The Wolverine

August 2012

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Juwan Howard Captures A Ring For Miami — And The Fab Five Five of the early 1990s as much for what they didn't accomplish as for what they did. The brash, five-man 1992 recruiting class that started to- gether as five freshmen and made consecutive national title game ap- pearances won plenty of games in their collegiate and professional ca- reers, but none of them had a ring to show for it heading into 2012. That all changed in June when 18- U BY CHRIS BALAS ntil June, some people remem- bered Michigan's heralded Fab ard told the Miami Herald. "We won this ring for the Michigan Fab Five — Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Thank you, Miami." Howard proceeded to thank the Miami front office and coaching staff in addition to family and the Miami fans. Later, Heat owner Mick Ari- son granted him permission to order championship rings for each of his Fab Five teammates. Howard didn't play much in the playoffs, averaging 1.5 minutes per game in four conference finals con- tests with the Boston Celtics. He saw only three minutes of action in the NBA Finals, but it was the final three minutes of the deciding game five. "Our guys have so much respect year NBA veteran Juwan Howard, playing in perhaps his last profes- sional season, earned a champion- ship ring with the Miami Heat's vic- tory over the Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. Howard found ESPN NBA analyst, retired NBA standout and Fab Five teammate Jalen Rose in the postgame locker room, em- braced him for several seconds and got emotional. "We did it for my boys, too," How- done so Juwan Howard can get on the court in this game in the Finals to get the championship.' "He's earned this. We'll all be working for him some day. He'll be a GM or a coach, whatever he de- cides. That's what he was acting as this year, anyway." "I was always trying to uplift my teammates, just give them that spirit they need," Howard added during the celebration. "The times I felt they were down, the times they had doubt, I wanted to make sure that I reaffirmed to them that we were going to win it. And sure enough, we did." Howard concluded by giving his former Michigan teammates one more shout-out. "Everybody shares this," Howard said. "[Jalen] is my brother. We've been through hard pain together man, since college. More importantly, we got to the NBA and we always supported each other. He's been my biggest supporter. That's my brother. "C-Webb, Ray, Jimmy — this is family. We did it for them." Crawford, a 12-year NBA veteran of four teams, wasn't sure where he'd be playing in 2012-13 — he just knew it wouldn't be with Portland, the team that signed him at the be- ginning of last year. He got a better idea when Los Angeles Clippers All- Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin sold him on joining them in Southern California. "When players of that caliber want Former Michigan guard Jamal JAMAL CRAWFORD SIGNS WITH THE CLIPPERS for Juwan Howard," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "With five minutes to go Dwyane [Wade] and Chris [Bosh] and LeBron [James] mentioned in the huddle, 'Hey, two more minutes, let's get this thing 88 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2012 An 18-year NBA veteran, Howard finally won his first championship with the Heat in June. PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI HEAT want to let anybody down who puts themselves on the line for you." Crawford opted out of his $5.2 mil- lion contract with the Blazers to be- come an unrestricted free agent after averaging 13.9 points, 3.2 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 60 games in his only season with the team. He shot 38 per- cent from the field, 31 percent from three-point range and led the NBA in free throw shooting at 93 percent. Crawford started his career with Chicago and has played with New York, Golden State and Atlanta. He was the league's Sixth Man of the Year with the Hawks in 2009-10. you on their team, you really have to sit down and look at that," Crawford told the Associated Press after inking a four-year deal worth $21.7 million in July. "Me and Chris talked for a while how good we could be. They actually wanted me, and it feels good to be wanted. You definitely don't in early July that former Wolverine Dar- ius Morris, taken by the team with the 41st pick in the 2011 draft, signed his qualifying offer, a one-year deal worth $962,000. Morris averaged 2.4 points and 1.1 assists in 8.9 minutes in 19 games last season. "Nobody yet knows if Morris can de- • The Los Angeles Lakers announced NBA NOTES velop into a credible NBA point guard, but he's 21 years old, 6-4 and — while undoubtedly inconsistent in his playing time — showed enough of those pure point-guard instincts to make him worth holding on to, Brian Kamenetzky opined. " ESPNLosAngeles.com's

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