Chris Webber says Michigan AD issued him an apology

Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and Fab Five member Chris Webber says current University of Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel privately apologized to him for the fallout that occurred between Webber and his former school, ESPN reported Wednesday.

While Manuel wasn't the standing AD when Webber was investigated by the school for allegedly accepting money from former booster Ed Martin, he took it upon himself to extend an olive branch.

"I was told by the athletic director at the University of Michigan that he was sorry, and he wasn't even there at the time. " Webber said. "He told me that he did his research and that he needs to apologize. His exact words (were) he needs 'to apologize to the 18-year-old Chris Webber because we didn't protect him.'"

Webber, 48, was accused of being one of three student-athletes who accepted money from Martin while attending Ann Arbor. He plead guilty to criminal contempt charges in 2003, saying he had paid back $38,000 of a load he had received. Michigan then disassociated itself from the five-time NBA All-Star for a 10-year period and stripped his collegiate stats from their records.

"I was the lowest-hanging fruit," said Webber, who has a book coming out later this year discussing how the school investigated him. "I had the biggest name. I knew that then, so hopefully, some of the things in (my book) will reveal what happened, how things happened, and hopefully, just life can go (on) or it can just get back to normal in that way. Hopefully, once we address all this good stuff, we'll get back to it."

The relationship between Michigan and Webber appears to be improving as he received a standing ovation when he attended a Michigan football game in 2018. With any luck, perhaps a Fab Five reunion is next on the horizon.