Chris Webber explains how Fab Five fixed issues, why they all returned to Crisler Center

The nostalgia continues to take over Michigan athletics.

The football program's first national championship in 26 years, followed by a parade through downtown Ann Arbor and celebration inside the basketball arena, was not enough of a throwback.

On Monday afternoon, for the first time since their playing days more than 30 years ago, Michigan basketball's Fab Five was all under that Crisler Center roof as Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson sat on the sideline opposite U-M coach Juwan Howard and watched as the Wolverines ended their five-game losing skid with a 73-65 victory over rival Ohio State.

While it was an important win to keep hope alive in a rapidly devolving season, perhaps as important is the recently repaired relationship between the school and one of basketball's most famous quintet.

"It’s been some years, it’s been some time, probably as long as you can imagine,” Webber told the Free Press of the last time the five were together. “I think you have to have a natural reunion first and we were able to do that, enjoy ourselves and build. Everybody had their own relationship, I think it’s no secret Jalen and I had to come together, we have, much earlier.

"It’s not just about today, again, it had to happen naturally."

Rose and Webber publicly squashed their beef a few years ago on television after Webber was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, which Webber explained Monday was just the beginning.

Both men had a lot to work through personally, he said, but after reflection the former Birmingham Detroit Country Day star and Michigan Mr. Basketball decided he was ready to move forward.

"The emotions have to be in place," Webber said. "Reconciliation, have to be in a place of forgiveness. I can’t speak for Jalen, but that’s where I was and I think obviously he was there, too."

Webber has watched U-M basketball games in person during the Howard era in person, most notably during the 2021 NCAA tournament. But Monday was the first time Webber stepped foot on the Crisler Center floor since he visited as a rookie in 1993.

Even though the Fab Five era has largely been erased from the record books by the university, Webber said his love for his alma mater has never fluctuated; it's one reason he felt emotional when he and his former teammates received a standing ovation upon their introduction.

"It means a lot and they get a standing ovation from us," Webber said in return. "We love it here. I think they know I love it. They see us on TV, bragging about our team, talking about how much we love our team."

For Howard, in his fifth season as U-M's head coach, it was hard to put into words what it meant to see his "brothers" back in the building.

He hugged each man as he ran off the court and up the tunnel at halftime, but he really got to soak in the moment postgame when the five lined up along center court and stood arm-in-arm as they posed for a photo

When Webber was asked about the state of this year's team, he said he knows "it's lonely, it's hard and it's frustrating," he added Howard knows he has support from all over.

"That felt great, man," Howard told Fox-TV following Monday's game. "There's nothing like having your family step in. Knowing we're going through a tough time, for them to be here and support us, it was truly uplifting.

"These guys, I've been in the trenches with so many years. Won a lot of games with, lost a lot of games with, learned so much from them. But knowing (I have their) support through thick and thin, I appreciate that."

While there's no telling just yet what the future may hold for the group of freshmen who wore black socks and took the nation by storm in 1991, and how complete reconciliation between that era and the university comes is unknown.

But for Webber said, Monday at Crisler Center was well worth the wait.

"It’s really cool to be here, but it’s better to be here as family," Webber said. "If it took 100 years, I’d wait that long to be here, sincerely. So it feels great. It feels great."

Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.

Next up: Fighting Illini

Matchup: Michigan (7-10, 2-4 Big Ten) vs. No. 14 Illinois (12-4, 3-2).

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. Thursday; Crisler Center, Ann Arbor.

TV/radio: Fox Sports 1; WWJ-AM (950), WTKA-AM (1050).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Chris Webber explains how Fab Five fixed issues, all returned to U-M