1986 NBA Draft: I will never forget

[ro_50]

For longtime NBA and college basketball fans, June 19, 1986 will always live w/ us.

Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose.

What could have been?

His death not only transcended the game but the war on drugs in this country.

It still brings back memories when I heard about it that day and I was only six at the time.

Brings back eerie memories.

For those of that that study the game and know about the game (junkies), the 1986 NBA Draft was the craziest one ever because of the star-crossed stories.

If he never died and Reggie Lewis never did, the Celtics would have won more rings.

We wouldn't have a Pistons championship, maybe not a Bulls dynasty.

One night changed everything.

It was as SI put it, "Death of a Dream"

[MrDeeds]

Originally Posted by ro_50

For longtime NBA and college basketball fans, June 19, 1986 will always live w/ us.

Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose.

What could have been?

His death not only transcended the game but the war on drugs in this country.

It still brings back memories when I heard about it that day and I was only six at the time.

Brings back eerie memories.

For those of that that study the game and know about the game (junkies), the 1986 NBA Draft was the craziest one ever because of the star-crossed stories.

If he never died and Reggie Lewis never did, the Celtics would have won more rings.

We wouldn't have a Pistons championship, maybe not a Bulls dynasty.

One night changed everything.

It was as SI put it, "Death of a Dream"

I don't know if I'd go that far.

Sad story though.

[msuh24]

i believe its true. bias was the truth. very sad sad story.

[LifelongSpursFan]

I loved the Boston Celtics of the '80s. It was very easy for me to root for them because I wasn't rooting against my Spurs. And when they met the Lakers in the Finals it was easy....because many times my Spurs were eliminated by the Lakers.

So I was excited at the prospect of Len Bias as I had watched him play college ball. The day he died I was stunned and then cried when I discovered it was at the hands of cocaine. How could anyone who had shown so much promise do something so absolutely uneducated and stupid? To this day I feel for his family. They had hung their hopes and dreams on him.

[ro_50]

Originally Posted by MrDeeds

I don't know if I'd go that far.

Sad story though.

Go watch his old tapes from his time as a Maryland Terp.

Coach K has said there has been only three players he's feared w/ no answer for during his time as Duke coach: MJ, Bias and Tim Duncan.

Bias was that good and I've talked to many college historians in ACC Country and they all say the same thing.

If Bias was alive and playing on those Celtics teams, the Pistons wont win those rings and MJ wont have 6 rings.

[l=w]

He'd be out of the league and on his ass just like Roy Tarpley. The NBA doesn't have a "coke fiends are A-OK!" policy. All this talk about how great the Celts would be is unfounded.

Let's feel sorry for the real losses of guys like Drazen Petrovic, not people who threw their lives away with drugs.

[l=w]

Originally Posted by JamesR

Thats a real great message, don't have pity for someone on drugs.

The point is, don't think he was this god, this savior. He was going to have drug problems for a very long time.

Instead of glorifying him, we can feel sorry for him, whatever. But there are much greater losses we've had - Reggie Lewis, Drazen Petrovic, Hank Gathers - who by all intents were very good people.

It's just because of crazed Boston fans that we have to revisit this over and over and over again. 'What if?' Well, he'd be kicked out of the league in three years. That's what.

[ro_50]

I will never forget Hank Gathers' death for as long as I live.

Thats the one that will always linger in my heart. That was the first year I started to watch college basketball.