With Bias: A Basketball Story

So to preface, this is my first TL on this forum. I am a fairly regular poster on the US Election Atlas, but the quality of the What-If? Board has gone pretty rapidly down hill. Therefore, I am going to be shifting any future alternate history work to this forum. Logically that means that my first TL will be a ...... sports what-if?????? I know that it's not the logical, but there aren't that many sports timelines on this forum, and I look forward at the opportunity to bring some here. I'll start with what is the greatest What-If for any Boston Sports Fan: What if the great Len Bias didn't overdose on cocaine prior to ever playing a minute in the NBA. Of course it will lack pictures of Bias, but I will try to pretty it up as well.
 
Draft Night
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There he was, the center of attention. Walking up to the stage at Madison Square Garden was Lenny Bias, the greatest hoop star to take the court for the University of Maryland. As he walked up to the pint-sized commissioner, David Stern, Bias knew that he had made it. After all the hard work and sweat, Len Bias was not only joining the NBA, but also joining the NBA's Greatest Team. The Boston Celtics, the 1986 NBA Champions, had managed to get the second pick in the NBA Draft by trading away Gerald Henderson two years earlier. Celtics President Red Auerbach looked like a genius. His team hadn't lost anything major and now were getting the best player to come out of the ACC since Michael Jordan. It was party time in Bean Town.

Bias was more then just a great talent. He was a game-changer who was quite simply unstoppable. He could shoot, play defense, and throw down like no body. It was his insatiable drive and attitude that made him great, just like Jordan. He flew to the basket like an unstoppable force, crashing the boards and posterizing opponents. He was the one thing the Celtics didn't have, a high-flyer. They already had Bird, a phenomenal all-around talent. Joining him to form the "Big Three" were Kevin McHale, an old-fashioned power foward, and Robert Parish, a phenomenal inside player. Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson ran the offense from the guard positions, and off the bench was Bill Walton. Quite simply, the rich just got a whole lot richer.

The next day, Bias and his father flew from their suburban Maryland home to Boston. They would attend a post-draft party before Bias would sign a $3 million contract with Reebok. The next day they would fly back home. Bias picked up his sports car from his parents house and went out driving with some of his team mates. As they drove down Montana Avenue a police car pulled up next to them. When the officers noticed that it was Bias behind the wheel they were awe-struck. However things turned south in a hurry as Bias took off, running two red lights before hitting a parked car and stopping. The police arrested Bias and his two companions. They searched the car and found a small amount of cocaine. Bias was lucky they hadn't stopped him any latter. Bias was charged for several traffic violations as well as possession of an illicit substance. Suddenly, the incredibly bright star of Boston grew a little bit fainter.
 
1987
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Len Bias's life looked like it was over. Or at least it felt that way for the newest member of the Boston Celtics. Bias was sitting in a jail cell, waiting for his dad to bail him out. But as the policeman escorted him out of the cell and out to the waiting room, Bias was greeted by the press and his father. The dissapointment was all over his face. His son had just blown the best thing to ever happen to him, and now his future was at stake. As they walked out of the jail and into the far less exciting Lincoln Town and Country, it was clear that a whole lot had changed.

When Bias got home he went strait to his old room. There were posters of all the greats: Wilt, Kareem, and Magic. But there was a new one now: Larry Bird. His Mom had gotten it the day after the draft and had hung it up in the center of his room. As the former Maryland super star drifted off to sleep, all he could think of was playing with those guys, the super stars. He just hoped that he would get the chance.

The next mourning Bias got up to the intoxicating smell of bacon and eggs. As he walked down the stairs he leaned over as he had always had to since his growth spurt in 5th grade. But instead of just seeing his family, he saw a far less familiar face. It was a short Jewish man, and despite all that had happened he had a smile on his face. It was Red Auerbach, the President of the Celtics. Auerbach got up and gave Bias a pat on the back before the two sat down for a long talk. They touched on basketball, shoes, and coke. When it was all said and done Red stuck on his hand and gave him a firm shake. He had faith in the young super-star, and he knew that whatever he had done in the past didn't mean that his future would be any less bright. This was the most positive conversation that Bias would have for weeks. He would meet with the board of Reebok, and he wouldn't be getting that shoe deal, not yet at least. He would meet with plenty of media personalities, all wondering about his future. And then he would meet with David Stern, the NBA commissioner. Stern was far less warm than Auerbach, and he gave him the rough news. 20 game suspension. By now it had become clear that the Coke wasn't Lens, but Stern wanted to set an example. The rookie's season would start a little later.

While Bias waited on the bench, the C's went 13-7, a decent start. However following the greatness of the 1986 squad this was simply mediocre. Bias's first game would be in the city where he was arrested. Against the Washington Bullets, Bias would play for 18 minutes and score 9 points, while recording 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Boston would go onto win 102-98, too close for comfort. But the fact that Bias could even get onto the court with the chants of "Lenny....Lenny" and "Coke nose! Coke nose!" was impressive enough. For the rest of the season Bias would have to deal with this sort of nonsense, as fans in every city would erupt as he stepped onto the court. He was the NBA's new bad boy, and he wasn't even a starter.

The rest of the season would go well for the Celtics, as they would finish with a record of 66-16. Quite simply it was a dominant season. Bird and McHale would both post typically great years. Bias would finish averaging 16 minutes a game, while posting 8 ppg, 4 RPG, 3 APG, 1 BPG, and 2 SPG. Most of Bias's production came on the fastbreak, as he would race down the court to throwdown beautiful assists from his more experienced teammates. He would finish first team All-Rookie, though would loose out to Chuck Pearson for Rookie of the Year.

In the playoffs, Bias would continue to be a factor while the elite C's would look for a 17th title and the second in a row. They would sweep away Michael Jordan and the Bulls easily. When Bias was on the court he would matchup with MJ, and passions would fly as the two men bump and fought over each dribble. It was the start of a great rivalry. The second round would also be an easy stretch for the Celtics, as they defeated the Bucks in another sweep. The Eastern Conference Finals would pit the C's against the "Bad Boy Pistons." These guys didn't just play, they took it right at you. It would be a hard fought seven game series, but the key moment would come in Game four with the series tied at two games a piece. The Pistons led the game by one, but as Isiah Thomas inbounded with five seconds left Bird would steal the ball and pass to Bias who would throwdown the emphatic game winning dunk. The crowd went wild, and while the series would continue to close and intense, it was clear that the C's were in it to win it.

The NBA Finals would pit the C's against the Lakers. After winning the first two games at home, the Lakers would go back to win the next three at home. However the next two would be won by the C's. Game 6 would be a wide margin, but Game 7 would come down to a last second defensive stop leading to a bad shot by James Worthy as time expired. And as the Boston Garden fans went wild, Lenny Bias was the first man on the court, giving Larry Bird a gigantic bear hug.

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