"It really doesn't matter where I go," he said. On November 20, 1984, Wilson decided against lunching with teammates as he wanted to talk to his girlfriend, Jetun Rush, with whom he had been having significant issues. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Weve updated the security on the site. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Brandon enters and graduated from the Long Island Police Academy following in his Pops footsteps to become a police officer. 1. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. He said that Wilson "dared" him to shoot once he pulled the .22 out and that he felt Wilson was just "punking" him by taunting him. [8], At 12:37 PM local time, a call was placed to 911 for emergency assistance. Theres so much hatred when someone is shot; they never want to forgive. He attended and graduated from the Nassau Police Academy. It looks like Brandon . Failed to report flower. Now, do you really think Moore and Dixon did not know who this big superstar basketball player was? During an appearance on "The Daily Show," Wilson said she was banned after taking a bathroom selfie. I'm glad they changed that sh!t. As a junior, he had led the Simeon Wolverines basketball team to the Illinois Class AA state championship, and over the summer he was given the honor of being ranked as the best high school player in the entire nation.[6]. Brandon moved to New York with his mother, Jetun, and his stepfather, New York City police officer Edward Rivers, when he was in 6th grade. What city did Ben Wilson live in? "Who wouldn't be? In a way, Brandon has been better off playing in New York than in Chicago, where he no doubt would have faced endless--and unfair--comparisons to his father. The New York native, by way of Chicago, played for the Hawks in the early 2000s. They always said he bumped into Moore. I hate to see someone so young with potential die!!!!!!!!!! Why do Black Folks Come Down on Diana Ross so hard but Give Tina Turner a Pass? The "Fab Five" later paid homage to Benji when Juwan Howard sported the No. "There's no pressure. March 18 Basketball Player #2. [31] Former Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who graduated from Simeon in 2007, wore number 25, and the team won the state championship in 2006 and 2007. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. [13] Billy Moore appealed his conviction but did not do so until 1992 as he was unaware his sentence was not automatically appealed. He said the lack of serious high-level interest has not been too disappointing. Within minutes, word of the shooting reached Simeon's campus, and a crowd gathered near Wilson. Moore and Dixon were not known thieves. ESPN is set to debut a new documentary about the mythic prep star from Simeon Career Academy on the South Side of Chicago, entitled "Benji," as part of its 30 For 30 series on Tuesday, October 23. On November 21, 1984, Wilson died due to injuries he sustained in a shooting the day before.[2][3][4][5][6]. View the profiles of people named Branden Wilson. R.I.P to him. He was not a pro yet with pro money. The prospect of making his Chicago basketball debut in front of some of them might seem daunting, but Brandon denied feeling the need to fulfill any expectations. Biden works harder than you! Just as he was getting into his car, an ambulance arrived to the scene on South Vincennes. For the 198384 season, Simeon advanced to the Illinois AA State Championship, which was held at Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. 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Year should not be greater than current year. "Brandon leaves to cherish his memory; parents, Jetun and Edward Rivers; two brothers, Jared and Jalen Rivers; one sister, Brelyn Rivers; grandparents, Vallie Rush (Chicago), and Rachel Rivers (Queens, NY). Both of these statements were later recanted, but the boys were still charged with murder after questioning and the state of Illinois elected to try them both as adults due to the serious nature of their actions. Brandon Wilson is former Simeon star Ben Wilson's son. He started at St. Dorothy School and transferred to Ruggles Elementary School, graduating in 1981. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Ben, after all, was 6-8 with what Wool called "the perfect basketball body" and the ability to star at point guard, center and everywhere between. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. That city law was so stupid. At Simeon, the basketball team remained sequestered in the teachers' lounge for the rest of the day. Ben Wilson was one of three children born to Ben Wilson Sr. and Mary (Gunter) Wilson and was raised in the Chatham neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. Jamaica Fonts( Caribbean Fonts) Shelly Thunder Was Talking to the Girls: Kuff. He is walking his girl to a bus stop. More NBA Transactions . "It's still a free ride.". Billy Moore, in the ESPN documentary about Ben Wilson, described what happened next. Moore was thinking more about getting with Erica Murphy and smoking weed. Benji was survived by a son, Brandon, who turned out to be a decent basketball player in his own right. Once again, Rush was not interested. Erica Murphy stated Ben and Jetun were arguing and loud. Damn Damn DAMN poor Benji. Make sure that the file is a photo. During his junior year, he and his girlfriend Jetun Rush conceived a child. Local gangs agreed to temporary ceasefires and task forces were dispatched to study the problem of violence in the Windy City, though these issues have not subsided entirely. I am sure 6'8" 239 lbs Ben Wilson bumped into 5'9 165 lb Billy Moore and didn't say excuse me because he was in a heated argument with his girlfriend. Among those recent deaths is Michael Haynes, a former prep player in Chicago who was due to play college ball at Iona. During that same summer of 1984, when he shot to the top of the prep hoops stratosphere, Ben Wilson had the opportunity to strut his stuff alongside two future NBA stars. It would become one of the darkest moments in the history of Chicago sports. I just watched the 30 on 30 docu on ESPN last night, man the BBYMama pissed me off! Stories abounded about "Benjy" shooting baskets into a garbage can at age 5, of how deftly he handled his burgeoning celebrity and of how hard he studied because he wanted to be more than just a basketball player. Moore was 16 years old when Wilson bumped into him as he was having an argument with his girlfriend Jetun Rush, the mother of his son, Brandon, on Nov. 20, 1984. But he really screwed up when he went up to Simeon to find who stole his cousin's $10 armed with a gun. Isaiah Gant, Moore's attorney, argued that his client was only trying to protect himself from the much larger Wilson. I hate to say this, but I said it previously. 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. Uncle by heart, Napoleon Morales; aunts by heart, Phyllis Holiday, Pamela Shannon, and mothers sorority sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, especially line sister of "Mass Confusion. 25 in 2009, ending a long-standing tradition at the school of the team's best player wearing it on his jersey to honor Benji's memory. 1967. As the Simeon student body began preparing for lunch period on November 20, Wilson elected to try and talk to Rush again instead of eating with his teammates as he usually did. @michaelsobrien. "He was a fierce competitor.". . Wilson began playing basketball at an early age, starting in elementary school. In fact, per Jackson, Magic called Benji's house during the Illinois state championships in 1984 to wish him luck. The documentary recalls the tragic story of Ben Wilson, the No. As for Dixon and Moore, the former was sentenced to 30 years in prison, while the latter was locked up by way of a 40-year sentence. Wilson then lunged at Moore, who responded by firing two shots at him. Chicago (March 18, 1967 - November 21, 1984) was an American high school basketball player from Chicago, Illinois. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. As Paul Wilkerson, a native Chicagoan who played with Wilson during his youth, told Scoop Jackson of Wilson's decision to attend the prestigious basketball powerhouse: I dont know why BJ decided to go to Simeon; I didnt think hed get any run here. Wilson's teammate Teri Sampson recalls that throughout the night, the reports progressively worsened, going from Wilson possibly recovering in time for the state playoffs, to perhaps missing a year of play, to possibly never playing again, to fighting for his life. I wish my black people wake up!! "Canary in the coal mine". This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. 25 jersey for the New York squad to honor the father he never knew. Sounds like a big Super Star ego talking to me. I dont want anyone to have this type of bitterness.. They just think any blacks hanging around are stealing and thieves. Jetun met and married Edward Rivers. [18] He and Omar Dixon were outside the luncheonette when Wilson and Rush came up the street behind them. We have set your language to I wish kids would learn from documentaries like these. The Ben Wilson tribute page on Facebook confirmed his death. 1 prep player in the country by renowned basketball talent scout Bob Gibbons after excelling against elite competition at the Nike/AFBE Camp in Princeton, New Jersey. Ben Wilson Popularity . Those are the ones who may feel a shiver when Brandon Wilson runs on the court Saturday at the DePaul Athletic Center, wearing the No. Early the next morning, November 21, Wilson died.[9][10]. ", Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. What happened to Ben Wilson Son? Moore remained there until the police began pounding on Murphy's door looking for him later that evening. Unfortunately, he also knows the Wilsons pain of losing a loved one. 3. The two boys then decided to hang out for a little while and wait to see if Erica Murphy, Wilson's classmate and a friend of Moore's, was around. A 6-8 guard, Wilson drew comparisons to Magic Johnson. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still sad for blacks who can't understand the system. The murder sent Chicago into shock, generating agony, outrage and calls for an end to street violence. But Wilson said he agreed to meet with William Moore who was convicted in his brothers killing after his mother, Mary, asked the family to forgive him on her deathbed in 2000. visit like Drake, Rihanna, Madonna. It may not display this or other websites correctly. CHICAGO (WLS) -- The two brothers of slain Simeon High School. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Rebel Wilson said she has been banned from Disneyland for 30 days. Moore now works as a case worker with the Inner-City Muslim Action Network and mentors young boys similar to his younger self. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. I started crying when the young girl started singing Going up Yonder while the other people were falling out and haven't stopped crying since. BW shouldnt have to continuously live in a state of silence in order to appease people in society, Mom of NYC teen killed subway surfing plans to sue MTA, Jon Stewart expertly corners pro-gun Republican: You dont give a flying f**k about children dying". Not that it's limited Parker's participation in furthering Wilson's legacy. Billy Moore remained at Erica Murphy's home for most of the rest of the day. The school mandates that its incoming students read To Benji, With Love,a book about Wilson's life written by his late mother, Mary Wilson. He had a son, Brandon, with his girlfriend Jetun Rush. Once they were informed that Wilson had died, his teammates were asked whether or not they wanted to go forward with their season opener, which was scheduled for later on against the team they defeated to win the state championship in 1984, Evanston Township; they won the game. I think it was self defense and if they had good attorneys they could have got off or had much less sentences. He claimed his sentence was excessive, considering he had not been in trouble before, and that he should not have been tried as an adult; while the court of appeals found his sentence to be somewhat harsh, they upheld the decision as a matter of law. After all, he was a scrappy, 6'2" guard, while Benji turned out to be a 6'9" savant. Verify and try again. As a junior, he transferred to Long Island Lutheran in Brookville, N.Y., where last season the senior guard-forward averaged 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. Murder of Ben Wilson Ben Wilson, an American high school basketball star from Neal F. Simeon High School in Chicago, Illinois, USA, was shot in the neighborhood surrounding the school during its lunch hour on November 20, 1984. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Brandon Sherrod Wilson I found on Findagrave.com. Brandon was called home on January 13, 2022 and God said, "Well Done. based on information from your browser. Much like Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis, Benji began his high school career as a guardin his case, a point guardbut eventually outgrew his position, albeit without leaving behind his perimeter skills. Anthony Wilson was met with a range of responses when he told people he was meeting with the man who shot his brother, Ben, a prep hoops phenom at Simeon who was viewed as the top player in the nation before his murder in 1984. His family was shocked when his serious girlfriend Jetun Rush gave birth to his son, Brandon, and though Benji was excited about the prospect of fatherhood, the couple frequently argued and Benji was suspended from school after accidentally striking a teacher during a confrontation. Try again later. I didn't go to parties or stupid places. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The words "Best in the Nation" marked his gravesite. Look at this praise dancing doggie. The importance of the book and the events that precipitated it has not been lost on Simeon's most celebrated pupils. Wilson is noted as the first Chicago athlete to receive this honor. The prosecutors also tried to introduce evidence that the boys were members of a street gang, but were precluded from doing so.[11]. He used to joke about that and say basketball was his girlfriend.". Despite doctors repeatedly telling her they could save her son, Mary Wilson's professional experience as a nurse told her that even if they were able to repair the damage, Ben would likely be in a persistent vegetative state afterward due to the massive blood he had already lost. "I never even really thought about it," he said. Please try again later. [29] Brandon died after he swerved into a shoulder on the Northern State Parkway, and hit a pole and two trees.[30]. There is a problem with your email/password. When an athlete dies young, there is anger and a horrifying sense of loss, but also a nagging question: How good might he have been? "The worst thing you can do is always be compared as to how you measure up," Hall said. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [17], In July 1984, Wilson attended the invitation-only Athletes For Better Education camp in Princeton, New Jersey. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Brandon Wilson (236651330)? Moore served 19 years and 9 months in prison before his release in 2004. As for Jetun.yeah, I definitely believe she was MIA because she knows she caused Benji alot of heartache, by keeping their son away from him as well as his family.