Jamie Mottram's Sports Blog - www.misterirrelevant.com

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Len Bias. I was too young to remember anything about him other than his passing, but thanks to Maryland fan Inside the Parker comes three highly recommended YouTube clips shedding light on the legend. Posted in order of how many times they've been viewed are well-done videos one, two and three.

Even in the grainy footage linked to above, the athleticism and enthusiasm in his game are clearly evident. There's one still image where his head is level with the rim and his arm is extended to the top of the backboard. One analyst calls him a "more advanced Michael Jordan." His jumper is silk and his charisma is infectious. It's obvious he would have been a star and fan favorite not just in Boston but across the league.

Watch the videos, read these accounts and post your own Bias remembrances in the comments. I'd appreciate hearing from those who actually saw him play so as to properly pay service to the greatest player in my favorite college hoops program's history.

· Washington Post's story the day after he died
· Boston Globe's Bob Ryan on Bias' 40th birthday
· ESPN's Bill Simmons on what might have been

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• #9 Comment from arutajoe
  6/15/06 2:30 PM | Permalink

  Hello everyone, I just had to respond to this forum.  I saw Lenny play many times live and too many to count on TV.  I was a huge fan along with so many other locals.  Fans of the ACC during those days will never argue about his talent level.  He was to me the best college bball player in my lifetime.  What alot of reports and stories don't tell you is that MD was an avg team at best during Lenny's tenure.  So in his JR and SR years, he was double teamed and sometimes triple teamed and they still couldn't stop him.  He had an unbelievable jump shot, and his inside game was great... he had to play center because MD's centers were a joke.  You can see his jumping ability in all videos, but it was his jumper that made all players jealous.  It was the JFK shooting of people in my generation.
  
  For the moron Celtic fan - your mental age must be 7 to make comments like that.  So get used to losing, the celtics will never see a title again with that mgmt staff... stick with the Red Sox or if you really want to root for a bball team... watch the Huskies.
• #8 Comment from imartinezcuba
  6/10/06 11:02 PM | Permalink

  To the heartless s.o.b who said he cost the Celtics 3 titles.There are more important things in life than basketball,I'm sure everey decision youv'e made in your life has not been a stroke of genius.If your child or grandchild would make his mistake would you be as cruel to them.Proabably,it don't sound like you got a soul.
• #7 Comment from monponsett
  6/7/06 7:44 AM | Permalink

  I don't work.
  
  Play the game, pay the piper. I understand your feelings, but you have to try to understand the rage of someone who roots for a team- one of the few teams in the entire planet- that would have benefitted by trading their draft choice for the one that brought William Bedford and his rap sheet.
• #6 Comment from rebelk9
  6/6/06 12:57 PM | Permalink

  I hope you get hit by a truck on your way home from work.
• #5 Comment from monponsett
  6/6/06 12:33 PM | Permalink

  That freebasing SOB probably cost my Celtics 3 titles, maybe many more.
  
  As Slick Rick said... "Master your high."