The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1123063
• "I think Michigan hired the best per- son for the job — the fact that he's an alum and a member of the Fab Five is just icing on the cake. I must stress this — the enthusiasm we have for Juwan to be the head coach at Michigan doesn't take away what John Beilein brought to the program, because he did an amazing job. "To have Juwan in this position and for us as the Fab Five to support him means everything to us. There won't be any splintering, drama or disrespect for Ju- wan as our leader. "I loved Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway, Caris LeVert, D.J. Wilson and Nik Stauskas — those guys are my little brothers, and I love what John Beilein established. How- ever, when you have Juwan Howard, a former player, standing on the sideline, it just does something different for you." — Jalen Rose on the May 23 episode of Get Up! on ESPN • "Let me tell you a little bit about Ju- wan: if I'm not mistaken, he's the first NBA player who graduated from college on time but still left early, leaving Michigan after his junior year. "Juwan has been under one of the best basketball minds of all time throughout the last 10 years in Pat Riley. He's worked with and won champion- ships with some of the game's best players, and athletes like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade respect him. "I was very close with [for- mer U-M football coach] Bo Schembechler, and in my opinion, Juwan is a Michigan Man. I'm biased of course, and if my son were lucky enough to get a scholarship and it came down to Juwan and the greats, I would have him go there [to Michigan]. "It wouldn't just be because he's my friend, but because of the talks I know he would have with my son when I'm not there. I know Juwan would help him be a man, be accountable and would work his butt off harder than any other coach. "I look at the total man and the passion in Juwan, and know he would love for his house to be right on State Street and to retire there as an old man. That's what he wants, and there's no other job in the world he'd cherish more. … You better have all your boxes checked when you're replacing a guy like John Beilein, and I think Ju- wan does." — Chris Webber on the May 21 edition of The Rich Eisen Show THE MEDIA CHIMES IN • "I'm eager to see how he does in a very familiar place. I like the hire because Michi- gan now has former players as both their football and basketball head coaches — I don't know if any other college in the country can say that. You have to reinvest in the people who helped bring you to prominence. "Juwan has a pedigree of coaching, and even when he wasn't playing at the end of his career, there was a feeling he was still absorbing everything he needed to absorb. It was obviously at the NBA level, but college and the pros are converging nowadays, especially in the terminology between the two. I'm rooting for Juwan and am glad he finally got a head coaching position." — TV/radio host Dan Patrick on his May 23 show • "[Miami Heat small forward] Justice Winslow recently spoke about how Juwan's time with the Fab Five makes him a basketball legend. When you hear a player talk about a coach and call him a legend while he's still part of the existing staff, that's say- ing something. Players' eyes simply light up when they talk about him. "Winslow is only 22 years old, but you can see the Fab Five still resonates with the younger guys, and I think it would trickle into the recruiting process as well. Juwan will have the ability to tell recruits what it's like being around LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the locker room, while also having influences from [Miami Heat head coach] Erik Spoelstra, [Heat president] Pat Riley, [New York Knicks head coach] David Fizdale and all these different guys who own reputations of being players' coaches. "Those are all things he'll be able to hang his hat on in conversations with young kids when they're trying to determine where to go to college." — Miami Heat Beat writer Gregory L. Sylvander on how he thinks Howard will perform on the recruiting trail PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY JUNE/JULY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 21 • June, 1996 — After being elected to his lone NBA All-Star team midway through the season, Howard was named to the All- NBA third team at the end of a campaign in which he averaged 22.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a contest. • Aug. 5, 1996 — Signs a seven-year, $105-million contract with the Bullets, which at the time was the first-ever $100-million deal in NBA history. • Feb. 22, 2001 — Traded for the first time in his career, to the Dallas Mavericks, after spending the first six-and-a-half seasons with Washington. Howard found himself consistently on the move for the rest of his professional days, spending time with the Denver Nuggets (2002-03), Orlando Magic (2003-04), Hous- ton Rockets (2004-07), Mavericks (2007-08), Nuggets (2008), Charlotte Bobcats (2008-09), Portland Trail Blazers (2009-10) and Miami Heat (2010-13). • June 21, 2012 — Claims his first NBA championship when the Heat defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-1, becoming the first and only member of the Fab Five to win a title. • April 17, 2013 — Makes the 900th start of his career in the Heat's regular-season finale, a triumph against the Magic. It was not only the final start of Howard's career, but also the last game he would ever play in. He concluded his NBA tenure with 1,208 career contests played, which are the 38th-most in the history of the league. • June 20, 2013 — Takes home the second NBA championship of his pro tenure (though he did not make an appearance in the playoffs) when Miami defeats the San Antonio Spurs, 4-3. • Sept. 28, 2013 — Officially retires from the NBA when the Heat announce him as an assistant coach on their staff. Howard finished his career with 16,159 regular-season points, which rank 109th in NBA history. • May 22, 2019 — Named the head basketball coach at Michi- gan, marking his first full-time job as a head man at any level. — Austin Fox