Rose gives the people what they want
The ESPN analyst speaks with The Chronicle one-on-one
By Tevin Stinson
The Chronicle
Most basketball fans know the impact the Michigan Fab Five had on the landscape of collegiate basketball in this country.
In 1991, the Wolverines changed how the game was played when they became the first Division I program to start five freshmen. These were no ordinary freshmen, all five players (Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Juan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson) were McDonald’s All-Americans and each could have been the star on a number of other teams. The five All-Americans also helped to bring a popular “Hip-Hop” style to the court with their long baggy shorts and “in your face” attitude.
Jalen Rose, who played point guard for the Wolverines from 1991 to 1994, may be the most well known and outspoken member of the Fab Five. After playing 13 seasons in the NBA Rose, hung up his basketball kicks and picked up a microphone. Rose is currently a sports analyst for ESPN/ABC.
Recently, Rose added author to his resume when his first book “Gotta Give The People What They Want,” hit store shelves on Oct. 6. The book is a colorful collection of stories about basketball and life that will give fans insight and understanding they cannot get anywhere else.
While on tour to promote the new book, Rose made a quick stop in Winston-Salem to host the Champion Fashion Show at the HandsBrand headquarters. During his visit, Rose took time to sit down with The Chronicle Sports to discuss his new book, the Fab Five, The Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and the late Stuart Scott, who grew up in Winston-Salem.
WSC: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me today. I know you’re a busy man so, I’ll try to keep it brief.
Rose: No problem, thank you for reaching out. It’s always a pleasure to help a fellow journalist.
WSC: Everyone knows the impact the Fab Five had on the court, but the team also had a huge social impact as well. Could you tell me a little more about that?
Rose: The social relevance part came into play after we all became brothers. A lot of people overlook the brotherhood that we had back at Michigan. We all made a sacrifice by going to Michigan, and that’s when we first realized that we were all for one. For the most part, we were all from the same type of neighborhoods and we wanted the fans to see us for who we were. That’s why we started wearing the baggy shorts and black socks. When a lot of people thought we were bad for basketball, we didn’t care because we knew we had our brothers standing with us.
WSC: You opened the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in the fall of 2011 in your hometown of Detroit. Why did you decide to open a school?
Rose: Growing up in Detroit, I was always thinking of ways I could influence the city that had lost a lot of its roots and home-grown talent due to the closing of manufacturing factories, and I felt like I could do that with education. I wanted to bridge that education gap for inner city kids so they could get the same quality education that the suburban city kids get, even though they get less money from the government.
WSC: Its been over 20 years since you left Michigan. What made you decide that now was the right time for the book?
Rose: You know what, at age 42, you start to mature and you start to reflect. Just like when I did the Fab Five documentary, I wanted to end the story. The next day, whatever happened was like falling on the sword, good, bad or indifferent. I’m just owning it and that’s how I felt about the book as well. To me, once the book hit shelves on Oct. 6, the next chapter of my life began on Oct. 7.
WSC: As you know, your late colleague Stuart Scott attended high school in Winston-Salem. What type of influence did he have on you and your career?
Rose: Great Question. Thank you for asking me about him. Stuart was not only a mentor for me, but my brother. The same time we were looking to make an impact on the court, Stuart was making the same type of impact with the media at ESPN. With the catch phrases, integrating Hip Hop, having style and flavor, Stuart was a real game changer. Before he took that chance, our voices weren’t necessarily being heard by the masses. Losing Stuart was a major loss, not just for the ESPN family but for society because he was a good man.
