A few days ago, I finally got the chance to catch the highly-publicized – and criticized – Fab Five documentary on ESPN. 

I’ll admit that I’m a little late, but my timing would seem to be impeccable considering that the team at the center of the controversy, Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils, were knocked out of the this year’s NCAA Tournament on Thursday night – getting trounced by NBA top prospect Derrick Williams and the Arizona Wildcats.

After viewing the special in its entirety, I had just one thought:

“You can’t be serious.”

That’s what I said to myself when I listened to the appropriately-chosen narrator, ESPN basketball ‘analyst’ Jalen Rose, make the infamous remarks about Blue Devils past and present.  Take a listen below:

Yeah, I don’t believe it either.

I don’t believe that there was a condemning of what Rose said.  After listening to it over and over and trying to be offended, I still can’t.  Now, surely, every aspect of what Jalen said doesn’t apply to me.  I didn’t have highly educated parents.  I didn’t attend Duke University.  And I’ve never played on a team that consistently won anything.

But on the other hand, I was raised by two parents who were attentive, involved and genuinely encouraged me in all of my endeavors.  They celebrated my athletic pursuits, but placed the utmost interest on my academic achievements.

So, while my origins may differ greatly from those of Grant Hill, they also differ greatly from Rose.  I’d rate myself to be somewhere in-between the both of them.

With that in mind, I can clearly say that if I had attended Duke on an athletic scholarship, I would in no way have felt the need to publish a post in the manner that Hill did.  Almost all of us have had the chance to read Mr. Hill’s rebuttal to the comments made in the documentary.  Hill definitely proved that he is indeed the well-spoken, well-educated, respectable athlete that Rose referred to in The Fab Five.  In my estimation, however, the long, drawn out letter intended to mock what many considered to be ignorant expressions (by Rose and other Fab Five members) was absolutely unnecessary.

I respect Hill, and certainly respect his right to express his feelings in the manner that he chose fit.  And if we all respect Hill for what he did, we should just as sternly support Rose for his candid talk.  Rose was transparent enough to become the spokesman for college basketball fans across the country who despiseDuke.  But unlike the majority of those fans, Rose revealed that his dislike for the university actually revolved around a matter that touched home for him (and other players similar to him, demographically).  I have personally heard Jalen’s comments from people all the time.  I’ve read them countless times on social networking sites – Facebook and Twitter – with no one caring to even bat an eye lash at them.  And to the contrary of Rose, these are fans who appear to have no good reason for harboring a hatred for the Blue Devils.

As I mentioned earlier, this documentary was one that fell into the laps of ESPN.  The network knew that Rose would more than oblige to participate, and that he’s outspoken enough to give the media some soundbites to circulate.  ESPN relishes the rare opportunities when it can be on the cutting edge of controversy, and this time was no different.  Both Rose and the network realized that the production would be incendiary to some, and that’s exactly why the former Indiana Pacer allegedly tweeted Hill prior to the show’s airing – apparently apologizing for what he was about to see.

But, from what I saw, there was no apology needed.  In the piece, Rose clearly explained that his feelings were a product of one thing that is a common problem for all of us: jealously.

He didn’t term it this way, but – when you read between the lines – that’s precisely what it was.

How else would you describe Rose’s anger about the fact that he was raised in a one-parent household as opposed to the traditional two-parent household?  Or the fact he and Juwan Howard respected how successful the Duke organization was?  Or the statement that they wanted the world to see that they were just as talented as the Blue Devils? 

Hill's talent level was much greater than that of an "Uncle Tom."

And what about his assertion that Duke didn’t recruit players like him (or the other Fab Five members)?  While there’s usually a certain set of characteristics that seems to be favored by coach Krzyzewski, they don’t seem to include individualistic, flamboyant, outwardly-troubled players.  But for every coach who routinely entertains one-and-done NBA talents, like John Calipari, there are those who prefer to shy away from them.  The bottom line is that each program chooses players that fit their mold, and coach K’s success has earned him that right.  So, although Duke has had some high profile players that have left the program early in more recent years (Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Jay Williams, Mike Dulnleavy, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng to name a few), there is definitely a lot of truth to Jalen’s statement.

Now, what about Rose’s idea of Black players playing for Duke as being ”Uncle Toms?”  From a high-level perspective, Duke basketball has always maintained a squeakly-clean, blemish-free image.  It doesn’t recruit players who would need someone to take a test for them, or a player who it may believe could have received illegal benefits from a booster, or a player who may just be straight-up shady.  Up until Rose’s Michigan years, Duke was a spotlighted program where White players experienced great success.  And that image persisted, particularly with those within the Black (and urban) community.  Therefore, any Black players who contributed to the success of such a “White program” would not escape the label of being referred to in the manner that Rose did.

Grown, mature adults would certainly acknowledge that any such comment, even given the historical relevance within this nation, would be ideally inappropriate.  However, our history has been flooded with colorful events, all of which have, and will continue to, shape the viewpoints of Americans for decades to come.

Also, since we’re grown, mature adults, we should all understand the sentiment of a group of teenagers who were chastised by people who considered themselves to be grown adults at the time.  Failing to embrace a team that was unconventional, yet more talented than its peers, clearly illustrated the reluctancy of any foreign or unfamiliar – even in the globally insignificant scope of collegiate athletics.

Therefore, I’d like to think that we can easily excuse the nationally broadcasting of Jalen’s feelings.

If not, at least try to recall your inability to understand Rose the very next time that you visit Facebook.

T Lamont is the owner, administrator and author of all content for Ball or Nuthin\'. Feel free to contact T Lamont with a question or comment at ballornuthin@gmail.com.  All created Ball or Nuthin' content is the sole property of T Lamont. Read more from this author