If you love college basketball as a whole today, thank Michigan Wolverines’ Fab 5 for part of it. For those who are unaware, the University of Michigan’s 5x phenomenon was its five star players — Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. Of these five players, 4 (Webber, Rose, Howard, and King) were ranked within the top ten college prospects as high school seniors in the nation. And their effect was not lost on one of the best point guards ever Magic Johnson either.

While the critics and experts back then considered it all unnecessary, but Fab 5’s impact seemed to have a ripple effect. And now even an NBA giant like Magic Johnson himself has appreciated the change. “There would never be a basketball team in college basketball that did what the University of Michigan did and Jalen Rose did… You changed college basketball… the longer shorts, the black socks. You made it more fashionable while you were still dominating and while you were still winning the game,” he said.

This came from the LA Lakers icon despite the fact that he comes from Wolverine’s one of the most popular basketball rivals, Michigan Spartans. Yes, the rivalry between the University of Michigan (Wolverines) and Michigan State University (Spartans) is quite old. And spans across multiple sports, including basketball. But no one else can understand the value of a good rivalry than Buck himself.

The liberty of fashion in the once buttoned-up college basketball scenario is the result of the Wolverines’ Fab 5 impact. Groomed bald heads, tattoos, long and baggy shorts, loose-fitting jerseys, with black shoes and socks became the identity of the line-up. The impact of said fashion sense was furthered by the kind of basketball these stars played. Yes, we are talking aggressive slam dunks, paired with ball-handling skills that were a treat to watch.

Magic Johnson calls Rose and himself the “agents of change”

After appreciating Jalen Rose and Fab 5 for the change that they brought to college basketball, the 5x NBA champ referenced how even his rivalry with Larry Bird brought a change in the NBA. Every single basketball enthusiast, especially from the ’80s and ’90s era, would know of the NBA’s most famous Magic Johnson- Larry Bird rivalry. For those who don’t, it started from their college days.

And it just so happened that the two stars landed with the Lakers and Celtics, respectively. Being on two teams that also shared a history of rivalry only increased the overall effect of faceoffs. And it was not until a Converse commercial instance that a bond of friendship developed from all of this. Despite the long-lasting rivalry, Buck now feels thankful that he and Bird came at the right time.

“We were able to change the game. Show a big man can handle the ball, make plays, you know, make their teammates better. And we were able to change the league at the same time,” Johnson said in a podcast interview with Jalen Rose.

There is no denying it was this rivalry that turned the tide for the NBA. Whether it be popularity or marketing. And for someone like Magic Johnson, who already grasped the concept behind such rivalries, it’s obvious he would not mind appreciating the University of Michigan now.