Fantastic new article about Len Bias/Celtics

[LarBrd33]

I read this headline as "fantastic news about Len Bias"... I thought maybe he had returned in white walker form.    I say 52 year old White Walker Bias probably starts at SF for this team. 

[libermaniac]

As a Celtics fan! I don't see how anyone could look back on Bias positively.  He is not a hero or a martyr.  What appeared to be One of Red Auerbach's greatest heists by dealing Gerald Henderson to the Sonics for their #1 turned out to be the overall number 2.  Sadly, the Cavs took Brad Daugherty(who would have been amazing in Celtic Green) and we got stuck with Bias whose cocaine use put him in a casket days later.  ESPN's 30 for 30 best explains the events and the choices that Bias  and his Maryland teammates made that ended his life.  Red Auerbach's book Let Me Tell You a Story further explains the impact of the event on Red and on the Celtics as a whole.

If Brooklyn's number one pick next year results in the Celtics picking #2 in the 2016 draft, let's hope Ben Simmons or Skal Labissiere have the character to match their talent which Len Bias lacked

He wasn't a martyr ... but he was just a kid.  Give him a break.

[Emmette Bryant]

I read this headline as "fantastic news about Len Bias"... I thought maybe he had returned in white walker form.    I say 52 year old White Walker Bias probably starts at SF for this team.

TP for you, Andy.  I also misread the expression as "fantastic news about Len Bias". The headline was incredibly tone deaf.

[Maurice98]

30 for 30 of Len Bias was great. It made me cry so much because I wasn't even born when he died same for Reg and they both seemed as humble people who were also innocent.

So, I wanna know more about them. Who can Len and Reggie be compared to in the NBA right now?

P.S. RIP Reggie Lewis (27/07/1993 which it's the 22nd anniversary of its death) and Len Bias.

[The One]

Unanswerable question...would he have been as good without the drugs??

[D.o.s.]

As a Celtics fan! I don't see how anyone could look back on Bias positively.  He is not a hero or a martyr.  What appeared to be One of Red Auerbach's greatest heists by dealing Gerald Henderson to the Sonics for their #1 turned out to be the overall number 2.  Sadly, the Cavs took Brad Daugherty(who would have been amazing in Celtic Green) and we got stuck with Bias whose cocaine use put him in a casket days later.  ESPN's 30 for 30 best explains the events and the choices that Bias  and his Maryland teammates made that ended his life.  Red Auerbach's book Let Me Tell You a Story further explains the impact of the event on Red and on the Celtics as a whole.

If Brooklyn's number one pick next year results in the Celtics picking #2 in the 2016 draft, let's hope Ben Simmons or Skal Labissiere have the character to match their talent which Len Bias lacked

Frankly all I can hope for is a stronger constitution. There have been many people of worse character and greater historical importance who have used drugs and not died of that drug use, and there have been many people of better character that have as well.

[Beat LA]

As a Celtics fan! I don't see how anyone could look back on Bias positively.  He is not a hero or a martyr.  What appeared to be One of Red Auerbach's greatest heists by dealing Gerald Henderson to the Sonics for their #1 turned out to be the overall number 2.  Sadly, the Cavs took Brad Daugherty(who would have been amazing in Celtic Green) and we got stuck with Bias whose cocaine use put him in a casket days later.  ESPN's 30 for 30 best explains the events and the choices that Bias  and his Maryland teammates made that ended his life.  Red Auerbach's book Let Me Tell You a Story further explains the impact of the event on Red and on the Celtics as a whole.

If Brooklyn's number one pick next year results in the Celtics picking #2 in the 2016 draft, let's hope Ben Simmons or Skal Labissiere have the character to match their talent which Len Bias lacked

Don't tell that to his mom, who has used her son's death to instill in young people the importance of not doing drugs or bowing to peer pressure for almost the last 30 years -

Mother of Former Maryland Standout and NBA Draftee Len Bias Delivers stirring message to UDC Student-Athletes

Washington, DC - Dr. Lonise P. Bias, the mother of Len Bias, gave a stirring speech to the University of the District of Columbia student-athletes on Friday, August 27, in the UDC Sports Complex Gymnasium on the Van Ness Campus.

Dr. Bias, who has delivered keynote addresses, facilitated and presented workshops throughout the country, embarked on her remarkable journey as a motivational speaker after the death of her oldest son, Len.

“Len Bias has done more in death that he could ever have done in life,” Dr. Bias said.  “In this life you shall have pain and it will push you through life.  But the most important lesson that life teaches is that it is not about you-it’s about those in your realm of influence.”

A star on the University of Maryland basketball team, Len Bias was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the second pick in the 1986 NBA Draft.  However, two days after being selected he died of cocaine intoxication.  Four years later, in December of 1990, the Bias family experienced the death of their second son, Jay, the victim of a drive by shooting.

“I came to give you gentle reminders of who you are,” Dr. Bias added.  “Get up in the morning and be satisfied with who you are.  Stop discounting yourself and find your personal value.  Obstacles in life come to build you up.  You need to work through your weaknesses in your personal life.”

Dr. Bias also encouraged the student-athletes to maintain self control, resist temptation, and respect authority.

“Learn to love, appreciate and value yourself,”  Dr. Bias said.  “Use every opportunity to educate yourself and always reach back to give to someone else.  Be careful of who is in your inner circle.   Self preservation comes first.”

Director of Athletics Patricia Thomas said “Dr. Bias has a profound impact on anyone who has the privilege to hear her speak.  Associate Director of Athletics Jennifer Ziarko selected a speaker who understood the student-athlete experience and at the same time delivered a powerful message through her own personal experiences.”

http://www.udc.edu/udc_communications/press/2010-08-27_Mother_of_Former_Maryland_Standout_and_NBA_Draftee_Len_Bias_Delivers_stirring_message_to_UDC_Student_Athletes.htm

[Beat LA]

Unanswerable question...would he have been as good without the drugs??

He didn't do drugs before games, so I'd have to say yes.

[Big333223]

Unanswerable question...would he have been as good without the drugs??

He didn't do drugs before games, so I'd have to say yes.

The real question would be, would he have kept doing drugs in the NBA? I'm one of those fans who believe he would've been transformative for the franchise and led us into the 90's but isn't it just as reasonable to think he would've washed out of the league with drug problems?

Just too many variables.

[mgent]

I was borin in 1988, so Bias died before I was even born. There's no real way for me to have a connection to Bias or any of those Celtics teams from the 80's (or even the 90's, I became a fan during the '01-02 season) but somehow I still find myself thinking about Len Bias once in a while.

I think about the '87 team that ran out of gas (and healthy players) in the Finals and how much Bias would've helped. The worst is every time I read a "Best Teams Ever" article and it lists the '87 Lakers. The Celtics with Bias most definitely would've beaten them. How does that change the legacy of Bird? Magic? McHale's feet? The Reggie Lewis years?

Bias was the domino that changes the Celtics and the NBA during the 90's. It's so insane to me that he died when he did, the way he did.

Great post, I agree completely.  I was born 3 years later than you and became a fan in 04-05 (same age).  I, too, think often about Len Bias, and how much more bragging rights we would have had over the Lakers (as in, more so than what we have now).

Bias vs. Jordan would been soooo cool.

If he had lived, the history of the NBA would be worlds different.  That's without even taking into consideration chaos theory (and the butterfly effect).

[freshinthehouse]

Unanswerable question...would he have been as good without the drugs??

He didn't do drugs before games, so I'd have to say yes.

The real question would be, would he have kept doing drugs in the NBA? I'm one of those fans who believe he would've been transformative for the franchise and led us into the 90's but isn't it just as reasonable to think he would've washed out of the league with drug problems?

Just too many variables.

From what it sounds like, he wasn't doing more or less coke than a lot of nba players at the time.  He's just a guy that had too much one night and had a bad reaction to it. 

[biggs]

I read this headline as "fantastic news about Len Bias"... I thought maybe he had returned in white walker form.    I say 52 year old White Walker Bias probably starts at SF for this team.

Very creepy and cool, all at once!

I guess I'd prefer a Tolkien reference; like "Bias the White" ala Gandolf 

But, in all honesty, Celtics live forever in our hearts.

[No Nickname]

IF we had replay in those days, Magic would not have hit that Junior Sky Hook--Because the Review would have given the Ball back to the Celtics on the "Missed Kareem FT--ball out of bounds" play---Mychal Thompson actually hit the ball out of bounds, going over McHale's back---but Ref Earl Strom (I think) automatically gave the ball to L.A.--Then Magic hits that hook shot.

Finally someone else that agrees with me on that Mychal Thompson play. It was either over the back on Thompson or out of bounds on him.  The ref was the long time well-respected African American guy whose name I can't remember.

[tenn_smoothie]

IF we had replay in those days, Magic would not have hit that Junior Sky Hook--Because the Review would have given the Ball back to the Celtics on the "Missed Kareem FT--ball out of bounds" play---Mychal Thompson actually hit the ball out of bounds, going over McHale's back---but Ref Earl Strom (I think) automatically gave the ball to L.A.--Then Magic hits that hook shot.

Finally someone else that agrees with me on that Mychal Thompson play. It was either over the back on Thompson or out of bounds on him.  The ref was the long time well-respected African American guy whose name I can't remember.

If McHale just puts a strong body on Thompson, he gets the FT rebound easily and the Celts tie the series, hopefully going back to LA up 3 - 2. The pressure then gets to Magic like it did in '84 and the '87 Celtics win #17. Of course, if Bird doesn't give up a bunch of turnovers in the 3d quarter (probably was playing exhausted), the Celts win game 4 anyway. I drove around Knoxville for 3 hours that nite after the game, trying to calm the torment inside.

Game 4 from 1987 is my third most painful loss in Celtic history behind Game 7/2010 and Game 7 ECF/1973. Being in love can be very painful.

[Redz]

IF we had replay in those days, Magic would not have hit that Junior Sky Hook--Because the Review would have given the Ball back to the Celtics on the "Missed Kareem FT--ball out of bounds" play---Mychal Thompson actually hit the ball out of bounds, going over McHale's back---but Ref Earl Strom (I think) automatically gave the ball to L.A.--Then Magic hits that hook shot.

Finally someone else that agrees with me on that Mychal Thompson play. It was either over the back on Thompson or out of bounds on him.  The ref was the long time well-respected African American guy whose name I can't remember.

If McHale just puts a strong body on Thompson, he gets the FT rebound easily and the Celts tie the series, hopefully going back to LA up 3 - 2. The pressure then gets to Magic like it did in '84 and the '87 Celtics win #17. Of course, if Bird doesn't give up a bunch of turnovers in the 3d quarter (probably was playing exhausted), the Celts win game 4 anyway. I drove around Knoxville for 3 hours that nite after the game, trying to calm the torment inside.

Game 4 from 1987 is my third most painful loss in Celtic history behind Game 7/2010 and Game 7 ECF/1973. Being in love can be very painful.

Admitting equal ground to the Lakers was torturous.