Former University of Michigan basketball star and former Fab 5 member Jalen Rose says his comments towards Grant Hill and Duke during the Fab 5
The Detroit News mentioned that Rose explained himself while being a guest writer on the Wall Street Journal’s sports blog The Daily Fix.
The ESPN documentary “The Fab Five,” for which Rose served as executive producer, aired last week and was the highest-rated documentary in the network’s history. In the documentary, Rose said he believed at the time that Duke only recruited black players who he considered “Uncle Toms.” He also said he was jealous of Hill because he “came from a great black family … I resented that more so than I resented him.”
Rose explained the comments in the blog:
“I respect the success of Duke’s program and stated this was my opinion as a teenager growing up in the inner city of Detroit. I also acknowledged that Grant Hill had something I wanted growing up —a successful family. It’s a bit disappointing some people insinuated I think black people from successful families are Uncle Toms. What made the documentary must-see TV is the fact we showed brutal honesty and addressed every topic head on and without reservation.”
Source: Detroit News, Wall Street Journal