Len bias was a really good basketball player who was the first pick in the 1986 nba draft. Bias is president of bspeaks, a life investment company that brings messages of hope, inspiration and empowerment to the lives of youth, families, communities and those in the workplace. Lonise bias will join other parents in sharing her story, twenty years after the cocainerelated death of her son, len, at the first annual national vigil remembering those lost to drugs. Dave has traveled the world to document stories and write about compelling issues and personalities. Her son, len bias, was a university of maryland basketball phenom who died in 1986 from complications of a cocaine overdose. December of 1990 the bias family experience the death of their second son jay the victim of a drive by shooting. Less than 48 hours after he was drafted, he died from a cocaine overdose.
Bias, 22, who had just been drafted by the boston celtics, had been in perfect health. The only inconsistency i found within the story were the characters using the terms da bomb and diss during the late 70s and 80s. Leonard kevin bias november 18, 1963 june 19, 1986 was a firstteam all american. Len bias died two days after being selected to play professional basketball with the boston celtics. In her book the new jim crow, michelle alexander writes of the media environment leading up to the death of len bias and football player don rogers, a safety for the cleveland browns, who also. The death of her two eldest sons left her seeing nothing but utter darkness, she said last week. Lonise p bias is an internationally known motivational speaker, trainer. Members of the bias family, including his mother lonise, are expected to. When we would attend the games from the 10th grade to the 12th grade, you could see the. The mixed legacy of len bias ungrady, dave j createspace 188 pp. Charles grice lefty driesell born december 25, 1931 is an american retired college basketball coach. The name of former university of maryland basketball superstar and boston celtics draft pick len bias still provokes powerful, and immediate responses, more than 20 years after his death. Len bias was the number one draft pick by the nbas boston celtics in 1986.
Lonise bias, the mother of basketball star len bias, who died of a drug overdose in 1986, is speaking to attendees of a pw basketball camp. How len bias death was used to usher in era of mass. One motivation for making the film was frasers realization that many young people today dont know who len bias was. Man convicted in heroin death under len bias law by scott goldstein, globe correspondent may, 2005 a lawrence man was convicted yesterday of selling heroin that killed another man, under a rarely used law named for celtics draft pick len bias, who died of a cocaine overdose, according to us attorney michael j. Today, june 19, is the 20 year anniversary of the death of len bias. Umd basketball stars write book about len bias legacy nbc4. Len bias loss continues to pain nba fans, and will no doubt be discussed as the nba draft and the anniversary of his death looms. Lonise bias, the mother of the late university of maryland basketball star len bias, is photographed thursday, june 15, 2006 in washington d. Len bias legacy still resonates as he goes into maryland. She is an internationally known motivational speaker, trainer, consultant, a certified teen and family life coach. Len bias mother shares her perspective on drug abuse wtop. A former collegiate athlete, dave is still passionate about fitness and sports.
Director fraser is quick to add that theres more to biass story than drugs. Len went into the ground and what sprouted was an entire generation of children who knew, because of len bias, the dangers. Members of the bias family including his mother lonise, who did not respond to repeated interview requests from the. Benton middle school, 7411 hoadly road, manassas, va dr. The socalled len bias law was created in the 1980s, but for the first 1520 years, police and prosecutors rarely used it. For len bias mother, loss came with a mission wtop. Nor did he suffer from any previously undetected defect in his heart or circulatory system. He is an editorial manager at the travel channel and is finishing a book about the legacy of former basketball star len bias, scheduled for a 2011 release. Len bias mother will join other parents in a candlelight vigil. Len bias movie promoted at sundance washingtonian dc. Twentyfour hours after signing a milliondollar contract, he was dead of a drug overdose. Cognitive dissonance, or visiting len biass grave emily. Washington church helps families in need on mothers day. The legend of maryland basketballs len bias testudo times.
Lefty driesell has 786 career wins, but he never guided a team to the final four. How an athletes death led to shoddy drug laws in 1986, university of maryland basketball star len bias died suddenly after a cocaine overdose. Your home for scores, schedules, stats, news, nba league pass, nba tv, video highlights, fantasy, rankings and. Man convicted in heroin death under len bias law the. On columbia avenue, a few blocks from the recreation center, bias father james, an electrical repairman, and mother lonise, a bank employee, stayed behind closed doors yesterday while young men. Bias wouldve one at least one ring and wouldve contributed to congestion in the east you had the bad boys, ewing, nique and jordan with the last legs of the celtics. Its important to educate, he says, explaining that being a father himself helps to keep him focused on the lessons of biass life. Len bias name is written in the history books, his mother said, echoing a. Lonise and james bias will go to their graves convinced that someone else was partly responsible for lens death. The death of len bias 10 years after the death of its basketball great len bias, the university of maryland is still feeling the repercussions. He passed away just two days after he was chosen as the second overall.
Thirty years ago, len bias died of a cocaine overdose, just two days after he was selected by the reigning nba champion boston celtics with the second pick of the 1986 draft. Hes on the hall of fame ballot every year, but so far hasnt earned a spot. Biass mother, lonise, attended the screening of without bias at a downtown theater, and afterward spoke to the roughly 75 attendees. Drug enforcement agency, united black fund, forgiving mothers inc. Boston celtics draft pick len bias is shown at the celtics draft table in new york in. I do not know whether len bias was a martyr, or whether in death, as his mother often says, he. The official site of the national basketball association. Len bias was 22 and had just been drafted by the boston celtics when he died from cocaine intoxication. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Len bias name is written in the history books, his mother said, echoing a crucial point in her years of speeches. Lefty driesell may never get in the hall of fame sports. He was the first coach to win more than 100 games at. How len bias death was used to usher in era of mass incarceration questioning tara reades story doesnt make one a rape apologist. To any parent raising a comingofage studentathlete me.
We are firm believers, my family firmly believes, that len did more for this nation in death than he ever did in life, said bias, who has been a public speaker and lecturer on drug use and other dangers. Bias was a university of maryland student but not just any student he was a star basketball player who had been drafted in the first round by the boston celtics. Len bias legacy, familys struggles captured in documentary. Len bias goes into marylands athletics hall of fame on friday. Chances are red stays on a bit longer and builds one last dynasty maybe not the same league as the 86 squad that contends for a few years.
Biass journey was prompted as a public speaker after the death of her oldest son, len bias a university of md. The late len bias will be among eight new members inducted into marylands athletic hall of fame on friday night. After the boston celtics made university of maryland basketball star len. The mixed legacy of len bias about the book after the boston celtics made university of maryland basketball star len bias the second pick in the 1986 nba draft on june 17, the players future lay in front of him like a golden, red carpet leading to a life of goodfortuned fame. Bias had simply taken some cocaineperhaps for the first timeand, as a direct result, died. His father james bias and mother lonise bias are just below jay and then the pallbearers and casket. I can remember the first flowers we received were peonies, they were from michael jordan. He did not, as rumored, have the genetic disorder marfans syndrome. Butler took us back through moments in history, such as the len bias tragedy and the l. That is, until the opiate epidemic exploded, claiming lives by. There is one representative from families against mandatory minimums interviewed, but her brief words are overshadowed by surprisingly lens mother lonise, who says that her sons death was like a seed. I was astounded, taken back to find out how many people were torn up about his death, lens mother, lonise bias, said. Biass death caused a reaction of shock and sadness in his community and across the world.