it the strength of steel like the Fab Five. They were a high-wire act on the court, with dunks and fast breaks that were as flashy as Run DMC's gold chains. They had attitude and they weren't afraid to show it - even if it meant extra laps after practice. "I remember the longer we wore our shorts, the more we had to practice with Coach Fisher," Webber says. "He used to put these rings on the basketball to make it harder to make shots and we actually kept score like it was going to make a difference." "We had to work hard to wear black socks and do some things." "The world got a chance to see our bond with the bald heads, black shoes, black socks, big shorts and how that revolutionized the game," Rose says. "But hip-hop made it mainstream. You didn't see Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson in rap videos or on TV talking about they like BET. The bond we had transcended basketball." It won't soon be forgotten either. Even if today's youngsters don't have ESPN Classic to see what ballers wore before the Michigan days, Rose is there to help. "Butt-huggers," he says of the old style shorts. "Thigh-grabbing." "Soft porn." Unlike style, attitude never changes. by david sandora / metro new york