Len Bias : The Athlete That Was As Good As Michael Jordan!

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THE GOAT THAT NEVER BEGAN?

Today’s generation would most likely argue that the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) is between either Michael Jordan or Lebron James. Michael Jordan with a 30.12 point average per game in his career while Lebron James becoming the 4th all-time scoring leaders in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and potentially could become the 1st. These statistics could have been obsolete had Maryland’s Len Bias been here today. Len Bias was the Lebron James of his generation. His athletic ability and dedication to the sport made him different from any athlete. Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski told Boston Globe, “I consider a playmaker as someone who can do things others can’t, the way Jordan did. Bias was like that. He could invent ways to score, and there was nothing you could do about it. No matter how you defended him, he could make a play.” His physical qualities and characteristics were built for basketball similar to Jordan. Len Bias could have changed the opinions of today’s generation on who they believe the GOAT is.

Leonard (Len) Kevin Bias was born in Landover, Maryland on November 18, 1963. Basketball was actually not Bias’s first choice of sport. Football was his favourite sport up until a long-time friend urged him to play basketball. He eventually grew to love basketball more that he wanted to make the junior high school team. Unfortunately, Len was cut from his junior high school basketball team and was teased for his inability to make the team. The teasing only made him more motivated as he became determined to be the best basketball player ever.

Len was invited to a basketball camp called “Five-Star Basketball” where the greatest high school athletes in east coast went to train. At the camp is where Len was able to gain and improve his skills which later allowed him to make the Northwestern High School Wildcats basketball team. Reginald Gaskins, one of Bias’s former high school teammate described his training ethics as “dynamic”. His skills developed to be very explosive that he mastered the art of having a thunderous dunk. Len worked on his skills night and day and always brought his A-game to the court. His hard-working dynamic drive took him to lead the Northwestern Wildcats to state championships. They unfortunately lost 52–54 points against High Point High School.

After graduating high school, Bias chose to go to college in his hometown. He attended Maryland College where he received a full scholarship. As most college players do, Bias struggled at the beginning of his freshman year. However, he was able to make his way to starting lineup by the end of that same year. His dynamic work ethic from high school became his best asset because by sophomore year he had showcased his true athleticism. Statistically, Bias had improved his point average by double from his freshman to sophomore year.

Sophomore year was the year that Bias played against today’s (arguable) GOAT, Michael Jordan, for the first time. Michael Jordan attended University of North Carolina at this time, one of the top ranked colleges for basketball. He led the North Carolina Tar Heels with a team that consisted of future NBA superstars such as Sam Perkins, Kenny Smith and Brad Daugherty. North Carolina did not intimidate Bias; in fact, he went toe to toe against Michael Jordan and led the team with 16 points in the first half. The Maryland Terrapins were outmatched against the North Carolina Tar Heels by the second half. Sam Perkins ended the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds while Michael Jordan ended with 21 points and 12 rebounds as well. Len Bias tallied 24 points that night.

He became the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) athlete of the year. Had there been 3-point shots at the college level, Bias’ average would have been significantly higher than it was. It was not until April of 1986 where they started recognizing 3-point shots at the college level. The Duke University’s Coach Krzyzewski claimed that two of the best players to ever play in ACC were Len bias and Michael Jordan. At the collegiate level he averaged 23.2 points and 7 rebounds per game. He was said to be bigger, stronger or maybe more advance than Michael Jordan. Bias was one of the best athletes in college who supposedly had the same athletic ability as Lebron James but in his era. Michael Wilbon from ESPN’s television series 30 for 30: Without Bias said during a documentary dedicated to Len, “He had the purest jump shot I’ve ever seen. The purest! Straight up off the floor, perfect form, perfect elbow, perfect release point, perfect follow through and it was a vision, it is a work of art.”

On the 19th of June 1986, a 911 phone call was made by one of his college friends Brian Tribble. Len Bias was found unresponsive after using cocaine. The Maryland basketball star Len Bias was found dead in his dorm room less than 48 hours of him getting drafted. This brought the entire nation to a big shock. His death was used to raise awareness to people of the effects of cocaine. Following a few weeks after his death, the U.S Congress passed a law called Anti-drug Abuse Act of 1986, also known as the Len Bias Law. If caught with possession of drugs, more specifically cocaine, there was a minimum prison sentence of 5 years. The NBA also took action and conducted drug testing within their own jurisdictions. They discovered three basketball players who were in possession and use of drugs. Chris Washburn, Roy Tarpley, and William Bedford were all banned from NBA and stripped of their careers.

Len Bias had such a promising future for him. Red Auerbach, the president of the Boston Celtics, scouted Len in 1983 and by the 1986th draft, he was 2nd overall pick. The Boston Celtics already consisted of a powerful team that adding Bias could have made them the ultimate crème de la crème of the NBA. Their 1986th championships could have been the beginning of possible back to back championships.

With all things considered, Len Bias could of have revolutionized the league with his style of play. Bias body built or type was not typically suited for the small forward position. He could have been the first “hybrid” meaning that he could play any position on the team. Len Bias could have contributed and maintained the team’s stance during Kevin McHale and Larry Bird’s injuries. “Celtics just beat the Rockets in the finals, the draft is 10 days away and we have the second pick of the draft (Len Bias). It just seem like we are going to win like 7 straight titles”, Bill Simmons from B.S. Report Show exclaimed in an interview with Boston Celtic’s Larry Bird. No shy of a doubt, the Celtics were beyond confident they would take championships with the help of Bias. They could have won multiple championships by beating the Chicago Bulls for the title in the early 90’s.

The 90’s was a walk in the park for Michael Jordan because he dismantled every team he played against in the finals because there was no one to stop him. Len Bias could have been Michael Jordan’s kryptonite and evidently the only person to challenge him for the title GOAT. The Greatest of All-Time conversation could be different if Len Bias was living today. Unfortunately, one poor action lead to the end of a promising career that had yet to begin.