{"id":3172,"date":"2026-06-20T15:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T15:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3172"},"modified":"2026-06-20T15:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T15:04:00","slug":"forty-years-later-a-look-back-at-how-the-death-of-len-bias-impacted-the-celtics-on-and-off-the-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3172","title":{"rendered":"Forty years later, a look back at how the death of Len Bias impacted the Celtics on and off the court"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<div>\n<p><span><span>I<\/span><\/span><span><span>t\u2019s been 40 years since the Celtics took a gifted University of Maryland forward second overall in the 1986 NBA Draft.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3170\">Scotland\u2019s World Cup run in Boston is sadly over. It\u2019s something we won\u2019t soon forget.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Yes, the NBA champions owned the second pick less than two weeks after beating the Rockets in six games because of a <b>Red Auerbach<\/b> masterpiece trade that sent popular guard <b>Gerald Henderson<\/b> to the Seattle SuperSonics for a 1986 first-round pick.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><b>Len Bias<\/b> was the Celtics\u2019 choice, a potential franchise-changing forward who would ease the aging road for <b>Larry Bird<\/b>, <b>Kevin McHale<\/b>, and <b>Robert Parish<\/b>. Bias already had an NBA body and dominated the ACC in his final two seasons, averaging 23.2 points as a senior.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span>He was NBA-ready, the perfect addition for a Celtics team that desperately needed youth after winning three titles in six years. Two days after the Celtics selected him second after North Carolina\u2019s <b>Brad Daugherty<\/b> and one day after he met with the media in Boston after signing a $1.6 million Reebok deal, Bias was dead. The official cause was a cardiac arrhythmia caused by cocaine use after a night of using the drug following his return to the Maryland campus. He was 22 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><span>Get Starting Point<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span>A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><label>Enter Email<\/label><\/p>\n<div><button>Sign Up<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Bias\u2019s death changed how America approached drug use and how the NBA evaluated the backgrounds and habits of draft prospects. The Celtics franchise suffered greatly after losing Bias, moving forward without a potential cornerstone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Unfortunately, Bias wasn\u2019t the only tragic story from the 1986 draft, just the most tragic. It is considered the most disappointing and calamitous class in NBA history. For example, only five of the 24 first-round picks played 10 years or more. The 1985 draft saw 15 of the top 24 picks play at least 10 years, including the first 10. In 1987, 15 of the top 24 picks played double-digit seasons.<\/span><\/p>\n<div><span>Related<span>: <\/span><\/span>Will Brockton\u2019s AJ Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson go No. 1 in NBA Draft?<\/div>\n<p><span>No, this was a 1986 problem. <b>Chris Washburn<\/b>, <b>William Bedford<\/b>, and <b>Roy Tarpley<\/b> were also felled by drug problems. Daugherty played only eight seasons because of injury. <b>Kenny Walker<\/b>, <b>Brad Sellers<\/b>, and <b>Walter Berry<\/b> were busts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>College superstars <b>Johnny Dawkins<\/b>, <b>Dwayne<\/b> \u201cPearl\u201d <b>Washington<\/b>, and <b>Billy Thompson<\/b> couldn\u2019t meet lofty expectations. Saint Joseph\u2019s standout <b>Maurice Martin<\/b> played just 69 games because of knee problems. <b>John Williams<\/b> suffered from weight issues and depression and missed an entire season because of a lack of conditioning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Perhaps the best player drafted, Russian superstar <b>Arvydas Sabonis<\/b>, passed on the NBA until 1995 and he\u2019s the lone Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer from that ill-fated first round. Several teams were just guilty of poor scouting with <b>Mark Price<\/b>, <b>Dennis Rodman<\/b>, <b>Jeff Hornacek<\/b>, and <b>Nate McMillan<\/b> taken after the first round.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As for the Celtics, the devastation from the loss of Bias reverberated through the franchise for a decade. There was so much excitement from team president Auerbach, who as a Washington, D.C., resident, had been scouting Bias for years. And his friendship with Maryland coach <b>Lefty Driesell<\/b> led to a bond that led Bias to hope the Celtics would draft him. He wanted to be in Boston.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWhatever Red saw, Red felt, and Red anticipated, usually it was pretty spot on and led to pretty good results,\u201d Celtics PR maven <b>Jeff Twiss<\/b>, then a young Celtics front-office employee, said of the team mentality before the \u201986 draft. \u201cInside, I\u2019m sure [Bias] was overexcited about being drafted by the Celtics and coming to Boston. But on the outside he very much portrayed it as a very business and very distinguished manner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>After conducting multiple one-on-one television interviews at the Blades &amp; Boards Club restaurant inside Boston Garden on June 18, 1986, Bias shook Twiss\u2019s hand and told him, \u201cWe\u2019re going to have some fun this year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That\u2019s the last time Twiss saw Bias.<\/span><\/p>\n<div><span>Related<span>: <\/span><\/span>Five players the Celtics could target to upgrade the roster (who aren\u2019t Giannis)<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cI only really saw Lenny for about one hour of my life personally during that hour of live shots,\u201d Twiss said. \u201cHe was thrilled to be selected by us. He was welcomed by Red. He has a chance to learn from Bird, from Parish, from McHale, from [<b>Dennis Johnson<\/b>], from <b>Danny<\/b> [<b>Ainge<\/b>], from [<b>Bill<\/b>] <b>Walton<\/b>. He would not have had to put pressure on himself to be the man. We already had six of those.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The loss of Bias meant the Celtics had a void of youth on their roster. The second overall pick would never play a game for the franchise and the Celtics got old quickly. After 1987, they would not get back to the NBA Finals for 21 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe impact without him there and without another solidifier or bona fide pick in that draft or anybody else to come in and succeed Bird, McHale, and Parish or Walton, was nonexistent,\u201d Twiss said. \u201cI remember the consensus in our office is his death probably sent us back 10 years. And as history has dictated, McHale gets hurt with his foot, Bird\u2019s back problems, Walton ends up retiring, and the multitude of injuries crept up in the late \u201980s on us and bit us in the rear, without Lenny.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Off the court, Bias\u2019s death raised drug prevention awareness while the NBA beefed up its educational programs for entering players. What crushed Celtics fans about the tragedy was Bias\u2019s eagerness to come to Boston and learn from the greats. He approached this process with humility. He was going to get to play in those great Lakers-Celtics rivalries. He was going take the torch from Bird and lead the Celtics into a new decade. He was going to be the face of the franchise. And it was all gone, roughly 60 hours after he was drafted \u2014 one of the great sports tragedies of all time, one that still draws raw emotion from those who watched Bias flourish in college, that famous steal and reverse dunk against North Carolina, and those who envisioned him competing with <b>Michael Jordan<\/b> for league supremacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThat draft class had a wealth of potential,\u201d Twiss said. \u201cAnd they threw it away. There were various examples of that. The league had horror stories in the 1970s and [early] \u201980s of drug usage and we got away from that theme when Bird and <b>Magic<\/b> [<b>Johnson<\/b>] and others came into the league and said let\u2019s bring basketball back on the court and forget these underlying nasty issues. That reared its ugly head again in the \u201986 draft.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Auerbach was inconsolable about Bias\u2019s death but spoke to reporters at length just hours after the news was revealed. The coming years were filled with what-ifs. And the club dealt with even more misfortune when 1987 first-round pick <b>Reggie Lewis<\/b> died of a heart attack during a summer workout in 1993.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Twenty-two years separated the Celtics\u2019 \u201986 championship and their next one in 2008, and many of those years were difficult for the franchise, filled with losing seasons, draft lottery Ping-Pong ball disasters, and the disastrous <b>Rick Pitino<\/b> era. That dreadful stretch began June 19, 1986, when a generational talent made a decision that cost him his life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3168\">Everything you need to know about quarterback Brendan Sorsby and his quest for the NFL supplemental draft<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe death of Lenny Bias gives the classic, \u2018What if?\u2019\u201d Twiss said. \u201cWhat if he lived? What if he could have helped us out? Would he have replaced McHale in the starting lineup and Kevin goes back to sixth man? Would he have given Bird 30 minutes a game instead of 38? Would he have helped Robert Parish in rebounding? A lot of those questions we\u2019ll know. We\u2019ll never, ever know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<h5>A GM\u2019S PERSPECTIVE<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h2>Dunleavy eyes present and future<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>The Warriors are in a precarious position as they enter the upcoming fruitful draft with the 11th pick. They are desperately trying to get <b>Stephen Curry<\/b> more help with a player who can contribute right away. Team president <b>Mike Dunleavy<\/b> would love to get a cornerstone player who won\u2019t take years to develop. But he has to think about the post-Curry Warriors future, and that day is eventually coming.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI think there will be a tremendous amount of activity in terms of calling, reaching out, and seeing if things are available,\u201d Dunleavy said of draft night. \u201cI do think because the strength of the draft, teams are valuing the picks even more than they ever have. I also think with the new lottery odds, the draft picks are going to be more valuable moving forward. I think teams see it that way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIn the end, I think trades are probably going to be less and less because of teams being less willing to trade picks. So between the aprons and the new lottery rules, my guess is you\u2019re going to start to see less trades over the next few years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>One major impact on the draft in the past five years is the number of players who decide to go back to school if they don\u2019t think they will be a lottery pick. The NIL money is too plentiful for players to take a chance on slipping in the draft when they can boost their stock with another year.<\/span><\/p>\n<div><span>Related<span>: <\/span><\/span>Even for those outside of New York, these Knicks took us on a magical championship ride<\/div>\n<p><span><b>Alex Condon<\/b>, <b>Tounde Yessoufou<\/b>, <b>Jeremy Fears<\/b>, and <b>Braylon Mullins<\/b> opted to return to school. All would have been first-round picks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cYou\u2019re just starting to see much older players be in the draft. I think sometimes people overreact a little bit to say, \u2018Oh, this guy is older, be careful, older players don\u2019t do well,\u2019 \u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cI think we\u2019re just in a different age where there\u2019s more older guys that have stayed in the draft. Therefore, it means that these guys can still be good. They just didn\u2019t come out earlier. I think teams are just much more open to drafting older players, particularly in the second round.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Warriors will get a quality player at 11 but they would prefer he be in next year\u2019s rotation. Upgrading immediately and preparing for the long term are difficult endeavors simultaneously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cRight now we\u2019re in a spot where we\u2019re not going through the progression the right way,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cWe\u2019re sitting here saying, let\u2019s keep turning the ball over, let\u2019s make a bunch of threes, try and overcome it, let\u2019s trade for guys with more talent that can overcome these mistakes we\u2019re making.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019d rather back it up, clean those things up, and then build a roster from there where it\u2019s, like, okay, we\u2019re doing these things, and we have really good players, and now we have a chance to be in the conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThat\u2019s the way I envision it. I think it\u2019s frankly more of a refocus on what we need to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<h5>ETC.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h2>Which class was better?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>This 2026 NBA Draft has drawn comparisons to two in the previous 30 years, the 1996 class highlighted by <b>Allen Iverson<\/b>, <b>Ray Allen<\/b>, <b>Steve Nash<\/b>, and <b>Kobe Bryant<\/b>, and the 2003 class with <b>LeBron James<\/b>, <b>Dwyane Wade<\/b>, <b>Carmelo Anthony<\/b>, and <b>Chris Bosh<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Two draft experts were asked about the \u201996 draft and its impact on the next basketball generation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI lived through \u201996. I still probably equate that as the best draft that I\u2019ve been part of, just based on what eventually happened to the talent level,\u201d ESPN front-office insider and former Nets executive <b>Bobby Marks<\/b> said. \u201cIverson, [<b>Stephon<\/b>] <b>Marbury<\/b>, Ray Allen, Kobe, Nash, <b>Peja<\/b> [<b>Stojakovic<\/b>]. I mean, the list goes on. We, you know, drafted <b>Kerry Kittles<\/b>, who turned out to be a good NBA player. It was a high-level draft.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019ve talked about \u201996 a lot, just because of the guards in this year\u2019s draft, because <b>Darryn<\/b> [<b>Peterson<\/b>], and then the group between five and nine, five and 10 here. It\u2019s interesting, we\u2019re going to probably get a run of freshmen up top. Of course, back then it was a little bit different. I don\u2019t know if I want to put it on historic level here, but I think this is probably one of the best draft classes that we\u2019ve seen from top to bottom in a very long time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div><span>Related<span>: <\/span><\/span>With Jalen Brunson leading the Knicks, the Spurs didn\u2019t stand a chance<\/div>\n<p><span>Peterson, Brockton native <b>AJ Dybantsa<\/b>, Duke\u2019s <b>Cameron Boozer<\/b>, and North Carolina freshman <b>Caleb Wilson<\/b> are expected to be the top four picks, but the depth of the \u201926 draft is considered elite. The Celtics could get potentially a rotation player at 27.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cYou look at the first top 10 picks, probably nine or maybe 10 will be freshmen,\u201d ESPN high school basketball expert <b>Paul Biancardi<\/b> said. \u201cI was coaching in \u201996, and I was coaching in \u201903, but I think the \u201903 class, to me, is maybe still the best class based on what they\u2019ve done and what we know. We won\u2019t be able to judge this group, you know, for at least three to five years, but I would have to say, in a big picture concept, this has to be a top-three class. Maybe four.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h4>Layups<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><b>Joe Mazzulla<\/b> does not like the idea of having a coaching tree but his staff is attracting attention for head coaching jobs as top assistant <b>Tony Dobbins<\/b> is a candidate for the vacant position with the Mavericks. Dobbins has worked with <b>Jaylen Brown<\/b> on improving his game as well as other Celtics. The Mavericks have been looking for a coach since new team president <b>Masai Ujiri<\/b> and <b>Jason Kidd<\/b> agreed to part ways. It\u2019s uncertain what the Mavericks are seeking in a coach but it\u2019s a critical position considering the bright future of Maine native <b>Cooper Flagg<\/b>. Dobbins, 44, played collegiately at Virginia Tech and Richmond and then internationally before joining the Celtics as an assistant in 2018 \u2026 There is one more coaching vacancy after the Bulls opted for Trail Blazers interim coach <b>Tiago Splitter<\/b> to lead their rebuild. Portland had been interviewing candidates to replace Splitter, who led the Blazers to the playoffs after a four-year absence. New owner <b>Tom Dundon<\/b> has made headlines with his cost cutting and offering Splitter a below-market deal to return as coach. Portland has some decisions as <b>Robert Williams<\/b> and <b>Matisse Thybulle<\/b> are free agents. <b>Damian Lillard<\/b> will also return after a year absence while <b>Jrue Holiday<\/b> and <b>Jerami Grant<\/b> are entering the final year of their contracts \u2026 The Wizards are hoping <b>Alex Sarr<\/b> will be healthy by the beginning of training camp after the former No. 2 pick suffered a broken foot during a workout this past week. Sarr is coming off an encouraging season and is expected to take a step forward as the Wizards will add a top pick in the draft Tuesday. They have the first overall pick. \u2026 A happy retirement to Lakers public address announcer <b>Lawrence Tanter<\/b>, who is stepping down after 43 years with the club. Tanter narrated several generations of Lakers basketball, giving his signature \u201cQuiet Storm\u201d voice to announce buckets by <b>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar<\/b>, Magic Johnson, <b>James Worthy<\/b>, <b>Shaquille O\u2019Neal<\/b>, Bryant, and James. And he was professional in his approach, unlike several PA announcers around the league who treat NBA games as And-1 events, imploring fans to chant \u201cdefense\u201d or offering remarks after big plays. Tanter set a standard for PA announcers and his voice will be missed at Crypto.com Arena.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=3167\">Lebanon fighting continues despite ceasefire, threatening US-Iran agreement<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bias, who died two days after being picked second in the 1986 NBA Draft, could have been a great addition for a team in need of youth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Forty years later, a look back at how the death of Len Bias impacted the Celtics on and off the court - 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