Len Bias was the promising incoming NBA rookie whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 22 due to a cocaine overdose in 1986. His sudden death not only shocked the basketball world but also raised critical questions about the responsibilities of the professional organizations he had become part of prior to his untimely death.
For Bias' parents, the pain of losing their son was already unbearable, but it was compounded by the fact that they were left without the financial support they expected, particularly from the University of Maryland, his alma mater, the Boston Celtics , the team that drafted him, and Reebok, the shoe company he represented.
"We never received anything from anybody. Nothing!" Len's mom, Lonise, said . "We never received anything from the University of Maryland, Reebok, the Boston Celtics, Lords of London, the company that was representing England. No one gave the Bias family a dime. And everything that my husband and I have today, what little we have, is because we picked up our bed and kept walking in faith. Nobody gave us anything."
Len's parents filed a lawsuit
About a year after the young talent's passing, his parents sued his former agent, an insurance company, and Reebok for $6.6 million. The lawsuit involved 15 counts, one of which included fraud, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract.
Two of those counts were against Reebok, the company that apparently pledged to a $1,625,000 endorsement contract but was neither written nor signed until Bias died. Despite that, the lawsuit alleged a verbal deal was closed and that Len had already performed services for Reebok.
"He clearly was not treated fairly, and duties owed to him have not been satisfied," Bias' family attorney Wayne Curry said at the time.
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Len could've been one of the greatest of all time
Bias tragically passed away due to cocaine intoxication just two days after being drafted by the Celtics in the '86 NBA draft. With his incredible athleticism and scoring prowess, the 22-year-old's NBA future was already predicted by experts.
Former Duke player and renowned college basketball analyst Jay Bilas went so far as to say that Bias was projected to be on the same level as Michael Jordan .
"I think Len Bias would have been the direct counterpart to Jordan for best player in the NBA. That's how good he was," he said .
Whether or not Bias would have attained a similar legacy as Jordan will continue to be a haunting question in the annals of basketball history. That's why it's fair to say he might be the biggest what-if the NBA has ever seen.
Related: Michael Cooper says Len Bias would've changed the Lakers-Celtics rivalry: "They would've beaten our a*s every time"
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