Remembering Len Bias

[12thMan]

YouTube - Len Bias highlights

YouTube - 1985 : David Robinson and Len Bias go...

YouTube - 1986 NBA Draft: Len Bias

[dmek25]

you already know what some of the responses are going to be, don't you?

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by dmek25

you already know what some of the responses are going to be, don't you?

No what are they?

[SmootSmack]

I can't believe it's been almost 25 years. Crazy

[GMScud]

I was only 7 when he died, so I don't really remember him as a player. I do however remember how shocking the news was. I've heard a few people say he would have been right up there with Jordan as the league's most dominant player from the mid-80's through the 90's.

I see that he died on June 19, 1986. So out of curiosity, why today for this thread?

[12thMan]

No particular reason. I just knew him that's all.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

So I'm a huge Celtics fan and also UMD grad (tho not at the time this happened). I'm stationed with the USAF in Japan, Celtics have just won the '86 champ. My boys are all kind of sick of hearing about it too. Bias gets drafted and I'm on cloud 9. I come into work and they tell me Bias died, I don't believe it and figure they're just giving me some $hit.....needless to say when I found out it was true I felt the same way as when Sean Taylor was killed.

Great player. Huge tragedy. The Celtics would probably be working on championship 21 or 22 if Bias hadn't died.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

No particular reason. I just knew him that's all.

I feel so bad for his family, losing his brother as well. I lived in the condos between NWHS and PG Plaza for a few years and walked across that parking lot all the time to go to the mall.

[GMScud]

The highlight films of him are impressive. He was a specimen. Such a shame.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I was only 7 when he died, so I don't really remember him as a player. I do however remember how shocking the news was. I've heard a few people say he would have been right up there with Jordan as the league's most dominant player from the mid-80's through the 90's.

That's one way of looking at it. The other is this. Suppose he lived that night after using cocaine. Who's to say that wouldn't have been the beginning of a terrible descent into drug abuse for Bias and his career would have been a shell of what it could have been like other great who couldn't overcome rampant drug abuse. Guys like Michael Ray Richardson and Roy Tarpley.

I'm just saying he was absolutely dominant as a college player, and in a way it's nice to think "Poor guy could have been one of the greatest ever if only he had lived." At the same time though, it's not too hard to think it might have been just as sad a story had he lived.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

That's one way of looking at it. The other is this. Suppose he lived that night after using cocaine. Who's to say that wouldn't have been the beginning of a terrible descent into drug abuse for Bias and his career would have been a shell of what it could have been like other great who couldn't overcome rampant drug abuse. Guys like Michael Ray Richardson and Roy Tarpley.

I'm just saying he was absolutely dominant as a college player, and in a way it's nice to think "Poor guy could have been one of the greatest ever if only he had lived." At the same time though, it's not too hard to think it might have been just as sad a story had he lived.

Good post. I'd agree.

[mredskins]

^ I agree! I am big Celtics fan as well and I lived in Boston when this happen it was shocking but in the same light I think people like to make dead people seem greater then they actually were or going to be.

To say Bias was going to add more Championships to the Celtics is kind of stupid. That team was getting old Bird back problems were starting, Parish was just old and MCHale was getting there as well.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

That's one way of looking at it. The other is this. Suppose he lived that night after using cocaine. Who's to say that wouldn't have been the beginning of a terrible descent into drug abuse for Bias and his career would have been a shell of what it could have been like other great who couldn't overcome rampant drug abuse. Guys like Michael Ray Richardson and Roy Tarpley.

I'm just saying he was absolutely dominant as a college player, and in a way it's nice to think "Poor guy could have been one of the greatest ever if only he had lived." At the same time though, it's not too hard to think it might have been just as sad a story had he lived.

Yeah, that's a good point. I'm just going off of what I heard. I'm sure those predictions of his greatness were based on a career free of drug abuse. It's totally valid to speculate that he would have had drug problems moving forward.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by mredskins

To say Bias was going to add more Championships to the Celtics is kind of stupid. That team was getting old Bird back problems were starting, Parish was just old and MCHale was getting there as well.

Assuming Bias survived and decided a brush with death was enough to keep him off the coke.....

Bias coming out of college was regarded on the same level or even better than Jordan, plus 2" taller and stronger. Is it such a stretch to believe Bias would've allowed Bird to log fewer minutes, extend his career and make him more productive when he was on the court. Think about a few things:
- Would Bias have made a difference in the '87 Finals and tipped the scales to the C's?
- Parish was an All Star in '87, '90, '91. From 87-88 thru 91-92 he averaged no less than 14 pts / 8.5 Rebs.
- McHale was an All Star from 87-91. From 87-88 thru 90-91 he averaged no less than 18.4 / 7.1.
- Bird was an All Star in 87, 88, 90, 91, 92. For the same period as Parish he averaged no less than 19.3 / 6.2 / 4.8 assists.
- Would the C's + Bias have been able to beat the '88 Pistons & Lakers? Good chance.
- How would the C's + Bias stack up against the '89-'90 Pistons and '91 Bulls? Favorably IMO.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by Slingin Sammy 33

Assuming Bias survived and decided a brush with death was enough to keep him off the coke.....

Bias coming out of college was regarded on the same level or even better than Jordan, plus 2" taller and stronger. Is it such a stretch to believe Bias would've allowed Bird to log fewer minutes, extend his career and make him more productive when he was on the court. Think about a few things:
- Would Bias have made a difference in the '87 Finals and tipped the scales to the C's?
- Parish was an All Star in '87, '90, '91. From 87-88 thru 91-92 he averaged no less than 14 pts / 8.5 Rebs.
- McHale was an All Star from 87-91. From 87-88 thru 90-91 he averaged no less than 18.4 / 7.1.
- Bird was an All Star in 87, 88, 90, 91, 92. For the same period as Parish he averaged no less than 19.3 / 6.2 / 4.8 assists.
- Would the C's + Bias have been able to beat the '88 Pistons & Lakers? Good chance.
- How would the C's + Bias stack up against the '89-'90 Pistons and '91 Bulls? Favorably IMO.

Very good but I think you are forgetting about one other young guy that came on board during that time, Reggie Lewis, he basically put up numbers that probably would have been similar to Bias and still the C's won no championship. I would also say a lot of those all star games past say 88 were do to the big three's popularity. IMO Reggie Lewis death was a bigger blow to the C's then Bias becasue we all know what he could actual do in the NBA.

Really how many times have we heard this is the next big thing only to see it not happen on the professional level, cough, Greg Oden.