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NBA Injuries: 20 Stars Who Deserve A Career Do-Over

By Gerald Bourguet

AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Detroit Pistons player Grant Hill (L) drives around Indiana Pacers player Chris Mullin during the first half of their game 07 February at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons beat the Pacers 107-98. AFP PHOTO/JEFF KOWALSKY (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP/Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Detroit Pistons player Grant Hill (L) drives around Indiana Pacers player Chris Mullin during the first half of their game 07 February at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons beat the Pacers 107-98. AFP PHOTO/JEFF KOWALSKY (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP/Getty Images) /
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NBA Injuries
(Original Caption) New York: The NBA champion Boston Celtics, selecting second in the NBA draft with a pick acquired from Seattle, took high-scoring Maryland forward Len Bias, who happily twirled a basketball keychain. /

6. Len Bias

I’m starting to wonder if ESPN’s 30 For 30 series was driving force behind this piece in my subconscious. In any case, though Len Bias’ NBA career wasn’t derailed by “injury,” his shocking death had a significant long-term impact on the Boston Celtics and the presence of cocaine in the association in general.

Considered to be one of (if not THE) greatest basketball players to never play in the NBA, Bias was an absolute stud at the University of Maryland. As a 6’8″ forward, Bias averaged 23.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 54.4 percent shooting in his senior season. He was renowned by scouts for his leaping ability, dynamic athleticism, smart playmaking and sheer physical stature.

Thanks to the Gerald Henderson trade with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1984, the defending champion Celtics owned the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. The rich were about to get even richer with a physical forward who could help Bird, McHale and Parish on the glass, while the veterans could share their championship experience with a moldable rookie.

The Celtics were about to have a future star to ease the load on Bird’s back (literally and figuratively), and Bias was about to benefit from learning from some of the game’s all-time great winners. But two days after the draft, when the Celtics selected him second behind Brad Daugherty, Bias was dead — the victim of cardiac arrhythmia due to a cocaine overdose.

A family had lost a son, the community had lost a local legend and the basketball community had lost the opportunity to witness greatness — both from a potential superstar like Bias and a championship-caliber Celtics team that might have kept chugging along and winning titles otherwise.

A process that general manager and head coach Red Auerbach had been planning for three years was over in the blink of an eye. Bias’ depth opened plenty of eyes as one of the most tragic events in NBA history, so even though this wasn’t an “injury,” per se, there’s no question that his sudden death is one of the greatest what-ifs in league history.

Next: No. 5