Ben Stephens (basketball)

{{short description|American basketball player}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Ben Stephens

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| position = Guard / forward

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 175

| birth_date = {{birth date|1916|11|27}}

| birth_place =

| nationality = American

| death_date = {{death date and age|1966|4|6|1916|11|27}}

| death_place = St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

| high_school =

| college = Iowa (1936–1939)

| career_start = 1936

| career_end = 1939

| years1 = 1939–1942

| team1 = Akron Wingfoots

| highlights =

• 3× All-NBL First Team (1940–1942)
• NBL Most Valuable Player (1941)
• NBL Rookie of the Year (1940)
• NBL scoring champion (1941)
• NBL All-Time Team

}}

Benjamin M. Stephens (November 27, 1916 - April 6, 1966)[http://death-records.mooseroots.com/l/133478285/Benjamin-Stephens SSSDI]{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} SSDI. Retrieved 13 November 2015. was an American professional basketball player.

A 6'0" guard/forward from the University of Iowa, Stephens played three seasons (1939–1942) in the National Basketball League as a member of the Akron Wingfoots.[http://www.bballsports.com BBALLSports] Statistical Database. Retrieved 28 August 2007. He led the league in scoring during the 1940–41 season with an 11.0 points per game average.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/6925/nbl.html |title=Steve Dmitry's NBL Website |accessdate=2012-06-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050818001517/http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/6925/nbl.html |archivedate=2005-08-18 }}. Retrieved 28 August 2007. His basketball career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the United States Navy. After the war, Stephens worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company before dying of a heart attack while on vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1966.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19660406&id=gSYxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jQEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7204,5369976&hl=en Toledo Blade April 7, 1966] Obituary. Retrieved 13 November 2015.[http://www.summitcountysportshalloffame.com/Inductees/1966.htm Summit County Sports Hall of Fame] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927174249/http://www.summitcountysportshalloffame.com/Inductees/1966.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}. Retrieved 28 August 2007.