Sports Poets Society

https://historyrat.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/ben-wilson/ August 19, 2012 Todd Johnson Illinois had its fair share of basketball phenoms in the 1980s .  Walter Downing began the parade and others followed including Marcus Liberty, Nick Anderson, Deon Thomas, Ed Horton, Kevin Gamble, Bruce Douglas, Kenny Battle, and Kendall Gill .  For one phenom, success tasted very sweet. In 1984, Ben Wilson lead Chicago Simeon to the class AA state championship in Illinois . That summer saw Ben continue to grow to 6’8″, and his game allowed Ben to continue to transform into the top recruit in the nation – ahead of future NBA stars Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Pervis Ellison, and Rod Strickland .  When Simeon was set to begin its defense of its state championship in November of 1984 , tragedy struck. Ben Wilson was shot and killed in front of the school . The tragedy shocked the city, state, and nation . His death did little to stop gang violence. However, his death became a transformative ev...

Photo Credit:  ESPN Press Room https://medium.com/@daisyaspencer4/the-avoidable-murder-of-ben-wilson-6792b50272f5 No person is innocent, even a victim, but it doesn’t justify their lives being taken away from them when all conflict could’ve been avoided. Daisya Spencer · Every parent envisions a future for their child. But what happens when that future is taken from them in one of the most gruesome ways possible? This is what happened to high school star basketball player 17-year-old Ben Wilson . His life was unnecessarily taken away from him for one of the most mundane and avoidable reasons. Ben was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, born March 18th, 1967 , to parents Ben Wilson Sr. and Mary. Wilson was quite proficient in basketball in elementary school when he liked it. Friends and family noticed his talents and realized he could further his career in basketball if he wanted to, so they did everything in their power to ensure that he furthered his abilities and education, a...

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-renames-street-ben-wilson-killed/ By CBS Chicago Team November 21, 2022 / 7:59 PM CST / CBS/AP CHICAGO (CBS) -- Ben Wilson was a high school basketball standout on the path to stardom when he was senselessly gunned down. On Monday, Chicago took steps to make sure his name is never forgotten. In 1984 , Wilson, 17, was the top high school basketball player in the country. He had just led Simeon Career Academy to their first-ever state title. He On Nov. 21 of that year -- the eve of the first game of Wilson's senior season and 38 years ago Monday -- Wilson was shot and killed by kids from a rival school. At the time, Wilson had just left Simeon High School and was in front of a store on Vincennes Avenue near 81st Street. On this 38th anniversary of his death, the city renamed the intersection of 78th Street and Eberhart Avenue in Wilson's honor. The ceremony was attended by Wilson's family, several former teammates, and community le...