If you're a hoop fan and historian, then the only way you don't know about ESPN's 30/30 "Fab 5" film is if you're living under a rock with Rick from that insurance commercial. For cats that are outside of the loop, 3/5 Fab Fivers made an appearance earlier this week on the network's show ("First Take") to promote the film and discuss it.
Jay Crawford interviewed Fab5 Alum's Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, and Jalen Rose to get insight and talk about the old days in "A Square" (Ann Arbor, MI). One occurrence in the old days was the bitter feud between the U of Michigan and Duke. As Jay cut to a clip of the film, you saw Jalen express his feelings toward that school in Durham, NC: "…I hated everything Duke. They only recruit Uncle Tom black athletes."
Now keep in mind Jalen Rose is an employed NBA analyst for ESPN, and he responsibly made sure he wouldn't get fired for using such controversial language. Also, that was a 30+ year old man reflecting from his days as an impressionable teen-ager fresh out of high school. But usually where there's smoke, fire is right behind.
To some, Jalen's generalization of Duke and schools of that ilk (Indiana, Kansas) were the smoke, but to me, the fire is the reality. After ESPN showed the clip the adult Jalen didn't clean up or backpedal from his comments, rather restated his comment more politically correct. He basically said during the time of his recruitment, certain schools only recruited black athletes from a certain tenement: polished black families usually with two parent households.
The posterboy of Jalen's angst at the time was Grant Hill. Hill was an All-American guy who's mother was roommates with Hillary Clinton and dad played running back for America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys. Hill emerged from an astute and affluent high school in the suburbs, where Jalen conversely hailed from Detroit's Public School League ( sidetone: waddup Southwestern , shout out to Vashon Leonard and Howard Eisley!)
Besides playing in urban Detroit, Jalen's household was broken. His mom led a single-parent home while his Dad Jimmy Walker, also a pro athlete, was inactive in Jalen's life. Quite naturally that made Jalen jealous. Not of Hill, but of his fortunate situation. Assessing Grant Hill as an "Uncle Tom" isn't accurate. Uncle Tom to me is someone who goes out of his way to not be so associated or identified with his culture. G Hill and his family were just ahead of their time. How many black households do you know in 2011 where 1 or 2 parents are college educated with money?
Now for the "fire" part of my analogy, the reality. It is true during the time Rose was being recruited (91) , players from the Fab 5 weren't heavily recruited from Duke, and they were the top players of the country! Why is that? Is it because Coach K came from that Army/Coach Bob Knight dictatorial, disciplined style of coaching he didn't think was conducive for the Fab-5? Or was it because the Fab-5 were the first of its kind: hip hop listening, baggy shorts-wearing, trash-talking ballers from the urban city? Coach K must've been afraid for his life that these potential malcontents were thugs and killers.
Fast forward 20 years later, and the Fab-5 are respectable, suit-wearing, upstanding businessman and citizens of the USA. Not to be blasphemous, but they did sacrifice a lot and were scrutinized so much just so that the modern athlete could be accepted for embracing the hip hop culture and be free to express himself. Jalen's Uncle Tom comment wasn't a slight at Coach K or even an assault at the kids. Jalen's comment was to alert coaches across the country that basketball talent is basketball talent, no matter if it comes from the suburbs or the city. Take the time to know and understand me before you judge me. Only God can do that. Roses do grow from concrete!
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