Former Magic star Nick Anderson doesn't need to see a TV special to remember his beloved high school teammate, Ben "Benji" Wilson.
He sees him all the time.
"I don't think I'll ever get over it," Nick said.
Wilson, the subject of a recent ESPN 30 For 30 documentary, was once viewed as the nation's top prep basketball player. But it all ended on Nov. 20, 1984, when he was gunned down at 17 after an altercation near Chicago's Simeon High School, where he starred with Anderson.
The NBA lost a future star, and Nick lost his best friend.
Anderson was across the street at a convenience store when the shooting took place.
He knows that he might have been the victim instead of Wilson.
When Anderson reached him, he was bleeding and slumped against a fence. He died in a hospital a day later, touching off a city-wide period of mourning and debate about crime prevention.
"It could have been me. I've always said that," Anderson said. "There's not a day goes by that I don't envision what took place.
"I think about it all the time."
Anderson and Wilson were as close as brothers, eating and studying at each other's homes. They had big plans. They talked about heading to Illinois on scholarships and then on to the NBA.
"Ben, he was a superstar in the making," Anderson said. "We had everything planned out. I just tried to follow through on all the things we talked about even after he was gone."
Anderson wore Ben's No. 25 at Illinois and in the pros to keep his spirit alive.
Now a community ambassador for the Magic, Anderson was Orlando's first draft pick, selected in 1989. He became the Magic's all-time scoring leader until Dwight Howard broke the record.
He said that if people want an idea of the player and person that Wilson personified, all they have to do is follow Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant.
"Kevin Durant reminds me of Ben," said Anderson, still emotional today. "Kevin's demeanor, the way he carries himself … that was Ben. I look at KD and I appreciate that young man in more ways than one."
Anderson played 10 seasons for the Magic before the club traded him during a massive rebuild after Shaquille O'Neal left. Dealt to the Sacramento Kings, Nick was heartbroken, having never wanted to leave his adopted hometown. He retired from the game after the 2001-02 season.
There has been talk about the Magic retiring Nick's number from time to time. I have pushed for the franchise to hang No. 25 in the rafters, but it doesn't appear it will ever honor him in that manner.
The club has yet to retire a player's jersey, preferring to reserve that distinction for a superstar. Howard was destined to have his No. 12 recognized until … well, we know the story.
Anderson never made an all-star team, playing in the shadow of such stars as Michael Jordan and Joe Dumars, future hall of famers. But his commitment to Orlando never waned after a solid career.
