The Official Site of Derrick Rose

Sun, Nov 15th 2009, 10:55

For Derrick Rose, No. 25 more than just a jersey

When Derrick Rose was born in the fall of 1988, former Simeon Career Academy standout Ben Wilson should have been preparing for his senior year at the University of Illinois in Champaign. With his high school teammate and best friend, Nick Anderson, at his side, Wilson surely would have flourished at the collegiate level.

Instead, Wilson’s life was tragically cut short on November 20, 1984, when he was shot in broad daylight during lunch break just a few steps from his school on 83rd and Vincennes. At the time, Wilson, or Benji as he was called, was regarded as the best playerhttp://wmgathletesites.com/blog_entries/add/10 in the country, and his team owned the No. 1 national ranking after capturing the IHSA Class AA State Boys Basketball Championship his junior year.

On Saturday, 25 years later, the school officially retired Wilson’s No. 25. In what became a tradition and an ongoing tribute, the number was reserved for the best Simeon players, including the Bulls’ Derrick Rose.

“I was honored to have that number,” said Rose prior to the ceremony. “Playing here and wearing that number came with a lot of responsibilities. You’ve got to go out there and play hard when everybody is coming at you. You’re on the court almost every possession.”

Rose, better known as “Pooh” by nearly everyone at Simeon, and members of his family were on hand as Head Coach Robert Smith and the boys basketball team held their first practice of the year during a Midday Madness event. Three of Wilson’s brothers were also in attendance, along with several of Wilson’s teammates from the 1984 state championship team that went 30-1.

Rose first learned of Wilson’s story during his freshman orientation at Simeon when he read a book by Wilson’s mother, Mary, about her son’s life.

“It scared me at first, knowing anything can happen,” he recalled. “But you can’t live your life assuming that something is going to happen to you. You just have to take every day and feel blessed that you’re here. Try to put yourself in a safe and positive environment and try to do everything right.

“It can all be taken away from you just like that,” Rose added.

To this day, Smith shows his players tape of Wilson from the team’s 1984 semifinal matchup in Champaign to help them understand and get a sense of how he played.

“He was before his time,” said Rose of Wilson, citing his size and versatility.

The day was also without Bob Hambric, Simeon’s legendary coach who won 551 games in 24 years and never had a losing season. He passed away in August at the age of 69 after a long battle with cancer. Smith was Hambric’s assistant and took over upon his retirement in 2004. Behind Rose’s leadership, Simeon won back to back state championships in 2006 and 2007.

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