It wasn’t a last-minute shot. It
wasn’t a rim-shattering dunk or even a season-high 27-point
performance. Lester Abram had as successful a year as any one of
the Wolverines last year, but the lasting image for some may be the
sight of Abram starting a game on the bench.

With then-freshman Dion Harris struggling, Abram approached
Michigan coach Tommy Amaker before Michigan’s final
regular-season game at Northwestern, requesting that Harris start
in his place. It was the ultimate act of unselfishness.

“I was just looking out for what’s best for the
team,” said Abram, now a junior. “Dion was struggling
for a stretch, and I was kind of getting tired of it.”

It’s an interesting way to take on a problem that’s
been burdening your team. Some leaders might take that burden and
hoist it upon their own shoulders. If a teammate like Harris
isn’t pulling his weight, some people might expect a go-to
player like Abram to contribute a little more.

But instead, Abram took a step back. He was tired of Harris
struggling, and he wanted to fix the problem by kick-starting the
young shooter.

“Lester is a winner,” Harris said. “What he
wants to do is win. He saw a way that he can make our team better,
and I think he just took it upon himself to make it happen. I
talked to him before, and he thought it would be best that I start
to just get it going early.”

Abram’s idea paid dividends for the Wolverines. Harris
scored 10 points in 34 minutes of play at Northwestern.

Abram still played his part, too. In just 24 minutes, he drained
14 points and pulled down five rebounds in the 63-56 victory.

“Ever since that game, I kind of regained my old form a
little bit,” Harris said. “And I think it helped a
lot.”

Harris started the remainder of the season for Abram and went on
to score in double digits in every game following the matchup
against the Wildcats.

Such an act coming from Abram was nothing unexpected to the
teammates and coaches that have spent time around him.

“I was incredibly blown away by it and impressed by
it,” Amaker said. “But in all honesty, coming from him,
I wasn’t surprised by it. I thought that was a true testament
of who he is and what he feels about his teammates, what he feels
about this program, what he feels about his team, what he feels
about winning.”

It was that kind of unselfishness that inspired Abram’s
teammates to elect him as a tri-captain for this season.

“It means a lot for the simple fact that I know I have the
respect of my teammates by picking me as a captain,” Abram
said. “I didn’t expect to be a captain, but the players
picked it, so it was a good feeling.”

There’s no doubt that Abram has earned every bit of
respect granted to him. His teammates can’t find a negative
thing to say about him.

“He’ll pass the ball,” said his fellow junior
tri-captain Sherrod Harrell. “He’ll pass up shots.
He’ll give up that opportunity to start a game to better help
our team. That’s the kind of guy he is.”

Abram seems to do all those little, quiet things that fans
barely notice. They might not notice those extra passes he makes or
the bad shots he refuses to force up. Sometimes, they won’t
even notice his points. Abram led the team in scoring —
averaging 13.1 points per game — during a season in which
Bernard Robinson and Daniel Horton were expected to take leading
roles. But even with Abram’s scoring, Robinson and Horton
remained in the starring roles.

Abram was the leading scorer in just 12 of Michigan’s 34
games. He rarely dominated a game with a massive scoring output
— save for his 27-point performance at home against
Northwestern — but he never disappeared with a miserable
outing, either. He would simply show up, drop in a baker’s
dozen and go home. Every game.

“Lester is a warrior,” Horton said. “He plays
hard. He’s going to do what it takes for his team to win.
He’s very consistent. You know what you’re going to get
from Lester every game.”

The style of Abram’s game isn’t his only quiet
aspect, either. He is a naturally quiet person as well — not
necessarily your stereotypical selection as a captain.

“Les is a little more (of a) quiet leader,” said
Graham Brown, the other junior tri-captain. “He’ll let
you know when you’ve got to do something.”