This June 19, 1986, France mourns Coluche, who died in a road accident. Across the Atlantic, June 19, 1986 is also a tragic date in the history of the NBA in particular, and of US sport in general.
Number 2 in the 1986 Draft, Len Bias (22, born November 18, 1963) died of an overdose two days after being chosen by the Boston Celtics, defending champions. With two teammates from Maryland, he celebrated his draft by “snorting” cocaine. At 6:30 a.m., his heart stopped, and emergency services were unable to resuscitate him.
A “What If?” » always so cruel
What face would the NBA have without this cursed day? Boston might be over 20 league titles… Post-Larry Bird might have gone smoothly… Michael Jordan might have had a serious rival all his career… That’s what we would have been able to live without that terrible day of June 19, 1986.
The expectation around Len Bias was huge at the time, comparable to that around LeBron James in 2003 or Zion Williamson in 2019. A player with monstrous athleticism, shooting “the purest ever seen” according to ESPN reporter Michael Wilbon.
Several journalists announce him as the best player in the history of the ACC tournament, and all observers are unanimous: he is a player who is not like the others. A sort of Kevin Durant before his time, slender and elegant, with the shot of a rear as Monty Williams will estimate for example. In 1986, he came out of a season with 23.2 points and 7 rebounds in the NCAA.
The city of Boston as shocked as after the assassination of JFK
Another colleague from Sports Illustrated, Jack McCallum, recounts this June 19, 1986 in an excellent paper.
“On June 19, 1986, at around 9:30 a.m., I received a call from John Papanek, an editor at Sports Illustrated”, he writes. “It was a Thursday, the start of the working week. So what about Len Bias, he asks me. I had just finished my first year on NBA rhythm, so I started right away on my basketball knowledge: “Perfect choice for the Celtics, he’s too big and strong for most of the shooting wingers who will defend him, and too quick for the power forwards. “Jack” John interrupts me: “Bias is dead.” »
The news is like an earthquake in the United States. At the time, the Internet did not exist, let alone social networks. Everyone hears the news at the same time. Tributes and reactions are multiplying. From President Ronald Reagan to his college opponent, Michael Jordan, to his “future” teammate, Larry Bird, everyone is in shock at the death of the former star winger from Maryland. The legendary Celtics winger will even speak of “the cruelest story he has ever heard”.
“Never since the death of John Fitzgerald Kennedy has Boston experienced such a tragedy”, compared Red Auerbach squarely. His funeral is exceptional, worthy of the greatest celebrities. On the Maryland campus, 11,000 students attend the funeral service.
A still strong impact on the current league
If this death remains one of the greatest sports tragedies in the United States, it will remain one of the key points in the fight against drugs and prevention for young athletes. The young players, just drafted, follow since 1986 an internship called “Rookie Transition Program” during which the NBA explains to them the risks of glory, women, money and drugs, in particular cocaine, responsible for the death by Len Bias.
Finally, on a human level, this story deeply marked the journalists of the time. Everything came together to make it a novel plot: the size of the player, the legendary Celtics franchise, death, drugs, the suddenness of the announcement (less than 40 hours after its Draft) and even the tragic sequel within of the family since Len’s little brother, Jay, was shot dead in 1990.
Jack McCallum shares this anecdote: “During the 2011 Finals in Dallas, I had breakfast with Michael Wilbon, who was at the Washington Post at the time, and now at ESPN. Then the death of Len Bias came into the conversation. He tells me: “Following Len Bias has been the most important story of my career with the Dream Team. ” I think the same. »
For anyone who wants to know more about this extraordinary destiny, a tip: watch ESPN’s excellent documentary, “Without Bias”.
