When Derrick Rose takes his career to the Garden this coming season, he will wear the same No. 25 jersey that he wore back in high school at Simeon Career Academy.
The jersey is in honor of Ben “Benji” Wilson, who was ranked the No. 1 basketball player in the country in 1984 when he played at the same school. Wilson, called Chicago’s basketball “messiah” at the time, died the day before he was supposed to start his senior season after being shot while walking down the street. He was 17 years old.
Just over 15 years later, Rose wore the No.