Just as it appeared that the University of Michigan had made a move toward reconciliation with Chris Webber, Warde Manuel, Michigan's athletic director denied Webber's claim that Manuel had sincerely apologized.
Webber will be inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday. He recently spoke to ESPN to say that Manuel had sincerely apologized for how he was treated during the 2003 investigation that resulted in his 10-year disassociation from the school.
Manuel stated Friday that Webber's account was not true.
Manuel stated that he enjoyed having a conversation with Chris several years ago. "But I can assure Chris that I did not apologize and, for anyone who might be curious, I never asked him if he would apologize to the University of Michigan. I wish Chris all the best and am happy that he has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
ESPN reported that Webber said Manuel had privately apologized for how the school handled the aftermath of the investigation into claims Webber accepted money from ex-booster Ed Martin.
Manuel, who was appointed as the athletic director in 2016, played at Michigan football from 1986 to 1989. He also worked for the school during the early 1990s, when Webber was playing in Ann Arbor.
Webber pleaded guilty in federal court to a criminal contempt case. He also admitted that he had given Martin $38,000 in repayment.
Webber said that the University of Michigan Athletic Director [Manuel] told him that he was sorry during an interview with ESPN at his Atlanta home. This was just before his induction. "And he was not even there at that time [that I was playing]. He said that he had done his research and needed to apologize. He said that he needed to apologize to Chris Webber (18 years old) because he wasn't protected.
Michigan disassociated itself from Webber for 10 year, which ended in 2013, and removed Webber's stats. Webber was unable to attend the matchup between Michigan and Louisville, which took place in 2013. The disassociation forced Webber to stay in a suite.
The tension between Webber and the university has seemed to have diminished in recent years. Webber attended a Michigan football match three years ago after Jim Harbaugh invited him. Webber said that he felt emotional watching the cheers from the crowd.
Webber stated that he will talk about his experiences at Michigan in his upcoming book "By God’s Grace," which he hopes will help everyone move forward. It will be released later in the year.
Webber stated that he was the "lowest hanging fruit" in regard to the school's investigation. Webber said, "I had the largest name. That was something I knew back then. Hopefully some of the details in [the book] will shed light on what happened, how it happened, and hopefully life can continue or return to normal. We'll be able to get back on track once we have addressed all the good stuff.
