Len Bias
Len Bias was a former University of Maryland basketball player who died from cardiac arrest attributed to cocaine use just two days after the Boston Celtics drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. After spending the day of June 18, 1986, in Boston, meeting with Celtics officials and signing a multiyear shoe contract with Reebok, Bias flew home and spent some time at his family's house in Landover. He then went to his College Park dorm room, where he hung out with some teammates and other friends. He briefly left campus and returned to his dorm room at around 3 a.m. At some point in the night, Bias used cocaine.
He collapsed and went into convulsions at around 6:30 a.m., and was pronounced dead at Leland Memorial Hospital in Riverdale later that morning. During his four seasons in College Park, Bias earned ACC Player of the Year honors twice. He was named a second-team All-American as a junior, when he averaged 19.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Bias earned All-American first-team honors as a senior, averaging 23.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. In his final game at Maryland -- a 70-64 NCAA tournament loss to UNLV -- Bias scored the Terps' final 13 points and finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds.
Before signing with Maryland on April 15, 1982, Bias starred at Northwestern High in Hyattsville, where he averaged 25 points per game during his senior year. At Maryland, Bias -- a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward -- evoked comparisons to Michael Jordan. Bias' death spurred anti-drug campaigns throughout the country. His death also prompted an investigation of the University of Maryland athletic department. The probe led to the resignations of Maryland athletic director Dick Dull and men's basketball coach Lefty Driesell in October 1986.
Len Bias was a former University of Maryland basketball player who died from cardiac arrest attributed to cocaine use just two days after the Boston Celtics drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. After spending the day of June 18, 1986, in Boston, meeting with Celtics officials and signing a multiyear shoe contract with Reebok, Bias flew home and spent some time at his family's house in Landover. He then went to his College Park dorm room, where he hung out with some teammates and other friends. He briefly left campus and returned to his dorm room at around 3 a.m. At some point in the night, Bias used cocaine.
He collapsed and went into convulsions at around 6:30 a.m., and was pronounced dead at Leland Memorial Hospital in Riverdale later that morning. During his four seasons in College Park, Bias earned ACC Player of the Year honors twice. He was named a second-team All-American as a junior, when he averaged 19.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Bias earned All-American first-team honors as a senior, averaging 23.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. In his final game at Maryland -- a 70-64 NCAA tournament loss to UNLV -- Bias scored the Terps' final 13 points and finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds.
Before signing with Maryland on April 15, 1982, Bias starred at Northwestern High in Hyattsville, where he averaged 25 points per game during his senior year. At Maryland, Bias -- a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward -- evoked comparisons to Michael Jordan. Bias' death spurred anti-drug campaigns throughout the country. His death also prompted an investigation of the University of Maryland athletic department. The probe led to the resignations of Maryland athletic director Dick Dull and men's basketball coach Lefty Driesell in October 1986.
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.....smh what a waste.
