Opening
In the mid-1980s, Len Bias and Larry Bird were two of the biggest superstars in basketball. Bias, an athletic forward out of the University of Maryland, was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 2nd overall pick in the 1986 NBA draft. Bird, meanwhile, had already established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history with the Celtics, winning 3 MVP awards and 3 championships in his first 7 seasons.
Tragically, Bias died of a drug overdose just two days after being drafted by the Celtics. His shocking death at age 22 cut short what many expected to be an incredible NBA career. One of the people looking forward to playing with Bias on the Celtics was Larry Bird. In the aftermath of Bias’ death, Bird made several poignant comments about the young star’s talent and potential legacy.
Larry Bird’s Initial Excitement About Len Bias
Larry Bird had just come off perhaps his best individual NBA season in 1985-86, averaging over 25 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game while winning his third MVP award. With Bias slated to join the Celtics roster, Bird was enthusiastic about teaming up with such a dynamic young player.
In an interview shortly after Boston drafted Bias, Bird stated: “This is one of the happiest days of my life. We needed this kind of player to get us over the hump again. Len Bias is a winner.”
Bird recognized that the athletic Bias would perfectly complement his skills and style of play. At 6’8″ and 210 lbs with incredible leaping ability, Bias could have helped fill the void left by former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell, who had been traded away 2 years earlier.
“I haven’t been this excited to play with someone since Cedric Maxwell,” Bird said shortly after the 1986 draft. “Len Bias has that kind of talent.”
Table of Larry Bird’s Stats and Accomplishments to 1986
Season | PPG | RPG | APG | Awards & Accomplishments |
---|---|---|---|---|
1979-80 | 21.3 | 10.4 | 4.5 | NBA Rookie of the Year |
1980-81 | 21.2 | 10.9 | 5.5 | All-NBA First Team |
1981-82 | 22.9 | 10.7 | 5.8 | All-NBA First Team |
1982-83 | 23.6 | 10.1 | 5.8 | All-NBA First Team |
1983-84 | 24.2 | 10.1 | 6.6 | NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team |
1984-85 | 28.7 | 10.5 | 6.6 | NBA MVP, All-NBA First Team |
1985-86 | 25.8 | 9.8 | 6.8 | NBA MVP, All-NBA First Team |
Bird Believed Bias Could Have Been an All-Time Great
After Bias’ shocking death, Bird reflected on the talent of the young player and how good he could have been as an NBA star.
“Len would have been one of the best players ever,” Bird stated. “He had so much potential. It’s just terrible what happened.”
Bird went on to describe what made Bias such a unique talent:
“He was built like a forward but had guard skills. He could shoot from the outside, but could post up against smaller defenders. And he was incredibly athletic and could jump out of the gym. I was really looking forward to playing with him.”
Considering how highly Bird regarded Bias’ abilities, he clearly believed the young forward was destined for historical greatness in the NBA. Bird himself is rightly considered one of the best forwards to ever play the game, so for him to say Bias had the talent to be one of the best ever shows just how incredibly high he was on the 22-year-old.
How Bias Could Have Fit into the 1980s Celtics Dynasty
Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics dominated the NBA throughout the 1980s. Bird won 3 MVPs and 3 titles in that decade, teaming up with stars like Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson to form one of the greatest dynasties in league history.
Had Len Bias been able to play alongside Bird into the late 80s and early 90s, it’s very possible the Celtics could have extended their run of greatness even further. Bird himself speculated after Bias’ death how the young star could have kept Boston competing for titles:
“If Len was able to play with us, I really think we could have won a few more rings. The rest of the league better be thankful they didn’t have to face a lineup with me, McHale, Parish, DJ [Dennis Johnson] and Bias. We would have been unstoppable for a long time.”
Bird’s comments illustrate how seamlessly Bias could have fit into the Celtics’ skilled and cohesive lineup. With his combination of size, athleticism and scoring ability, he would have perfectly complemented their pass-first point guard in DJ, low post scorer in McHale and elite defensive big man in Parish.
Along with continuing their dominant run in the late 1980s, Bias also could have helped extend the Celtics’ success as Bird entered the latter stages of his career in the early 1990s. Bias likely would have been ready to take on a bigger role on the team and blossom into an All-Star as Bird aged. Tragically, basketball fans were deprived of seeing one of the best players ever playing alongside a phenom in the making.
How Bias’ Death Impacted the Celtics in the Years After
While it’s unclear just how many championships a Bird-Bias Celtics partnership could have won, Len Bias’ death clearly had a visible impact on Boston’s fortunes in the subsequent seasons.
The year after drafting Bias, the 1986-87 campaign, Boston still made it to the NBA Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games. However, the team was noticeably reliant on an aging Bird, McHale and Parish without the influx of youth and talent Bias would have provided.
In the 1987-88 season, the Celtics were still one of the powers in the East but lacked the depth to compete with the Detroit Pistons, who emerged as the dominant force in the conference. Detroit knocked Boston out in the Eastern Conference Finals that year, and the Celtics failed to make it back to the championship round for the remainder of Bird’s storied career.
While many factors contributed to the end of the Celtics’ dynasty, Bias’ death left the team without a rising superstar to reinvigorate the roster and lighten the load on their veteran stars. The Len Bias tragedy altered the trajectory of the Boston Celtics in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Conclusion
Larry Bird clearly had immense respect and admiration for Len Bias’ abilities, so much so that he believed the young forward was destined for all-time greatness in the NBA. The excitement Bird expressed leading up to the 1986-87 season demonstrated how much he was looking forward to teaming up with Bias and making the Celtics unstoppable again.
Of course, Bias’ shocking death just days after the draft deprived fans of seeing one legend in the making playing alongside one already established. But based on Bird’s effusive comments about his talent, Bias undoubtedly could have extended the Celtics’ dynasty through the end of the 1980s and potentially even into the 90s. The Len Bias tragedy fundamentally altered NBA history, depriving Bird of the chance to mentor one of the most talented prospects in a generation.