The Fab Five: Basketball Trash Talk the American Dream

by Mitch Albom

Book Overview

Recounts the remarkable story of University of Michigan basketball players Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson, and chronicles their success in the NCAA tournaments of 1992 and 1993.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446517348
• ISBN13: 9780446517348
• Release Date: November 1993
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 1.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Fabulous Five Freshmen

"What scares you Jalen? Death, said Jalen,... because I can't imagine a world without me in it." The cockiness that was the Fab Five is captured perfectly by Mitch Albom in his book the Fab Five; Basketball, Trash Talk and the American Dream. Like Albom's other books Tuesdays with Morrie and 5 People You Meet in Heaven, his story telling engulfs the reader and transforms a normal story into a legendary tale. Albom recognizes the important interaction between people in their actions and conversations and captures that in his writing. This story, the Fab Five, was a great book and one of the best for any sports fan. The "Greatest Class Ever Recruited", as Albom called them, is a great story that is told from behind the scenes, during the Fab Five's historic career at the University of Michigan. The Fab Five by Albom is the finest sports book because Albom's humorous and stylish writing brings to life the events surrounding five freshmen that transformed college basketball. The Fab Five is a book about Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, the fabulous five freshmen at the University of Michigan. A group assembled in many different ways, each contributing a unique story to what brought them to Ann Arbor. Albom takes his first few chapters describing the intricate lines that connected each player to Ann Arbor. Jalen and Chris were from Detroit and went to UofM because they were always best friends. Ray Jackson and Jimmy King are from Texas. Ray Jackson was noticed accidentally while scouts were in Texas recruiting other players. For Jimmy King, he came to UofM because Juwan Howard, his roommate on a recruiting trip, was going. And to put it all together, Juwan became a Michigan Wolverine because his recently diseased grandmother wanted him to go to UofM. Together they became the Fab Five and marched their way on campus and took the college basketball world by storm making it to back-to-back NCAA men's national championship appearances. The caliber of talent that sounds this book is one for the history books. However, the Fab Five would not be the book it was without the writing and story telling ability of Mitch Albom. Albom has been voted the number one sports writer an unprecedented seven times by the Associated Press Sports Editors. He has hosted a TV show on ESPN and written many famous books as well as a sports column for the "Detroit Free Press". His ability to touch every reader regardless of background is rare. He makes people cry reading Tuesdays with Morrie and people stand up in cheer for the `91 Michigan basketball team in the Fab Five. Undoubtedly, Albom is one of the best writers in American and is writing about one of the best sports teams America has ever witnessed. Albom accurately describes the sequence of events leading five high school seniors to main-stream college freshman superstars. But one of the things that makes this story one for the ages is that while on

No doubt.

With all the kids going to the pros now this book just gets more and more interesting. College hoops may never be the same as it was when the fab five were together. Although it may be wrong to say they were the reason for so many changes, they were certainly style agents of the nth degree. No doubt about the power of youth and potential and Albom captures all of it with a lot of excitement and enjoyment.

Fab Five: Basketball, trash talk, the American dream

by Mitch Albom This book talks about the University of Michigan Men's basketball team, freshman class of 1992. They landed five of the best high school players in the country. The book follows each player from high school to Michigan. Then follows Michigan on a quest for a National Championship. Also it talks about the troubles a team with five very talented freshman would have to go through. Older players mad because theyr're not playing enough and vice versa. And what Steve Fisher, the coach, should do.

The best sports book ever written...

...and a strikingly vivid portrayal of the intricacies of big-time college athletics. Albom has the ability to make the story of five basketball players from inner-city America transcend race, culture, and sport, and he writes a book moving to fans and non-fans alike. His prose is elegant, his portrayals intensely realistic. I've read this book at least twenty times, and it never ceases to amaze. It is the best tribute imaginable to the young men who were the Fab Five and to the cultural phenomenon they induced. Albom perfectly captures what it felt like to be a fan of the Fab Five in the early '90s and reminds us all of the complexities involved when five strong, brash, and confident individuals take the court...and there's only one ball. A must-read for all individuals--I promise it won't disappoint.

Univ of Michigan Fab Five Rules!!!

This is clearly the best sports book I ahave ever read in my life and would recommend this book to any of the college and NBA basketball fans out there. You will see how Chris, Juwan, and Jalen came about, where they are superstars in the NBA, while Jimmy and Ray had to try a little harder to become the stars, which they still haven't yet (but they will be in the NBA soon!!!). EVERYBODY, get this book its fun and fast reading, very informative, Mitch Albom did a great job in giving the reader an inside story of what was going on during the 92-94 Fab Five hype!