A new generation discovers Rob Pelinka's 'fabulous' college basketball career

It's no secret that Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka knows the game. A new generation is learning that Pelinka played for one of the most iconic college basketball teams.
Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka introduced guard Luka Doncic at UCLA Health Training Center.
Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka introduced guard Luka Doncic at UCLA Health Training Center. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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Is anyone having a better 2025 than Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka? Pelinka is now known for pulling off the biggest trade in recent memory, as the franchise made a deal to bring Luka Doncic to Los Angeles.

The move has been the talk of not just the NBA world but the sports world. Doncic's arrival in Los Angeles has been a welcomed sight for the fanbase, and they can thank Pelinka for that.

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Apparently, the younger generation is figuring out that before Pelinka was making big moves in the NBA, he was putting up buckets himself, back in his college days.

Yes, Pelinka played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. A member of the 1989 national championship team, Pelinka is also a member of one of the most iconic teams in college basketball history.

Pelinka played a role on the 'Fab Five.' The Fab Five was a team led by five freshmen: Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson.

The unit left its mark on the game of college basketball, and the story of the Fab Five cannot be told without mentioning Pelinka.

Fab Fiv
ALAN R. KAMUDA, Detroit Free Press

Basically, Pelinka has been a winner since his college days, and now he is attempting to make the Lakers a threat to the NBA championship once again.

Sure, Pelinka may not have been a member of the actual Fab Five, but nobody can take away the fact that he was a part of college basketball history.

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