If he could do it again, he'd attend Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High and Grand Lakes University. But Wilson was still shot and killed, following a quarrel and scuffle on Vincennes Avenue. Eric Woodyard/ESPN Entering the 2022-23 high school basketball season, Brandonranked third in Illinois history with 3,157 prep points. ", "Ben Wilson's killer: 'I don't consider myself a criminal' ", "Basketball Star's Slaying Described By Girlfriend", "PRO BASKETBALL; A Dead Friend, a Living Memory", "Teen who killed Ben Wilson gets 40 years in prison", "Ben Wilson's Family Sues Hospital, Medics", "Suit Settled In Death Of Basketball Star", Chicago Tribune An Unknown Legacy April 12, 2002, Bleacher Report 8 Things To Know Before You Watch ESPN'S Documentary "Benji", "Men's Basketball - University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks", "Legacy is Challenge for Wilson | Newsday", "Port Washington police officer killed in Northern State crash", "Brandon Wilson Car Accident: Former ESHawks Hoops player, Brandon Wilson killed in deadly car accident", "Port Washington Policeman Dies in Northern State Parkway Crash", "With an assist from Parker, 'Benji' debuts", "Ben Wilson's death resonates 25 years later", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Wilson_(basketball)&oldid=1163846044, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 6 July 2023, at 18:34. That included a 32-point, 16-rebound effort versus Elgin in the quarterfinals. That Tuesday, Wilson decided not to eat lunch at Simeon. He averaged 30.8 points in 1965-66, when he was college basketball's player of year. During his playing career, Rivers was an All-Starin 1988 and finished in the top five in the league in assists twice. Wilson had decided years before he was gunned down not to get involved in gang activity. Friends and family mourn slain Simeon High School basketball star Ben Wilson during a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery on Nov. 24, 1984. Both Moore and Dixon were convicted on charges of murder and attempted armed robbery. Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH now the Rainbow PUSH Coalition the day after the wake and vigil. Wilson's funeral service was held at the headquarters of the Rev. The Tribune declared Illinois high school basketballs Class of 1985, Wilsons class, to be one for the books perhaps the best graduating class in state history., Curtis Wilson, Ben Wilson's oldest brother, center, accepts a framed team jersey from members of the Simeon High School basketball team in 2009 during a retirement ceremony for Ben's number, No. A three-time All-Stater, Fields averaged 32 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and 4.5 blocks while being named Illinois Mr. Basketball, a first-team ParadeAll-American and McDonald's All-American during his 1995-96 senior season, which ended before the Chicago Public League playoffs began after he suffered a serious neck injury from a car accident. The Bob Hambric era begins in 1980 with the mid-season firing of . Senior Wes Rubin sealed it with a dunk and Simeon beat Kenwood 72-64 at Credit Union 1 Arena to win the city title . I came out of school on my lunch break and I saw him. Mayor Washington also spoke at the funeral, promising to make an announcement about fighting gun crimes control the following week. Wilson practiced at Cole Park[9] in Chatham and participated in summer league games in Chicago.[10]. His son was shot to death in 2017. When theChicago Bulls won the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery, there was no question who wouldbe the top overall pick. Billy Moore, in the ESPN documentary about Ben Wilson, described what happened next. In his fourth season in the NBA he started a career-high 74games for the LA Clippers and his point-per-game average more than doubled to16.4, earning him the leagues Most Improved Player Award for the 2004-05season. In 13 state tournament contests, Brandon averaged 20.7 points. When Cummings began high school at Harlan, on Chicago's South Side, basketball wasn't in his plans. Benji said, Excuse me, and the guy said to him, There aint gonna be no excuses, and then he shot him. Wilson was struck in the chest and groin. He was named first-team All Conference USA in 2001. For generations, the ball played in high school gyms around this city has been as good as anywhere in the country, producing an unmatched list of players that eventually matriculated to success in the NBA. The first of three straight players on this list who were part of Illinois' "Flyin' Illini" team that reached the 1989 Final Four. As his game developed, friends and family surrounding Wilson began to notice that his talent could make him one of the best players in the sport. Pop him.. Chicago renames street honoring 19-year-old basketball star Ben Wilson, 1984: Murder of basketball star Ben Wilson shocks Chicago, 1984: Rev. Thursday marked the 35-year anniversary of Wilson's death. In the fall of 1981, Wilson began his freshman year at Simeon. An estimated 10,000 people came out for services that Saturday. So, you won't find Isiah Thomas on this list. Things quickly, horribly escalated. 1 player in the country and he loved the attention, especially after getting rave reviews from college coaches at a camp in Princeton, New Jersey. Following Nick Anderson's tribute to Wilson in wearing number 25 at Illinois, many others who graduated from Simeon and moved on to play for the Illini have carried on the tradition of wearing the jersey number 25. Dixon's arrest followed, with the charges upgraded to murder once word of Wilson's death reached the police. He is the Heats all-timeleading scorer, was named the 2006 NBA Finals MVP, the 2010 NBA All-Star GameMVP and won the 2009 NBA scoring title. Always free! The ceremony was attended by Wilson's family, several former teammates, and community leaders including Ald. For his senior campaign, Parker was earned first-team ParadeAll-American and McDonald's All-American recognition. In 2009, Kerr received the Naismith MemorialBasketball Hall of Fames John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. On a talk show on which he appeared with the activist Father George Clements, Wilson said he was focusing on being a winner. St. Bernard was a small community hospital that was not equipped to handle emergencies or trauma cases like shootings, so a call was put out for any available trauma surgeon to report immediately to St. Bernard. Smith took over from Hambric in 2004. Wilson, affectionately known as "Benji," was a top high school basketball prospect at Simeon High School when he was murdered during his senior year in 1984. The New OrleansHornets made him the number one overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was a member of the 2009 and 2010NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. He then enjoyed a 13-year NBA career. Before Walker won a national championship at Kentucky, was honored as a three-time NBA All-Star and part of the Miami Heat squad that claimed the 2006 league title, he was a first-team ParadeAll-American at Mount Carmel. Reconciliation meant understanding why Moore pulled the trigger. Moore was sentenced to 40 years and Dixon to 30 years. In 2012, he was a member of the NBA champion Miami Heat. Theres no way I can explain this feeling. I wasn't backing down," Billy Moore said. He was the No. Mayor Harold Washington attended the vigil and spoke to Wilson's father, and former Mayor Jane Byrne was also in attendance. In the years since his murder in 1984, Deon Thomas, Bryant Notree, Calvin Brock, and Kendrick Nunn have all worn 25 during their basketball career at Illinois to honor Wilson. [15] The camp allowed scouts and coaches to watch top high school students in a single location. He averaged team highs of 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds while being named ACC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American, all while helping Duke to a 35-4 mark and the school's most recent national title in 2015. He enjoyed a 19-year NBA career, where he posted more than 19,200 points, 4,800 rebounds and 2,500 assists. He played 12 years in the NBA and was voted to the 1984 NBA All-Star Game. 10 free things to do in Chicago this July, Chicago voted Best Big City in the U.S. for the sixth year in a row, Top sporting events in Chicago this summer, Your guide to Chicago Cubs and White Sox baseball 2021, Where to order Super Bowl specials and watch the game in Chicago. High school: Tilden College: University of Illinois Career highlights: 1955 NBA Champion, 3x NBA All-Star, 1967 NBACoach of the Year Around Chicago indeed, the state of Illinois there arent many men in andaround the game of basketball that are loved as universally as Johnny RedKerry. At the time, Wilson had just left Simeon High School and was in front of a store on Vincennes Avenue near 81st Street. When he graduated in 2001, Wardle ranked thirdall-time in Marquette history in scoring after averaging 14.4 points per gamein 117 contests. He was named the APPlayer of the Year and won a bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Ben Wilson was a high school basketball standout on the path to stardom when he was senselessly gunned down. Liberty played two seasons at Illinois, averaging 17.8 points and 7.1 rebounds in 1989-90. 4 Hillcrest 67-46 Monday in a Class 3A supersectional at UIC's Credit Union 1 Arena. High school: Simeon Career AcademyCollege: University of IllinoisCareer highlights: 1989 Illinois Mr.Basketball, Illini All-Century Team Thomas was a McDonalds All-American and Illinois Mr. Basketball in 1989. It was a murder that stunned Chicago. The 22-23 Simeon varsity basketball team roster. At their trial, the prosecutors presented the same case theory to the jury when the trial began the following year. Boys Basketball - Student Athlete Profile - Simeon Career Academy Mikey Williams already has 3.4 million Instagram followers and is the most famous prep basketball player in America, but he appreciates the importance for his growing brand of playing games on . A potent scorer who helped Westinghouse to its first city final in 1977 and win that championship one season later, Aguirre was Chicago's first Mr. Basketball USA since Cazzie Russell and a McDonald's All-American in 1978. Wilson's brother Curtis Glenn recounted in the ESPN documentary seeing his brother being wheeled by him in the hospital and noticing his feet were unnaturally pale. Buckner was the seventh overall pick in the1976 NBA Draft, and won an NBA championship with Boston in 1984. Then after nearly leading Memphis to the national championship in his one season of college, Rose was drafted No. "The moment I received the alert that he was no longer with us is a pain that goes with you for a lifetime, and stays with you until this day," Anthony Wilson said. Russell was part of the New York Knicks' 1970 NBA championship team and an All-Star in '72. The previous spring, he had led Simeon to the first state championship in . After finding out the conflict had been resolved, Moore and his friend Omar Dixon decided to stay nearby. [1] Wilson, a Neal F. Simeon Vocational High School basketball player, was regarded as the top high school player in the U.S. by scouts and coaches attending the 1984 Athletes For Better Education basketball camp. Harnessing Popularity Of Prep Star Mikey Williams, NBC Sports Is Less than a week before gunfire struck down prep basketball star Ben Wilson, shattering his family and classmates and stunning Chicago, a Tribune sportswriter mused about the Simeon athletes future. A McDonald's All-American, the 6-7 Hamilton won 116 games during his four-year high school career, and averaged 15.0 points spanning 11 IHSA state tournament contests. High school: St. JosephCollege: Indiana UniversityCareer highlights: 2x NBAchampion, 12x NBA All-Star, NCAA Champion One of the most decorated point guards of the last 40 years, Thomas led theHoosiers to the 1981 National Championship and was named the Most OutstandingPlayer of that years Final Four before going pro. Wisch: What If Ben Wilson Had Lived - And Become A Flyin' Illini? The Miami Heat selected himwith the fifth overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft, and he has built thefinest resume in that franchises history since. Soon after the shooting, Erica Murphy returned to her home to find Billy Moore sitting in her living room watching television. He represented Philadelphia in the 1991All-Star Game. Posted Fri, Mar 11 2022. Anderson started high school on Chicago's far Northwest Side at Prosser (where he averaged 19.0 points as a freshman, 28.0 during his sophomore season), but matriculated down to the South Side to attend Simeon for a chance to team with Ben Wilson. born November 25, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). 11 jersey is retired. Simeon's expanding NBA legacy - Chicago Sun-Times Wilson is noted as the first Chicago athlete to receive this honor. A four-year starter at King, Brandon was a key part of those squads that reached the Class AA state final in 1987, finished third in '89 and won it all in '90. While Simeon and Young are fixtures in high-profile events and, in particular, the Chicago Elite Classic as coach Robert Smith and Tyrone Slaughter jointly run the event, this is a big opportunity for others. Simeon won 71-50. Simeon High School (Chicago, IL) Girls Varsity Basketball - MaxPreps The 20 Best Basketball Shoes in July 2023 - The Hoops Geek With the Wolverines, Anderson set the state on notice and helped them win the 1985 city title. In the months after his death, Wilsons family sued the Chicago Fire Department and St. Bernard doctors over his medical treatment. Last updated on November 1, 2017 by Tab Bamford. There, in the last few paragraphs of his story about national signing day and the college destinations of top basketball prospects, writer Barry Temkin speculated on what college the 17-year-old Wilson would attend.

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