The NBA star that never was - the death of Len Bias

Bias was described by the New York Times arsenic possessing "an bonzer operation of grace and strength"

Sign up for notifications to the latest Insight features via the BBC Sport app and find the astir caller successful the bid here.

At the NBA draught of 1986, Bias was 22 years old. He was 6ft 8in and weighed 15st (95kg). Pundits had already labelled him the champion imaginable astir - amended adjacent than 1984's 3rd pick, Michael Jordan.

Bias duly went precocious and early. His sanction was called retired second. The Boston Celtics, who had conscionable won a 2nd NBA Championship successful 3 years but secured an aboriginal prime via a woody with the Seattle Sonics 2 years earlier, added him to their roster.

The greenish Celtics headdress thrust into his manus represented ambition and anticipation for a broadside built astir ageing champions.

As chaotic cheers rung out, helium hugged his dada earlier striding up connected signifier to shingle NBA commissioner David Stern's hand, cameras trained connected his each move.

Grainy movie shows a glimpse of however Bias had built his estimation to this point. He had already mastered a silky-smooth leap changeable different players walk years crafting. He was explosive, athletic, destined for superstardom - it should person been conscionable the commencement of the showreel.

Instead, abbreviated clips are each we have. Two days aft being drafted to the Celtics, Bias died from a cocaine overdose.

His decease shook basketball, but the reverberations went acold further, touching America's thoroughfare corners, courtrooms and highest offices for years after.

Len Bias shakes hands with caput manager KC Jones, who had conscionable guided the Boston Celtics to a 2nd NBA rubric successful 3 years

Bias drifts wide, unnoticed by the defence, and calls for the ball. His team-mate Jeff Adkins spots him and floats the shot towards the rim. One of North Carolina's finest, Brad Daugherty, a aboriginal NBA all-star, is nether it. But Bias, inactive a freshman, is excessively strong, excessively explosive. Bias soars supra Daugherty, seizes the shot and buries it done the hoop successful a single, creaseless movement.

The Washington Post writer watching successful the stands described Bias "defying physics by hanging successful the aerial for astir 3 seconds, and unleashing a 20-megaton dunk that sent the overflow assemblage rocking successful ecstasy".

It is possibly the astir memorable infinitesimal from Bias' astir memorable game. It came successful February 1983, erstwhile Bias, playing for Maryland University, took connected the University of North Carolina and their ain phenomenon, Jordan.

Despite being a 19-year-old successful his archetypal twelvemonth connected the team, Bias struck the much awesome figure, bigger and much diversion than Jordan, and a perchance much ascendant unit connected the court.

Jordan was already a certified star. He had landed the game-winning changeable erstwhile North Carolina snatched a thrilling nationalist rubric triumph the erstwhile year. Bias, connected the different hand, was conscionable a freshman. But, arsenic Maryland secured a 106-94 win, it was wide Bias was going to bring Jordan trouble.

As the epoch of Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson was drafting to a close, could this beryllium the adjacent rivalry for a caller procreation of hoops fans? Little did spectators cognize that Jordan and Bias would ne'er get the accidental to renew their rivalry connected the nonrecreational stage.

Len Bias faces disconnected against Michael Jordan during their assemblage days astatine Maryland and North Carolina respectively

Leonard Kevin Bias was calved connected 18 November 1963 successful Landover, Maryland, a tiny municipality connected the outskirts of Washington DC. He was 1 of 4 siblings who each attended the aforesaid simple school, theatre schoolhouse and precocious school.

"He loved creativity and could spot the quality successful things that astir radical couldn't," Bias' mother, Dr Lonise Bias tells BBC Sport.

"When helium was successful college, helium loved interior design. He had that oculus for putting things unneurotic and helium was ever meticulous astir his appearance.

"He was the benignant of idiosyncratic who strived for perfection - helium didn't similar worldly halfway. He liked order. As helium was developing, helium was capable to observe the hidden abilities wrong him."

You tin spot the creativity erstwhile you ticker him connected the court; inventive methods of getting the shot into the bucket, whether that was an assistance to a team-mate done the legs of an opposing player, oregon shifting his assemblage successful awkward positions erstwhile flying to the rim. You could spot Bias' creativity spilling retired connected the court.

Bias had a maturation spurt astir the property of 13. Dr Bias says it was arsenic if helium had "grown a ft overnight".

Playing connected the inferior precocious schoolhouse team, helium was known arsenic 'the quality eraser' due to the fact that of the mode helium would artifact shots.

He had assemblage offers from crossed the United States, but opted for Maryland to enactment adjacent to his location and family.

As a freshman, Bias lacked discipline, relying connected his earthy endowment and balletic agility that had chap students comparison him to Muhammad Ali.

"You couldn't speech to Lenny successful his freshman year," team-mate Ben Coleman said successful 1984. "Criticism oregon proposal would spell successful 1 receptor and retired the other.

"But that's changed arsenic he's gotten older," Coleman continued. "Len is going to beryllium a helluva ballplayer."

Coleman's prediction and Bias' imaginable was realised. During his 4 years astatine Maryland, Bias scored a mountainous 2,149 points, a schoolhouse grounds astatine the time, and doubly earned All-American honours, recognising the champion young players successful the country.

Bias' leap changeable was aesthetically pleasing and deadly accurate, portion of a compelling college-level package

"He had a saccharine leap shot," says team-mate Keith Gatlin, who arrived astatine Maryland a twelvemonth aft Bias.

"He jumped truthful precocious erstwhile helium near the aerial radical would effort to get to his elbow, but couldn't due to the fact that helium was specified a freak of nature.

"People were conscionable successful awe erstwhile they saw him due to the fact that helium was conscionable a down-home, regular guy. But his endowment was enormous.

"He didn't cognize wherever helium was going to go, but helium was conscionable excited to play and marque hoops his profession."

Gatlin saw Bias a mates of days earlier helium acceptable disconnected for New York to be the 1986 draught astatine Madison Square Gardens. Both men were overwhelmed by the thought that Bias was officially going to go an NBA player.

Joining the Celtics was a dream. A squad flooded with talent: Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, Kevin McHale to sanction a few.

"They're a bully team," Bias said successful an interrogation instantly aft helium was picked. "I tin spell determination and beryllium connected the bench. Whether I play oregon not, I'm going to larn a batch from the players there."

When Bias and his begetter made it backmost location to Landover, Maryland, helium was met with overwhelmed hugs from household members. But his parent was not astatine location - she was astatine a enactment meeting.

Bias decided helium would caput backmost to his assemblage field to celebrate. Gatlin bumped into him arsenic helium entered the dorms.

"He was excited and really, truly blessed," Gatlin says. "He conscionable smiled astatine the information present helium could bash thing that he's been doing each his life, but get paid for it.

"He said 'Look, I'll spot you successful the morning. I'm going to get acceptable to spot my ma and dada past I'm going to spell sojourn a miss who I haven't seen successful a while, truthful I'll spot you successful the greeting and we'll get immoderate breakfast.'"

Gatlin agreed.

And that was the past clip helium saw him.

Bias' younger member Jay, successful tears down Len's coffin, was killed successful a drive-by shooting successful December 1990

Bias did not spell to spot his ma and dada oregon sojourn the miss helium had not seen for a while. Instead helium decided to conscionable up with immoderate different friends and marque a speedy travel to the liquor store. They bought a six battalion of brew and a vessel of cognac and headed backmost to the dorm country adjacent to Gatlin's.

One of the radical was Brian Tribble. Although Tribble had dropped retired of the University of Maryland, helium inactive hung astir field and had bonded with Bias implicit a shared emotion of hoops and music.

It is chartless whether that nighttime was the archetypal clip Bias had tried cocaine. Certainly, galore of those closest to him had nary inkling.

Just earlier the 1986 draught his Maryland coach, Lefty Driesell, was asked what Bias was similar disconnected the court.

"All I tin archer you," replied Driesell, "is that Leonard's lone vice is crystal cream."

Gatlin was likewise unaware of immoderate cause use.

"I've been retired with Lenny many, galore times and the happening that hurts maine the astir is that I ne'er saw him interaction drugs before. Never," says Gatlin.

"So, to 'know' him and past to spot what happened was thing that I've ne'er been capable to wrapper my caput around. I don't deliberation I ever volition due to the fact that I ne'er saw that broadside of him."

Bias consumed intoxicant and cocaine heavy into the night, earlier helium decided to prevarication down. The different 3 successful the country thought helium had passed retired from partying. A mates of minutes aboriginal helium started violently twitching.

Bias was having a seizure.

The 911 telephone was made by Tribble astatine 6:31am, distraught with fearfulness and disbelief.

"This is Len Bias. You person to get him backmost to life. There's nary mode helium tin die," Tribble, himself heavy nether the influence, said to the exigency operator.

"It doesn't substance what his sanction is," the relation replied arsenic Tribble repeatedly brought up Bias' name.

Gatlin, successful the dorm adjacent door, was woken soon aft by the phone.

"My parent called and said that she'd had a dream, and thing was wrong," helium says.

"I said 'Wow, good I'm gladsome you called me, I person a mathematics people astatine 8am.' She said 'Are you definite everything is OK?' I said 'Yeah, I'm going to treble cheque connected my sister too.'

"When I went into the corridor to telephone my sister, I looked into the different country and saw my team-mates. I saw Lenny connected the level and that's erstwhile I knew thing had gone wrong.

"I conscionable spoke with this idiosyncratic past night, and present I look down and I spot him connected the floor. I don't privation connected anybody what I saw close there.

"I conscionable froze. I called his mother, woke her up and told her the incorrect infirmary helium was being taken to due to the fact that I was frantic. I woke up the remainder of our team-mates and we followed the ambulance to the hospital."

By the clip his parent and begetter could marque it to the close hospital, Bias had already been pronounced dead.

"I did not cognize who Len was," says his parent Lonise.

"I knew that helium played basketball, that helium was my son, and helium was doing well. I didn't cognize who helium was arsenic a man.

"It wasn't until helium died that I recovered retired who helium was.

"People astir the satellite were grieving implicit the nonaccomplishment of this antheral and this was conscionable my lad that I love. I didn't cognize the level of popularity helium had until helium passed.

"We received flowers from the president and different idiosyncratic cards from the vice president of the country, from the Senate leaders, Michael Jordan sent flowers, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson's parent called."

Len Bias' parent Lonise holds a Boston Celtics azygous her lad ne'er got to deterioration during a memorial work astatine the University of Maryland

Maryland's main aesculapian examiner attributed Bias' decease straight to cocaine. He said it had "interrupted the mean electrical power of his heartbeat, resulting successful the abrupt onset of seizures and cardiac arrest".

Tribble was enactment connected proceedings connected charges of supplying the cocaine that night, but was recovered not guilty.

"I emotion Lenny Bias," helium said extracurricular the courtroom. "I ever have, ever will."

In 1990, 3 years later, Tribble would beryllium convicted for 10 years for large-scale cocaine dealing.

Tribble's condemnation was conscionable 1 of millions successful the wider 'War connected Drugs' that dominated the policies of successive US governments.

Between 1980 and 2009, the big apprehension complaint for cause possession oregon usage increased by 138% successful the United States, with the bulk of the emergence successful the archetypal decennary of that 30-year period.

Bias' death, astatine his carnal peak, with a aboriginal laid retired earlier him, was portion of the justification for harsher sentences for smaller amounts of definite drugs.

"Len Bias, helium was the antheral - helium was going to beryllium the adjacent superstar," says historiographer David Farber, writer of War connected Drugs: A History.

"I grew up successful Chicago, I grew up with Michael Jordan, but determination were radical saying 'he's going to instrumentality Jordan'. There was fearfulness astir Bias going to the Celtics, helium was that good.

"The talker of the House of Representatives astatine the clip of his decease was Tip O'Neill, who could spot determination was a mid-term predetermination coming up successful November 1986.

"He understood a full batch of radical were terrified that this superstar athlete, this bonzer acceptable young antheral had fallen prey to a cocaine overdose. O'Neill represented Boston, was a Celtics fan. It was truly bully authorities for him to wage attraction to the specificity of Len Bias' death."

O'Neill, a Democrat, realised his enactment could not spend to beryllium seen arsenic anemic connected an contented that was seeping into the psyche of American voters.

"Time mag and Newsweek were outlets that middle-class Americans would work astatine the time. They had monolithic circulations astatine this constituent and had begun to pump ace arsenic the caller American nightmare," says Farber.

"Crack was not thing whites, the mediate people and suburban youths were utilizing either. But it was a large 'what if?'.

"Bias didn't usage crack, helium died of a powdered cocaine overdose, but that's not what radical perceived astatine the time."

O'Neill was the driving unit down the Anti-Drug Abuse Act that became much draconian the much it was discussed.

"This measure started to go a bidding warfare astir who could punish cause dealers and cause users more," explains Farber.

"Usually you negociate - Labour and Capital, they find a mode to combat and compromise.

"But connected this determination was nary negotiation, it was like, 'Let's enactment them distant for 5 years? No, let's enactment them distant for 10 years! Let's trim the magnitude of ace that puts you successful jailhouse from 100g to 50g! Actually, however astir 10g?'

"Len Bias was successful the centre of each of this. Here's this superhero who becomes an emblem of what cause maltreatment tin bash to the champion of us."

In October 1986, a small implicit 4 months connected from Bias' death, President Ronald Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act into instrumentality successful the White House's East Room.

The enactment specified amounts of definite drugs that would trigger a prosecution for possession. For ace cocaine, the level was acceptable astatine 5g. For powdered cocaine - the much costly cause that had killed Bias - it was acceptable astatine 500g. The minimum condemnation for a condemnation successful either lawsuit was 5 years without parole.

It besides acceptable a minimum 20-year condemnation for anyone convicted of dealing drugs that caused decease oregon superior injury.

"This authorities is not intended arsenic a means of filling our jails with cause users," Reagan told the press.

But its effect was precisely that.

In 1986, the US situation colonisation stood astatine 522,064. Ten years later, it was much than 1.1 million.

"It conscionable started to instrumentality young radical and throwing them into situation successful monolithic numbers," says Farber.

"Poor communities - successful peculiar mediocre achromatic communities - were deed truly hard. Crack was a cause that was tailor-made for mediocre radical due to the fact that it was cheap, it created a truly beardown and contiguous high, and it was reproducible again and again.

"In the United States, we speech astir a carceral state, a authorities built astir putting radical successful situation and that starts with the crack-cocaine hysteria."

First Lady Nancy Reagan astatine a 'Just Say No' lawsuit successful West Virginia successful September 1986

Bias' decease prompted 2 questions. One has been a root of fascination to hoops fans: what if helium had a accidental to play successful the NBA? The 2nd dispersed fearfulness passim America: what if this happens to our children?

Len's mother, Lonise, would beryllium entitled to more.

Less than 5 years aft the nonaccomplishment of Len, his younger member Jay was killed successful a drive-by shooting.

However, she has recovered meaning amid the starkest adversity.

"My spot has been my faith," she says.

"The heartache of losing a kid is simply a 100 times worse than a genitor tin imagine. My content strategy and my religion successful Jesus Christ is however I person made it.

"For me, Len and Jay were 2 seeds that went down into the crushed to bring distant life. They weren't buried, they were planted, to bring caller accusation and penetration to different procreation and encouragement to those that request it."

Dr Bias present speaks astir the satellite astir healing, self-discovery and the powerfulness of community.

And erstwhile she thinks the past clip she saw Len successful idiosyncratic and successful beingness - the time earlier helium travelled to New York for the draught - she remembers lone his enthusiasm.

"He was excited, excited, excited," she says.

Excited for a aboriginal chopped truthful cruelly short.