ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

[jmood88]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

Benji was easily the best one of the season and one of my favorites of the series.

I can't believe the killer is sitting there trying to plead his case. This is crazy.

I'm glad that the filmmakers talked to him to get the other side of the story. What he said made sense.

[ScoobySnax]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

I think he's telling the truth too. It's just the magnitude of his **** up was unimaginable. I know I was a little hothead and thought I couldn't be touched at that age, so I can definitely see something like that happening. I just hate that it did.

Kudos to ESPN because I never would have heard this story otherwise.

[fatleg3]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

Hold up, R.Kelly use to play for Simeon?

R. Kelly was a hellava BBall player. He definitely could have played D1 ball, but a music teacher talked him into going the singing route.

The guy saying he did not go to the funeral because it was a show, well anything involving Jessie Jackson is a show.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

This one is up there with the Len Bias one as being one of the best episodes of the series.

Eyes got a little moist when they showed his Service and were getting ready to bury him.

[mb625]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

Dang it. I missed it. Anybody know when it replays on ESPN or the Deuce?

[24]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

Dang it. I missed it. Anybody know when it replays on ESPN or the Deuce?

I'm pretty sure its on again tomorrow 9 pm (Eastern Standard Time). On ESPNU and regular ESPN

[mb625]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

I'm pretty sure its on again tomorrow 9 pm (Eastern Standard Time). On ESPNU and regular ESPN

Oh sure... when I'm busy again... oh well, I'm sure I'll catch it at some point...

[Chrisksaint]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

That was one of the best, loved how they gave this story a different viewpoint from all those involved.

Enjoy when they do these on stories I know very little about.

[thaima1shu]

Great episode but so damn tragic

[TracerBullet]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

Gotta find a way to see this with the way you guys are talking. Hate that I'm still in class/on the bus when these come on.

[Dice]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

I remember being in 6th grade hearing about the death of Ben Wilson and how much it affected the youth of Chicago during that time. In my opinion, Benji is the best 30 for 30 episode I've seen. I'm probably saying that because of the closeness of the story I have from my childhood. Watching that documentary brought back a lot of my childhood memories growing up on the south side of Chicago.

[War Eagle!]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

Dang, dude was nice. Seems like everybody who could have been a real threat to Jordan, near his age group, got wiped out early. Sad story.

[DickDalewood]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

Dang, dude was nice. Seems like everybody who could have been a real threat to Jordan, near his age group, got wiped out early. Sad story.

Due to much less traumatic circumstances, you'd be surprised by how many great athletes for their respective sports never make it all the way due to one thing or another.

I grew up playing soccer, was a top rated player in the state, went on to play D1, and today, a couple months from 30, can barely even run a couple miles because my legs hurt so bad.

One of my buddies that I played with, same age as me, was actually a top 45 player in the country, won honors playing D1 ball, and is a lawyer now, and completely burned out of playing.

I can provide so many more examples too, of people at LEAST on my skill level, or better, who definitely had the talent to go further, but just never did, and for a variety of reasons (none of which even include things like what happened to Benji).

Being a professional athlete, let alone one of the greatest of all time, is about drive and motivation, yes, but also about circumstance and timing. It's amazing when you grow up around it, and you see so many "could have beens", versus those who actually made it.

[Brandwin]

I feel asleep watching it last night. So I didn't get to finish (about 30 minutes left) but I loved it. Can't wait to finish.

[Dice]

Re: ESPN 30 for 30 Discussion Thread

Due to much less traumatic circumstances, you'd be surprised by how many great athletes for their respective sports never make it all the way due to one thing or another.

I grew up playing soccer, was a top rated player in the state, went on to play D1, and today, a couple months from 30, can barely even run a couple miles because my legs hurt so bad.

One of my buddies that I played with, same age as me, was actually a top 45 player in the country, won honors playing D1 ball, and is a lawyer now, and completely burned out of playing.

I can provide so many more examples too, of people at LEAST on my skill level, or better, who definitely had the talent to go further, but just never did, and for a variety of reasons (none of which even include things like what happened to Benji).

Being a professional athlete, let alone one of the greatest of all time, is about drive a motivation, yes, but also about circumstance and timing. It's amazing when you grow up around it, and you see so many "could have beens", versus those who actually made it.

This is true. And ironically, a couple of years after Benji’s death, there was another Chicago area ball player who had the same height and skill set of him and that player was Marcus Liberty. Liberty followed the same path and had as much success as a high school basketball player as Ben Wilson. State champion his Junior year. Number one rated player in the nation in his senior year. Unfortunately, Liberty’s college and pro careers didn’t turn out as good as I thought it was.

Also in the documentary, they touched upon the Simeon/King rivalry of the 80’s, which if you were a big high school hoops fan in the city this was the game to go to. King used to win their share of games against Simeon. And anyone can tell you who watched Chicago high school basketball during that time that King had the better players. Marcus Liberty and Jamie Brandon for example. But it’s funny how Simeon produced more NBA players than King. Guys like Nick Anderson, Bobby Simmons and Derrick Rose. And King produced one guy who made a brief appearance in the NBA and failed and that guy was Leon Smith. I know Bob Hambric took a lot of crap for only winning one state title(when King took 3) but Hambric did hone his players to be better people after they left Simeon.