Was thinking about the lost opportunities to watch Lenny Bias play in the pros. Amazing talent. Larry Bird was going to show up at rookie camp to play with him. How many of you remember him at Maryland?
Len Bias
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Before I was born, but definitely know the history surrounding him. Would have made a heck of a player in the NBA.
As a life long Celtic fan,not only was the loss of this young man's life a great tragedy,but it sent the franchise into a tailspin that it took years to recover from..
One of the most exciting and dominant players I have ever watched play college hoops.
Amazing talent. Would have been something special. OFC
The 30 fo 30 about him (Without Bias) was outstanding.
And yes, you younger guys, if you haven't seen him much it would be worth your time to watch some clips.
And yes, you younger guys, if you haven't seen him much it would be worth your time to watch some clips.
A lot of people don't know the impact that Bias' death had on Lefty Driesel. It essentially cost him his job at Md. with was totally unfair bu Lefty genuinely loved Bias and it ate away at him the rest of his life. OFC
grew up in NOVA and was a ball boy for Maryland back in the day. loved Lefty as a youngster but unlike skydad i do hold lefty somewhat responsible. not for him doing coke. that was on Len. telling the other guys to clean up before they called for help was wrong. Bias was just a great great player. i have a Bias jersey (remember the old mustard yellow Maryland jerseys?) still hanging on my wall.
Never forget Lenny-led FURIOUS Md comeback to beat Dean in Chapel Hill!!!
OFC
OFC
Watched that game live on TV. That steal and monster dunk was amazing. Jumped out of my chair and screamed! One of the most memorable sports segments I have ever watched and I didnt even dislike NC at that time. Never in my life have I gotten that pumped about a sports event that I was basically neutral about.
I have always said if it wasn't for his passing it would have been the Len Bias and Michael Jordan story back in the day of the NBA, not just Jordan. Bias made it look so easy and so dang smooth.
yeah it was really set up for jordan vs bias to be the bird vs magic replacement rivalry. just sucked. i will never forget where and when i first saw that death report on the news.
I will never forget Lefty's emotional presser that afternoon after Len's death:" I'll see ya in heaven Lenny." So tragic.....OFC
One of those occasions where I still remember where I was when I heard the news. I hope the new ACC network spends some time talking about some of the old players and coaches. Just a few from Duke worth mentioning: Sonny Jurgenson, Mike Curtis, Dick Groat, Vic Bubas, Art Heyman, Jeff Mullins and many, many more.
One of the best ever! Sent shocks all through out college basketball.
He was an amazing player. I'll never forget when I found out about his death. I had worked all night and up into the wee hours of the morning and was sleeping late when my, then 9 year old daughter, woke me up to tell me Mr. Bias was dead. I was totally stunned, and heartbroken. Such a sad ending.
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It was just so shocking, and most importantly, didn't have to be. Life is too precious for something like that to happen. Also, my family and I were near the end of a horrendous 15 month battle that my dad had been waging against cancer. He was down to about 80 pounds by then, and would die (about 10 weeks later). He was only about 40 feet away from me in, another bedroom, of my house. The contrast of the two situations really got to me that day. My dad dying and nothing to be done, and a young man who had everything to live for, throwing it all away. I won't ever forget the hopelessness of both situations.
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As a teenager, Bias was my favorite player. This was before I swore my allegiance to Duke. To this day, I think he would have become the G.O.A.T.
Len Bias is right up there with MJ as my favorite all time player. If he would’ve made it to the NBA I think he would’ve been a player that people would’ve been saying was as great or greater than MJ.
He was the best player I ever saw in person. He broke UNCheats heart that night and I had a good time watching. I never saw Zion or MJ in person.
Between Bias' death and Reggie Lewis' death, the Celtics had an epic run of bad luck.
Bias would have had to move to the wing in the NBA. Would that have worked? Well, his foul shooting improved every year at Maryland. He shot 86 percent as a senior!! Then again he only averaged an assist per game as a senior. Then again, who on that team would you want him to pass to? Keith Gatlin was the only other double-figure scorer and just barely.
Bias scored 41 points at Cameron against Duke in 1986. I'm pretty sure that's the most points any opponent has ever scored at Duke. And this was against Mark Alarie. Krzyzewski gambled that Maryland didn't have the horses to run with Duke and put Alarie on an island. K was right. Duke won easily. Still, it was an awesome performance.
I do disagree with some posters about the impact his death had on Driesell. By 1986 he had lost control of his program. Players were doing-or not doing-pretty much whatever they wanted. Going to class was one of the things they didn't want to do and Lefty was either okay with that or unaware of that, neither of which is acceptable. He had to go, IMO.
Bias would have had to move to the wing in the NBA. Would that have worked? Well, his foul shooting improved every year at Maryland. He shot 86 percent as a senior!! Then again he only averaged an assist per game as a senior. Then again, who on that team would you want him to pass to? Keith Gatlin was the only other double-figure scorer and just barely.
Bias scored 41 points at Cameron against Duke in 1986. I'm pretty sure that's the most points any opponent has ever scored at Duke. And this was against Mark Alarie. Krzyzewski gambled that Maryland didn't have the horses to run with Duke and put Alarie on an island. K was right. Duke won easily. Still, it was an awesome performance.
I do disagree with some posters about the impact his death had on Driesell. By 1986 he had lost control of his program. Players were doing-or not doing-pretty much whatever they wanted. Going to class was one of the things they didn't want to do and Lefty was either okay with that or unaware of that, neither of which is acceptable. He had to go, IMO.
My favorite player of all time, any level. Moved to Durham from Hyattsville, MD in '82. Bias died a week before my 12th birthday. His Mom came to our middle school to talk. What a tragedy.
Believe it or not,it was a trade with Seattle in 1984 for guard Gerald Henderson,the father of Duke's Gerald Henderson!
I seen Alerie and Bias at the Joel coliseum after their college careers were finished. They both scored over forty with both playing soft defense. Last game I seen Bias play
Bob Wade (despite a road win at Duke)was a pitiful hire....As far as going to class the "great" Dean Smith would develop an interesting curriculum a few years later.... OFC
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I wonder if Bias would have been an all star in the NBA. It seems he would, but we say that about a lot of guys in college. A shame we never got to find out.
Yes, Sky, Lefty loved "Leonard" like a son. His death hurt Lefty and also indirectly to a tailspin and death penalty for Maryland basketball, as well as a decade-long setback for the entire athletic department.
(by the way, Lefty is alive and well, and shows up in College Park from time to time!)
Bias was a few years before I started seriously watching college basketball, but I remember my dad and grandpa being really upset by the news of his death. I've since seen some documentaries over the years and my impression has always been he was a great kid who made a really bad decision.