Sunday is the anniversary of one of sport’s greatest tragedies, which left us with one of the game’s biggest ‘what ifs?’
Len Bias, one of the most dominant college players of the decade, died in a Maryland dorm room on June 19, 1986, just two days after being selected No. 2 overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA Draft.
Bias was considered by the vast majority of the NBA as not just a future perennial All-Star, but the guy who would carry the torch from Larry Bird and continue to lead the Boston dynasty well into the next decade.
The Maryland First-Team All-American guard died of cocaine over-dose while celebrating with friends. Not only was he on the verge of making his wildest dreams come true by playing professional basketball for the game’s most historic franchise, he was on the cusp of signing a multi-million dollar shoe deal with Reebok.
Bias was the next big thing. His sudden passing shook the sports world to it’s core.
Here are highlights from his college days at Maryland. Remember, this is the mid-80s.
What if Bias lived? Would he have led the Celtics to more wins over the Pistons, the Lakers, the Bulls? Would Boston have clinched several more titles? Would he become Michael Jordan’s primary rival in the East?
There are certainly way too many questions we’ll never know the answers to. But today, we remember Leonard Kevin Bias for being one of the greatest basketball players the game has ever seen.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of Crave Sports. Follow him on Twitter or like the channel on Facebook here.
Photo: Getty
