You alluded to this when we did this interview when I was on the road.

And frankly, the last 25 years, the relationship with the University of Michigan both ways seemed to be one that they tolerated us and the other way around.

It wasn't a full throttle embracement from both sides, including myself.

I didn't realize that until last night, when I'm like I need Michigan schedule, I'm gonna be at all of the games.

I'm gonna be it all the practice.

I'm gonna be invested.

And so I want to thank all of the people that have something to do with helping this happen the athletic director, the Border regions and Juwan Howard.

And for all of the young people out there, there's a lesson to be learned.

This is about longevity, because while Juwan Howard did all of the necessary sacrifices to put in this position for this opportunity to come true the coaches Since 2013 he's an alum of the school.

He's a champion in the NBA.

He has fostered amazing relationships.

He's paid his dues.

He's gotten N b A teams to interview him for jobs, so he's legitimate.

They got the best candidate.

But we move.

Is one like Votron and we all understand that one of us can say something and or do something to mess it up for all of us.

We just saw that happen for 25 years, and so not for all of this to come full circle.

I just got to make sure that people know there will be no splintering.

There were no being no disrespect.

There will.

No, it's all about following Jawan as the leader of the program and to give Michigan all the support they need to be champions Now.

Adam Schefter is so darn good as a reporter that he basically scooped me live on my own show.

But one of the pieces of this that people will want to know, obviously, that I was going to say the two most famous members of the Fab Five are you and Chris Webber and C.

Webb.

And what, if anything, you think this might do to the relationship the two of you have, which has been complicated to say the least, squashes any drum or any beef because we're not going to bring that to Ann Arbor campus with Juwan Howard as our head coach, The one thing that we both know is Hiss success.

Turning around the University of Michigan is first and foremost about him and about the players that he's going to influence.

Then it's about us being there to support him, not being drama, not being splinter, not giving any indication off dysfunction.

We're gonna move as a family, and we're going to do.

We can build on with John.

Beilein has helped establish it and are Now, Here's what I really want to ask you.

I've known you for 15 years.

I remember having lengthy conversations on my old show on Mike and Mike about the earlier part of your life, and you grew up with a lot of anger in your life.

And you overcame that.

And you were.

Now, for anyone who knows Jalen, always joke around.

You're the mayor of planet Earth.

You're one of the happiest people I know.

But this was something inside of you, as I know you, that that was not quite right.

It was never quite right.

The Fab Five is such a part of who you are, and yet it was never quite right.

How does this change that?

And how does that make you feel?

Because it was incomplete.

And today, to be honest with you, it feels like the first day out of prison.

It really does, because you didn't realize the weight in the shackles off the negative connotations of what people took from what we brought to the table at the University of Michigan.

How heavily that weighed on all of us until it actually gets lifted.

And there have been some thawing in the relationship.

John Beeline did a terrific job bringing us back to campus.

All of the fans and all the supporters have always been amazing.

But when you go to Ann Arbor and you look up and so much blood, sweat and tears that you put up like the banners aren't up, I was a pretty good player.

I was all American, like my number wasn't retired.

You know, I'm not in a college hall of Fame and then those of the selfish parts of it.

Then I'm like, Wait a minute.

Ray Jackson and Jimmy King.

They deserve this more than anybody.

See Chris Webber and Meat.

We get a chance to talk about sports on television, Jawan as well, making big time money in the NBA.

Those guys didn't have that opportunity.

So all of the time that I was talking about the University of Michigan and fighting for our legacy with for those two guys who don't have that voice who don't have that outlet now they do.

They're bad.

Welcome in Ann Arbor Day back Welcome is a part of the University of Michigan family.

And again, it wasn't that the previous regime didn't make sure we were walking.

The first time I went back in 20 years, Tommy Amphicar was the coach.

20 years I didn't go back.

I did not go to a game at all.

I was writing down with my brother, Chris Webber, and I held a gross to the fact that they didn't acknowledges one of his assistant coaches.

Mike Jackson, is a friend of mine.

He was on the staff.

He encouraged me to come back.

Same with John.

Be line.

One of my good friends, Bacary Alexander, with a high school with was on his coaching staff encouraged me to come back, but to be honest, I only want to like one or two games.

It was almost like I'm here, but I'm just being tolerated.

And that was a frustrating part for me, because if somebody works in the philanthropic space as well, have a scholarship endowment there, not only mine alone.

Ah, former player.

I'm from Detroit.

I bleed.

Amazing blue.

I grew up idolizing Glen Rice, Terry Mills, Loy Vaught, Shine Higgins, Rumeal Robinson like that was my squad.

And so for me to get a chance to play for that university and go to football games where Desmond Howard was throwing up the Heisman Trophy and to see all of the great things that has happened it now to me shows that Ah, football school has committed to putting basketball or even footing again.

Because University of Michigan's differed the only program right now that has a former football player running its football team and a former basketball player run this basketball program.

And so to sort of wrap up this part of the conversation and there's so much more we can do.

How do you put into words this with the way this makes you feel.

You said You said it was like the first day getting out of prison.

But what words would you use to describe your emotions when I know how badly you wanted this to happen?

And it's been sort of percolating over the last week?

How did you first hear that it had happened?

Well, I have been kind of conversations and doing what I need to do behind the scenes to try to help massage happening.

Now you gotta politics.

And whenever, Whenever you received confirmation, this is definitely happening.

How would you describe your immediate emotion?

You watched The Jeffersons, George Jefferson.

At the end of the day, he was just jumping up, doing like eyes in the finals.

I was doing.

I was doing that last night.

I had some hot sake.

I had some red one.