CHRIS Webber has been a trailblazer both on and off the basketball court.

The ex-No. 1 pick had an immense impact on the hoops culture as part of the iconic Fab Five, even before starting his Hall of Fame NBA career.

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Chris Webber had a huge impact on the culture around basketball in his playing daysCredit: Getty

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The five-time NBA All-Star remained a trailblazer after retiring in 2008 as he now helps minorities succeed in the cannabis industry in addition to his sports media careerCredit: Getty
And Webber, 50, has been setting new trends to this day, changing the game in the cannabis industry as an entrepreneur.

After the Detroit native teamed up with Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson at the University of Michigan in the early 1990s, basketball changed forever.

Known as the Fab Five, the quintet wore baggy shorts, listened to hip hop, and took jabs at opponents while playing for the Wolverines, bringing an alternative style and attitude to the hoops world.

They inspired a culture shift, enabling players to showcase their swagger and personality on the court.

The immensely skilled and versatile Webber remained an influential figure after entering the NBA, proving that big men can do more than rebound and throw down dunks at the highest level and serving as an early antecedent to today’s superstar big men like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Webber possessed elite vision and smooth touch, making him a versatile 6-foot-10 forward who could make an impact on his team’s offense both in and out of the paint.

“I love the role that I played, and that was trying to make players better and show that the power forward can facilitate the offense if he could shoot, if he could score and if he could pass,” he told ESPN.

Webber nearly averaged a double-double in his 15-year NBA career, logging 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in 831 regular-season games.

At the same time, he added 4.2 asissts, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per night, proving himself to be a great all-around player for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets, or Sacramento Kings.

The forward retired in 2008 as a five-time All-Star – and a future Hall of Famer, as he would put on the Naismith Orange jacket 15 years later.

Webber also pocketed $178.2million in career earnings and then – in addition to transitioning into sports media – used his fortune to help minorities succeed in the cannabis business.

In 2021, he helped launch a $100million private equity fund that aimed at evening the playing field in what is now estimated to be a $64billion industry.

“People need help,” Webber told TMZ at the time.

“So we’re gonna come in these places and we’re gonna train, we’re gonna make sure we provide jobs, and we’re gonna make sure you have a hub to understand how you can enter the cannabis industry not just as a cultivator or grower or some star, but also to make a great living by providing certain services that the industry allow.”

The ex-NBA star’s efforts include a $175million cannabis development in Detroit, planned to feature an industry training complex, a 180,000-square-foot cultivation site, a consumption lounge, and a dispensary.

But the undertaking hasn’t been a smooth ride.

As with virtually every industry in the last couple of years, the cannabis market has regressed and marijuana prices dropped, forcing Webber and his partners to readjust and potentially scale the project down.

But he said he’s not back down from the fight.

“We’re not going to abandon that space and we think the new plan will invigorate the community,” Webber recently told Crain’s Detroit.