28 Years Ago

[hallcity]

Twenty-eight years ago today the biggest tragedy in ACC history occurred. Len Bias, probably the greatest basketball player in Maryland history and one of the best in ACC history was drafted first by the NBA. Bias was on campus at the time. There was no green room then. That night Bias was persuaded by a "friend" to celebrate by using cocaine for the first time. Bias died of a heart attack induced by the cocaine. The tragedy ultimately led to Lefty Drisell, the Maryland coach being fired, even though he was blameless. The death destabilized Maryland sports so badly that I'm not sure they're over it yet. Who knows whether it led indirectly to the Terps leaving the ACC.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Dean Smith thought Bias was the best player he had ever seen.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Twenty-eight years ago today the biggest tragedy in ACC history occurred. Len Bias, probably the greatest basketball player in Maryland history and one of the best in ACC history was drafted first by the NBA. Bias was on campus at the time. There was no green room then. That night Bias was persuaded by a "friend" to celebrate by using cocaine for the first time. Bias died of a heart attack induced by the cocaine. The tragedy ultimately led to Lefty Drisell, the Maryland coach being fired, even though he was blameless. The death destabilized Maryland sports so badly that I'm not sure they're over it yet. Who knows whether it led indirectly to the Terps leaving the ACC.

Here is a nice read on the death and what followed.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=bias

 

[cto]

Twenty-eight years ago today the biggest tragedy in ACC history occurred. Len Bias, probably the greatest basketball player in Maryland history and one of the best in ACC history was drafted first by the NBA. Bias was on campus at the time. There was no green room then. That night Bias was persuaded by a "friend" to celebrate by using cocaine for the first time. Bias died of a heart attack induced by the cocaine. The tragedy ultimately led to Lefty Drisell, the Maryland coach being fired, even though he was blameless. The death destabilized Maryland sports so badly that I'm not sure they're over it yet. Who knows whether it led indirectly to the Terps leaving the ACC.

It also destabilized the Celtics... who were counting on Bias to be their "next generationion," along with Reggie Lewis, who also died from drugs a few years later

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

It also destabilized the Celtics... who were counting on Bias to be their "next generationion," along with Reggie Lewis, who also died from drugs a few years later

per Wikipedia
Following Lewis' death, it was alleged that Lewis had used cocaine, and that drug use may have been a contributing factor in his death.[6][7][8]However, the doctor who performed the autopsy on Lewis testified that thescarring on his heart was inconsistent with cocaine use, and other doctors reached the same conclusion though they "stopped short of saying he never used drugs." [9][10]Multiple physicians have expressed skepticism regarding the listed cause of death: "adenovirus 2—a common virus that causes the common cold."[11] The Wall Street Journal reported that physicians "suspected that cocaine killed Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis...but they were thwarted by actions by his family and a 'dismissive' policy toward drugs by the NBA." The Boston Celtics responded by expressing sadness about the "vicious attack on Reggie Lewis and his family," and threatened "to file a $100 million lawsuit against the reporter, The Wall Street Journal and its parent company, Dow Jones and Co. Inc."[12]

 

[LennX6]

Twenty-eight years ago today the biggest tragedy in ACC history occurred. Len Bias, probably the greatest basketball player in Maryland history and one of the best in ACC history was drafted first by the NBA. Bias was on campus at the time. There was no green room then. That night Bias was persuaded by a "friend" to celebrate by using cocaine for the first time. Bias died of a heart attack induced by the cocaine. The tragedy ultimately led to Lefty Drisell, the Maryland coach being fired, even though he was blameless. The death destabilized Maryland sports so badly that I'm not sure they're over it yet. Who knows whether it led indirectly to the Terps leaving the ACC.

Maryland was Basketball Royalty then. In the mix every year played at a high level. No title but they had a lot of real talent pass through there. Buck Williams, McMillen, Lucas, Albert King, and Bias was the best of the lot. Had an epic senior year. One game against UNC comes to mind.
You are right, from the outside, Maryland doesn't "feel" the same, even in their nice run a decade ago.

 

[zhanjuzi]

Dean Smith thought Bias was the best player he had ever seen.

I remember when Bias single handily defeated a UNC team during the regular season that was significantly better at every other position. Dean Smith keep rotating different players to guard him to no avail. It was one of the most amazing dominant performances I have ever seen.

 

[CaptainJ]

I had no idea what this thread was about, but the first sentence tipped me off. Extremely sad. Maybe a tad before I was into hoops hardcore though. It also reminds me of Hank Gathers, and that AMAZING Loyola Marymount team(122.4ppg!), collapsing in the post season. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/62 People can mock their lack of defense, but that was one of the most entertaining teams I have ever been privileged enough to watch play, and this was long before SU fans were starved of the fast break.

What got me the most, and still chokes me up, was watching Bo Kimble shoot his first free throw of each game of the NCAA run to the regional finals left handed in honor of Hank. He made all of them too. I wonder if they still had Gathers if they couldn't have won the title, or if their run was mostly inspired by him. In a sense no NBA team lost out directly like the Celtics did with Bias, but the NBA and fans(college and pro alike) certainly did.

 

[LennX6]

I remember when Bias single handily defeated a UNC team during the regular season that was significantly better at every other position. Dean Smith keep rotating different players to guard him to no avail. It was one of the most amazing dominant performances I have ever seen.

That is the game I referred to in my post. The signature play of that game was when Bias grabbed an O-rebound, and with what seems to be the entire UNC draped on him, had an incredible dunk.