For many, Bias’ death still resonates

It has been 20 years since the Washington area and the sports world woke up to the shocking news: Len Bias, an All-American basketball player at Maryland on his way to NBA stardom, had used cocaine, suffered a heart attack and died.

Only two days earlier, Bias had been chosen by the NBA champion Boston Celtics with the No. 2 pick in the draft. The 6-foot-8 forward visited the Celtics — he was to team with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish in the game’s best frontcourt and eventually build his own legend — and returned home the next day.

He went out for a night of partying in College Park. But in the morning hours of June 19, 1986, the celebration turned deadly, and Bias died of cocaine intoxication at the age of 22.

“While my parents remember where they were when President [John] Kennedy was assassinated, I will never forget the feeling I had when I learned of Len’s death,” said Jay Bilas, an ESPN commentator and former Duke player who played against Bias. “It is still very fresh in my mind.”

That’s a sentiment shared by many whose lives momentarily stopped on that day two decades ago.

Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams, then at Ohio State, remembers his disbelief after receiving the news over the phone. George Mason coach Jim Larranaga still remembers the road in Ohio on which he was driving when he turned on the radio and heard the news.

Morgan Wootten can still see the somber faces at his basketball camp in Takoma Park.

“The bomb hit here,” said Wootten, a Hall of Famer who for many years coached at DeMatha High School. “It’s hard to think of anything in the area that had a greater impact than his death. I am not talking about [the September 11 attacks] or anything like that. I am talking about the entire area, the University of Maryland and every human being in the area and well beyond.”

Bias’ mother, Lonise, since has traveled the country, speaking to children on the dangers of drug use, hoping to spare other families her everlasting torment.

“Len died so that others could live,” she said. “I believe that he was a seed that went down to bring forth life to help save others.”

Bias’ death prompted some college programs to institute drug-testing regimens. The NFL and NBA also either instituted or toughened substance-abuse policies.

“It used to be if someone looked a little off or like something was wrong, you just sort of let it go,” said Williams, who still occasionally brings up Bias’ name in hopes of helping kids make the right decisions. “After that, you were in their face finding out because you didn’t want it to happen again.”

But, two decades later, does Bias’ death still have any impact? Many current college athletes were not born when Bias died, and the others are too young to have any recollection of his career or death.

“I really didn’t hear much about him growing up, but I was aware of how he died,” said James Gist, a current Maryland player who is from Silver Spring. “Through the years, I would see highlights and clips. It was amazing what he could do playing basketball.”

Gist attributes his value system to his parents, family and friends. “Nobody really talks about” how Bias died, he said.

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