Len Bias was perhaps one of the best basketball players to play for the University of Maryland (UMD). Many people compared Bias to Michael Jordan and might have even considered him better than Jordan. Bias was from Landover, Maryland and was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship to play basketball for the Terps. He was an All-American who was drafted second overall by the Boston Celtics in 1985. Two days later, Bias died as a direct result of his decision to try cocaine.

Bias is not as well known today as he was when he was at UMD. Today most people may not even know who he was. I recently watched “Without Bias” a documentary of his life and his family’s. After returning to campus following the NBA draft, Bias decided to use cocaine to celebrate his athletic achievement. Brian Tribble (Bias’s friend) supplied the drugs to Bias. Bias’s close friends had no idea that he would even think about doing drugs. This is what is so puzzling. Bias had never used cocaine before. But that night something made him try it. That one decision ended his life and changed the lives of his family and friends forever.



Bias is an example of an athlete that had everything going right for him and in a split second everything is lost. Athletes at UMD and everywhere should know Len Bias’s story regardless of the sport he or she plays. His story can help athletes everywhere realize that there are decisions that are out there in the world that could end up being harmful for them. Decisions that are life-changing or ending.

Athletes can learn from this horrible end to an exceptional athlete living his dream. If athletes hear about what happened to Len Bias, it may teach them to be smart and always think about their decisions, to stay away from making a decision that may change their life forever.