Yep, EXACTLY...I was a great basketball player in my days, relatively that is...BUT, if only I was 6ft and above, I would be in the NBA..My ' potential ' was off the charts...Heck, people were calling me ' Mini-Dr J '. lol
I didn't even know anything about Len Bias! Thanks for my extra basketball information for the day. Can u please make a what if. I thought of What if: Allen Iverson was drafted 1 pick down to the Raptors? Anyways thanks for making this content informing me each video with new facts. Keep continuing to grow, and keep making the videos! Merry Christmas :)
All due respect to the life, basketball skills, and person len bias was. With that being said, this is way too much of a uncomfortable tragic reminder of a fantasy rivalry or matchup that never unfortunately occurred. If it did, it would not be the first guy to be supposedly better than mj, or was the person that could shut down mj. As this potential hype would of grown, mj's competitive fire may have been too much for the young bias especially as Jordan elevated his skill set from best at time to best ever as he entered his 4th year in NBA. Good thing for Len Bias the basketball player, not human being, since I honestly believed Jordan if tested enough would of embarrassed the late great college baller. Mike was and would of proven he was better than bias. Video was fantasy fifth grade intrigue on the would of, could of, should of but due to a tragedy nba historians like myself wouldn't think about this ridiculous comparison a second after his untimely passing. R.I.P. Lenny bias
Mexican Who Can't Speak Spanish Yeah but you will have low stamina lol. Every person I have known that smoked weed can't even walk up the steps without getting tired.😂😂
+Dan lmao that's cause they're just lazy fucks look at Michael Phelps Usain Bolt and Kareem Abdul Jabar theyre fuckin legends and they hella smoke weed weed doesn't give you low stamina cigarettes do
LOL! There is one thing you didn't mention. MENTAL GAME. That's what jordan had over ALL his contemporaries. he destroyed his opponents with the mental aspect of the game and his unyielding competitive drive. Also, in college Jordan played for a coach who restricted a lot of aspects of his game, which is why it wasn't until Jordan entered the NBA that he really exploded unto the scene. So comparing Bias and Jordan's college numbers is deceptive. Bias did have some physical advantages over Jordan, but so does Lebron, and Michael would have destroyed Lebron. Having said all of that, it is indeed intriguing to wonder what Len Bias' NBA career would have been like. But him being Jordan's 'kryptonite" is unlikely. Whenever Jordan faced hurdles, it only made him stronger, more determined to overcome them. Just asked Isaiah's Detroit Pistons.
Pray for Harambe Nobody is better than Michael Jordan. Only Westbrook comes close. Westbrook and Jordan is once in a lifetime players. Also Magic Johnson. Other than that the other guys not on Jordan Level.
The main thing you forgot were their positions. Jordan played primarily 1 and 2 in college, while Bias was a 3 or 4. So saying they would compete would be the equivalent of them sharing the floor but hardly guarding one another since that would have been Pippen, Grant, or Rodman's job.
they did compete against each other he was very good but still wasn’t better jordan in college they was about the same but bias could shoot better than jordan that’s about it and and was bigger
Lionel Thompson ouch they would have dominated and Bird, McHale and Parrish would have won more rings. Just imagine probably the best NBA player of all time teammates with the best white NBA player of all time?? Damn and a possible Dream Team spot as well
lmao ok, this gives a bias to pure insanity. the lakers did not lose to the heat. the lakers, with their whole roster healthy, the homecourt and being two time defending champs - were embarrasingly swept by the Dallas Mavericks. who orchestrated that? David Stern or Dirk Nowitzki? Did stern also interrupt kobe's attempt to "surpass jordan" when kobe shot horrendously in the 2004 finals? And became the main reason why the lakers were embarrased by the pistons, as well? i know the rest of the team was shut down, but you are suppose to kobe - and you shoot 38%! shaq gave you 27 ppg, 50% shooting and 12 rpg and you still lose. hmmm...
kobe shot 38% vs the pistons. 2004. kobe could not lead his team to hold a 25 point lead, in la, in a pivotal game in 2008 finals. That type shit NEVER happened to Jordan after he became a champion. that is why kobe did not catch Jordan. because he himself could not match jordan. not because wade teamed up with lebron.
GamingSniper 0716 Please, Everyone, always treat Everyone and Everything with kindness, love and respect. Please always remember, Jesus is always there for you no matter what. Please open your hearts to love and please find Jesus!!!!!!!
Lawrence Ledda Please, Everyone, always treat Everyone and Everything with kindness, love and respect. Please always remember, Jesus is always there for you no matter what. Please open your hearts to love and please find Jesus!!!!!!!
+J_Dog 247 Amen brother that's the greatest decision I ever made accepting receiving and loving my Lord and Saviour Jesus yeshua the Christ. Great message Brother God bless you and your family
Christian laetner had a better college carrier than both Michael Jordan and Len Bias or anyone for that matter and look at his numbers in the NBA it's nice to fantasize though.
Patrick Adzimah Why didnt Laettner's game translate to the NBA. I've heard about how great he was in college but never understanded why he couldn't do it in the NBA
@@topeolojede6308 Just cause Durant came into the league at 19 doesn’tean anything. Len Bias was the only player who could stop Jordan and obliterated him on offense at the time.
camden johnson Jordan can shoot 3s if he wants to be good at it. He even said that himself. "I could be a 3pt shooter if I want to." The next game I think he scored 8 threes.
bullfucking shit why would he choose to be bad at 3s he sucked at 3s stop riding his nuts maybe you're talking about the season where the nba decreased the distance of the the 3 pt line lmfao
This has to be one of the most interesting videos I've ever seen in the 10+ years I've been watching videos on youtube. I'm no huge NBA fan but have always loved Jordan clips and this was extremely well presented. Thanks. If nothing else, it made me go look up more history about Len Bias. Thank you.
I was around during that time and Len lived not far from me. You're right about Len being the heir apparent to Bird and Len was a superstar in college but Len would not have been better than Jordan. I love Len but I can't see anyone on the same level as Jordan. I don't care too much for Jordan but no one was on the level of Jordan, period.
This was great! Thank you! As a Celtic fan since 1979 I will NEVER forget where I was when I first found out about what happened to Len Bias. I was on a plane on my way to California when they played the local news story on the plane's movie screen. I as a 14-year-old kid that was devastated! Although, at the time, I thought the Celtics were fine as they were with the plethora of talent they had, it wasn't until years later that I figured out the ramifications of losing Lenny would have on the organization. It wasn't until years later in 1992 when the Celtics faced the Knicks in the playoffs that I realized what was about to happen. The Celtics set a playoff record with the most points scored in a game in ONE of the first 2 games against the knicks. The took a 2-0 series lead on the Knicks and proceeded to lose that series 3-2 (it was a best of 5 first round series then.) I knew then that this was the end of an incredible era of basketball in Boston. Also in that time frame there was another young star emerging in the Celtics front court in the form of a young man named Reggie Lewis! He was another phenomenal talent the Celtics managed to get on their team. He was on the team in the early 90's until his untimely death as well in the early 90's. His talent combined with what would have been the prime years of Len Bias would have no doubt brought the Celtic dynasty to incredible heights in my estimation. Lord only knows what would have happened. I watched Reggie Lewis have the game of his life to that point against Michael Jordan one night, blocking 5 or 6 shots of Jordan's. Lewis was also destined for greatness. The team with the "luckiest symbol" had become the UNLUCKIEST team in the league. The Celtics went into an abyss from 1992-2007 when the trade heard round the world brought in Kevin Garnet to play along side Paul Peirce and Ray Allen to bring the NBA finals trophy back to the games original monarchy! I still miss the 80's with the Celtics what could have been...
Could've, would've, should've. Nothing against Len Bias but any real basketball coach, player, or avid fan will tell you that making the transition from college basketball to actually playing in the pro ranks is a different monster. Jordan transitioned smoothly and became better as time went on. He even went on to become far better than the number one draft pick of his year which of course was the 84' draft. No doubt Len Bias was crazy talented during his college years. Unfortunately he never had the opportunity to play in the NBA. Therefore in my opinion no comparison could ever be made. In order to receive credit for performing a job one must first be present to do the job. On and off the court all players professional or not must think about making their best decisions.
this might be the dumbest take i've ever heard. So you can't compare college and professional players? how the hell do you think scouts compare prospects and see who they'll draft? Len Bias would've definitely been a better player given his college career compared to Jordan along with the fact that Jordan was drafted 2 years earlier
@@znom3455Excellent point, based on fact, not opinion, regarding the scouting process. Many scouts reference current and former players in their scouting reports.
That's actually a really good comparison. I also think Hank Gathers could have been the real deal at the nBA lkevel, too. People don't talk about that.
I saw both of them play. I am a UNC fan and Jordan is my all time favorite. Len had the talent to be a top 10 all time player. Imo it would have been hard for him to surpass Bird and Magic. He did not have Jordan's intangibles, so no way would he have been better.
InFamousNFX well number 1 there is no record of him ever fail a drug test it's only so much covering up I do know in his rookie yr his team mate were strongly into drugs they brought him to a drug party Jordan was offended and told management those players were traded in the off season that yr
Steven Dajuan you mean to tell me a national icon, a person that is bringing in a large amount of NBA revenue just off of himself would fail a drug test? Dude he could have killed someone and got out of it with house arrest he is just far too expensive to let go simply due to a drug test lets not forget his gambling problems either. A national icon like that isn't someone who's going to get suspended due to drug use. Far to valuable to the NBA just off of the revenue he brought AND STILL BRINGS IN....
When it came to his gambling and womanizing that was exposed until you can prove the great cover up of his failing drug test and drug abuse to him you looking just to argue with no fact
As a Terp fan I'll never forget the day in June of 1986 when the news blasted across Baltimore news radio he passed. He was a great player and would of loved seeing him with Bird.
I've been offered drugs stronger than alcohol and weed but never indulged because of Len Bias' death. He was my favorite player back then and U would always tell myself, if it could kill Len, it will sure as hell kill me. Your death, although tragic, may have saved a few lives. RIP.
A story even more sad than Len Bias's death was the story of his younger brother Jay Bias who was beloved just as much as Len was in the DC area. Jay was killed by a gunman who shot him at a mall not too far from where the brother's grew up four years after the death of Bias. Bias died in the summer of 86 (the same year the space challenger disaster where we lost 7 crew members Jan 86) We all were rooting for Jay who was a great basketball player in his own right. He didn't have all the physical gifts that Len had and he probably wasn't going to make in the NBA but most people from this area was praying that Jay could pick up the pieces for his brother. Some fool killed Jay at a local mall over, if I remember it correctly, either a girl or Jay just happen to glance at the dude. The death of Jay was really sad and tore the family and the community up. Another story linking the Celtics was the death of Reggie Lewis who the Celtics drafted to eventually replace Bird after the death of Bias. Reggie was a great player from Baltimore, not too far from Hyattsville MD (The area where the Bias's grew up and not too far from College Park Maryland home of Maryland University where Len Bias became a superstar) Baltimore is straight up 295/I95 and about 30 mins away. Reggie played High School ball at Paul Laurence Dunbar a team that dominated during those time and was always nationally ranked going back to Reggie Williams and David Wingate days. DC/MD basketball was rich during those times. Anyways, Reggie died on the court in 93. Can't remember if it were in a game or practice but the poor man died on the court in the midst of a promising career with the Celtics. The Celtics had two devastating losses with both Len and Reggie being from the same area. General Manager Red Auerbach was devastated by both of the young men's death and Auerbach lived and coached in the DC area in his early days and so he knew about the rich basketball history of the DC area and Baltimore. With the death of both Len and Reggie, the Celtics organization went into a decline for years and had not recovered until they were able to rebuild with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo
Jay's Death was heartbreaking and absolutely senseless. He was shot and killed on December 5,1990 in Baltimore by a jilted,jealous ex Boyfriend named Jerry Tyler who was furious that his ex Girlfriend who was a Jewelry Store Clerk was putting the moves on 20 year old Jay.. His Ex, was attracted to Jay and had asked him out. The Coward tried to fight Jay and had 2 fellow Gang friends of his jump Jay. But Jay got away with his best friend. The Coward and his friends opened fire at the Car with Jay driving away and struck him in the back several times.
jesusneverexisted300 Well said all I wanted to say but was too lazy to remember those days in the early 80's I lived in DC off New Hampshire Ave right on the border of MD and NE DC. There's a lot to his death than was suspicious to me ; knowing the actors involved
37 PPG, 35 PPG, 32.5 PPG average from 1986-1989 all three higher than Lebron's highest PPG average 32.5 PPG, 8 RPG, 8 APG, 2.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG from Jordan which ties Lebrons at 8RPG but the 2.9 SPG is much higher than Lebron ever produced Jordan had 4 times where he averaged a block Lebron has 3, Jordan had TEN times where he averaged 2 steals per game while Lebron only had ONE. Post game goes to Jordan no debate Jordan has better on the ball defense but that one is hard to argue with since only footage proves it And Lebron fans. Hold 3 fingers then hold six. Six is twice as large than three
With due respect to your very good analysis I would respectfully disagree with your conclusion Many collegiate Players were so good during their College days but did't fare out well in the NBA They petered out finally for so many damn reasons I believe that to be successful in NBA a player must have Talent Physique Drive Dedication But most of all Self Discipline I don't think Len would be so successful as Michael as shown by his demeanor even before he started playing big time NBA
I wasn't a huge college basketball fan as a teenager around this time but there are guys that I remember getting as much or more hype than Len Bias in the mid 80's that did little or nothing in the pros. Keith Lee to name one. I definitely heard of him before I ever heard of Bias. Then there were guys like Karl Malone who we'd never heard of. You just never know how it's going to turn out for these guys.
Duke Head Coach LITERALLY said, "Over the course of my 30+ yr career, I have seen the best of the best college players. And there were two players that were on a different level.... Michael Jordan..:: and Len Bias."
There are so many videos that try to compare people to Michael Jordan, but they simply can't. In all honesty, Magic and Bird saved the game, and Michael Jordan put it in a whole new level! No one will ever be able to do what Michael did...ever! He carried the league through his career by not only dominating through 91-98 with Finals Championships each season he played in , but winning all scoring titles, being a lock down defender, winning league MVPs, Finals MVPs, and making the world watch NBA basketball. Respect to all that challenge, but no one compares!
uhh... how about a stronger supporting cast. Jordan had Daugherty, Worthy, Perkins and Kenny smith during his UNC career to help deflect defenses from him, Bias just had Adrian Branch so he faced a lot more double teams.
MJ tells in "the last dance" that in his 1st season in NBA one day he saw players of Chicago Bulls in a "party" bedroom using drugs. He automatically decided to close the door and leave. Unfortunately that was the difference between them. MJ had the personality to get away from it.
I watched the game between Jordan and Len B. Micheal was way more active than Len was in that game. Micheal was quicker and faster to the ball. Len was and played like a regular big man in that game. The highlight of the game was Jordan's break away fast break dunk on the last play of the game.
billl o'connel u can because he did outplay him at the college level. I personally think to prove yourself you must b as good in the NBA, but there is definitely an argument that he was better based on the collegiate matchup.
not a good argument. Many players are good in college which is why they get drafted, but not many even make it big in the NBA, some will be no-names forever. Tim Tebow was great in college football, won the heisman trophy but failed in the NFL.
my goodness you must be dreaming. Things change in a blink of an eye. There were a lot of good players in College but never excelled in the NBA and vice-versa.Dont count the number of chicks while the chicken is still hatching or the eggs are still in the incubator.
If Len Bias hadn't died, I strongly believe the Celtics would have 20 banners hanging in the rafters right now, he'd have likely been a career Celtic who would have the torch passed to him from Larry Bird. Perhaps he wouldn't have been better than Jordan, but he'd have been one of the greats of that era and possibly be seen as the only player who truly ever threatened Jordan, perhaps maybe even rob Jordan of a ring or two. I also believe, if he remained healthy, I could see him staying in the NBA long enough to pass the torch to the next great Celtic, Paul Pierce who may have been even better than he was in this reality under the tutelage of Len Bias who would have learned from Larry Bird. Which could in turn lead to even more rings for the Celtics throughout the early 2000's, and if not, would have made the Big Three of Allen, Piece and Garnett even more devastating and possibly lead to a threepeat from 2008 to 2010. That is assuming Bias' presence doesn't hurt the Celtics too much in terms of draft picks and trades, which, by the time of Paul Pierce, it likely wouldn't. Bias would likely retire in the early 2000's and have begun his decline in the mid to late 90's due to age. Len Bias' death may be the worst thing that ever happened to the Celtics, which is hard to say, the Celtics are likely the luckiest and definitely the most successful franchise in NBA history with the most championships with only the Lakers even coming close and having the second most total play off appearances in NBA history only behind the Lakers, the Celtics have almost consistently since the inception of the NBA been in the hunt for a Championship, if not just a stone's throw away from it (like the current team we have), and Bias' unfortunate death was the Celtics equivalent of the dark ages. They lost to the Lakers in a series that may have been very difference with Len Bias around. It was all downhill after that. The Celtics weren't even contenders until the Big Three formed. Len Bias would have changed that. In short, Len Bias would have become one of, if not the greatest Celtic of all time. Not only that, but I believe just being around, his obvious talent along with his presence would have made the Celtics, perhaps the most prestigious franchise in the NBA, uncontested, home of two of the all time greats (Top three to most people if Bias really was on level with Jordan), even more banners that may have put them so far ahead even the Lakers wouldn't have been able to catch up, and a consistent, competitive legacy in which there would never be a true period of time between Celtic dominance. The late 80's to early 2000's were the blind spot where the Celtics could not seem to put it together, Bias would have filled this spot and made the Celtics competitive for another decade and a half, long enough for the next great Celtic to emerge and go on to fill his shoes. A history where Bias never died, is a history where the Boston Celtics would have been dominant for even longer, and the gap between the era of Bird, Parish and McHale and the Big three of Garnett, Pierce and Allen, would be bridged by a decade of dominance from Len Bias. That's just my opinion....And given I'm a massive Celtics fan, I have a bias (no pun intended), but if everything people predicted about Bias came to fruition, I believe this would be the result.
Yeah, I'm a passionate Celtics fan, so it's admittedly sad to me (for selfish reasons), that Len Bias passed. So it is frustrating. Though, outside of my fan reaction, it is a tragedy and further's my distaste for drugs.
Many young people on this post to not know who Len Bias was. Sure he was great, but we don't know if he would've been better than Jordan. We don't know that. He was really, really good. I had the opportunity to see hm play
He was a beast I lived in Bmore back then I saw all of Maryland's games he was a small forward MJ was a 2 guard. MJ played in a system Lenny was allowed to do his thing. If MJ played at another school he would have done more but scouts and those in the know understood MJ's potential greatness...
+christopher james,lol at the time when they were in college he was better. MJ wasnt arguably the greatest then. Thats why he was only the third pick. I can look at things from an objective stand point. MJ was the best when he was playing in the Nba in the 90's, but in college he was not better than Len Bias. I'm a Jordan fan, I'm just realistic. Just like when Kobe first came in the league he wasnt better than Eddie Jones, but he became better than him around his 4th or 5th season. Stop being a fan for a second and look at things objectively. I never said he was better than NBA Jordan, but he was better than NCAA Jordan. But I would never compare him to NBA Jordan because Bias never played in the NBA, so it would be unfair to compare
Jordan was not really in a class all of his own. In terms of athleticism and leaping ability yes, I'll give him that. Larry Bird did everything better than Jordan, rebounding, passing, shooting, steals, you name it. He wasn't as fast or athletic, but that's all. He was also better clutch than Jordan or anybody else for that matter.
@@robertgrissom5760 Larry Bird was great, but I disagree. Larry is the most technically sound player ever talking fundamentals, with Pistol Pete a very close second. Jordan is the best player of all time and the most clutch player of all time. Had he not came back to the wizards he had a walk off game winner in the finals to end his career.
Knowing MJ's obsession to greatness, and his work ethic, I think Bias has a little chance to be better than him. I mean, if MJ sees a rival he'll double his effort to surpass it. Just like what he did with Magic, Bird, and many legends.
@Jeffrey J Fact is he didn't beat them in their primes very much if at all and the record proves it, there's no denying that. That's no knock on MJ because Bird and Magic ran the league with squads that knew how to win no matter how otherworldly MJ's talents were.
@Jeffrey J Now we are making excuses, Bird and Magic promoted ball movement and flow which made them hard to attack thus making other players better. MJ was a ball stopper which didn't allow for anyone else to really get going. So the supporting cast thing could partly be attributed to MJ early on before he learned how to flow better and got the hang of the triangle offense.
@Jeffrey J MJ averaged 2 assists less than Lebron. Thats actually pretty substantial over a whole career. Jordan was never known as distributor of the ball. LOL Fact of the matter is he is recognized as the goat but also a fact is that he didn't get going until after Magic and Bird were on the down sides of their careers
Everything I've seen of Bias tells me he didn't have the mindset Jordan had to play in the NBA. You have to remember that Jordan was a fanatic and that he would practice a move thousands of times until he could do it fluently and with style while still being fully efficient. He even sacrificed some of his scoring potential to make sure he dominates in other areas like defense and assists. He was building himself for championships and his work ethic is still second to none, period. The greatest athlete in the NBA was probably Chamberlain but the biggest star is and will forever be Michael Jordan.
CHICAGO "was" & "is" a CrOoKeD town. It's plausible Len Bias was set up and they called it an Over dose. AFTER being Drafted to the Celtics, who would go a celebrate with Cocaine. If he WAS a user THEN in College, there would have been EVIDENCE of this type of peculiar behavior. Cocaine usage you cannot hide.
Just because he was better in College doesn't mean he would be better in the pros. James Worthy was better than Mike in college and Mike wasn't even the best player for Carolina,soo...this is just speculation on what could have been. If LeBron won every finals,he would GOAT,same applies for Magic. IFs,IFs,IFs. Guess people just need to keep stuff going to get views
vaw fedav if Jordan never played? But he did so it's irrelevant. What if the Sun never came up again? What if Adam & Eve died and went to Hell? All of that doesn't matter because it's hypotheticals,sure they can be pondered on but they hold zero merit because they already happened and cannot be altered. It isn't an ongoing event,it's in the past, it happened,The End. MJ is the best. Len Bias was the best college player ever. That is what is. Period.
Death elevated Len Bias’ legend. He would’ve been a solid player. But he wasn’t on Jordan’s level. And his premature death has led to projections because we never saw him play in the NBA. MJ was national player of the year. That’s with Akeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and yes, young Len Bias in college. Bias never reached that level despite Lefty Drissell being much more liberal with his game plan than Dean Smith at Maryland and Bias being the clear cut undisputed #1 option. I think he would’ve been good. But his skill set wasn’t as defined as MJ. And I’m not sure he had the same drive to win.
You didn't see him play in person; " Solid? " Please refrain from commenting/speculating on things you know nothing about. I was there, saw him play, and he was that good.
If if if! Now, all we know is another talented stud screwed up his life partying with out limits and succumbing to external forses without internal control.
LOL Dude you never saw Bias play. As far as MJ being the National Player of the year, he NEVER took Carolina back to the Final Four or won an ACC tournament championship without James Worthy.
Great video. I’m a Marylander and still remember hearing the news that day. Couldn’t believe it. If things were different and he had a healthy career, the GOAT discussion would likely have been between Jordan and Bias. But like the saying goes, “if if was a fifth, we’d all be drunk”. Too bad we’ll never know and are left with forcing comparisons between players from different generations.
"many years after analyst and fans still claim Bias was more NBA ready than Jordan". Rookie MJ: "Hold my beer". Casually averaged 28 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.8 blocks, 51% FG in 82 games. Led the league in total points scored.
Len Bias 16.4 ppg 6rebs career that's pretty good but Kurt Thomas averaged 30ppg and 13rebs lead the nation in scoring and rebounds so I guess he would be better than Jordan in the NBA to if he died after college lol.
pyramid architect even tho len posted those stats hè was still Very RAW, even more RAW then Jordan and had many weaknesses to improve but still dominated by sheer athleticsm. Hè just had more potential then Jordan, i repeat potential, was bigger faster stronger then MJ
Firstly the caption on this vid is folly. Bias was incredible no doubt but look who the commentators were jaw dropped from. Jordan was revolutionary from the start. I think Bias was dominant and his career would have been more like karl malone with a few rings. Prolific but falls short of what Jordan had. Jordan had a creativity and artistry that no one had ever seen and most of all, matched with this an unwaivering will to be a champion. I hear alot of comparison of players of today. Ive seen both eras. That era of basketball was legendary and Jordan was at the panthion of it all. Frankly there is no comparison. He was that special to watch.
I believe I saw him play twice on TV in his last college season. I don't know about being another Jordan, but Jordan wasn't Jordan yet, if you know what I mean. I do recall one crazy high flying dunk and some beautiful passes from Len. With all that talent that Boston already had, well, I can just imagine how shook up the rest of the league was at the thought of Bias, Larry, Kevin etc, etc playing and growing together over the next few years, frightening I'd say. Too bad, we'll never know
I'm old enough to have remembered those days quite well, I was in my mid to late 20s during Bias college career. Jordan was a better defensive player, and perhaps a bit quicker but Lenny was stronger in the paint and had a much better mid range jumper. Jordan also had the benefit of a MUCH better supporting cast (James Worthy, Brad Daughtery, Sam Perkins, Kenny Smith, all of whom went on to become stars while basically, Bias just had Adrian Branch and a bunch of guys named Joe. Sadly, we will never know who would have made a better Pro, but for my money the best NCAA player was Bias
No, Jordan was the better player. I too was around for those games. I was a UNC student at the time and watched the two play every game. Bias was very good, but not as good as Jordan. The only player that played in the ACC that could rival Jordan came 10 years prior to Jordan, and that was David Thompson from NC State. Next in line would be Ralph Sampson of Virginia and then probably Christian Laettner of Duke. Bias would have been a good power forward in the NBA, but the myth built around Bias doesn't hold water. Here is the 1984 game, judge for yourself: th-cam.com/video/y4u4MdSGSDo/w-d-xo.html
I'm also old enough to remember those games jordan had against bias Maryland team. Jordan gave it to them, the same way he did everybody else. He didn't care who len bias was, he just wanted to trample over him and win the game. He didn't discriminate
Larry Mccarty mj was limited in the dean smith system but got a chance to develop great fundamentals. He thrived straight away in nba when he can score freely. So judging ncaa days is not accurate.
Your headline "meet the player who was better than Michael Jordan," is a misleading attention grabber which you contradict throughout your video. In the video you state that they were comparable in college, point out that Jordan had a slightly better scoring average and shooting percentage in college, and state that it is difficult to know if he would have been as good in the pros as Jordan. Len Bias was a great college player and would like have been an excellent pro had he not died two days after being drafted. However, there is no way to know if he would have been as good as Jordan in the pros. Why mislead the audience?
If anybody "thinks" that Len Bias would have been even close to MJ just doesn't know basketball. Len Bias would have never had the work ethic MJ had to start. Also the pure shooting and scoring ability is of no comparison. 2nd and maybe more important is MJ absolutely a great defensive player. Believe me no comparison.
Oh yes he could. In fact, his Maryland team was the first to win the ACC tournament, when Bias was a sophomore. It was his coming out party and he dominated the tournament, winning tournament MVP. UNC was the #1 ranked team in the country at the time. And in 1986, he dominated UNC in their first loss ever at the Dean dome, scoring 42 points. I know because I was at the game. I had never seen such an explosive jumpshot. It was impossible to stop, because he held it high above his head, like Kevin Garnett, and had a 42 inch vertical. He had all the physical tools that Jordan had, but had 2 inches and about 20 lbs on him.
ELITE SPORTS PERFORMANCE Espfitness Where did you hear that from? He had never taken drugs before that night. He was a great kid off the court. Besides that night.
Read what I said! I never said anything about drugs. Off the court discipline means surrounding yourself around the right people so you can advance and keeping some at a distance. One night can change your whole life and great kids shouldn't do drugs.
He could never be better than Jordan. MJ’s athleticism, will to win and “STRONG MIND” always takes him over the top of players. MJ played the whole floor too. Len was a great player his jumper might’ve been better in their college days but as we can see what became of MJ’s jumper. Might be the best mid range killer ever!! Anyway one was a Forward and one was a 2 Guard so can’t compare them. Just like the Stupid GOAT debate today.
Unfortunately, we will never know. Potential is just that, it's potential.
Yep, EXACTLY...I was a great basketball player in my days, relatively that is...BUT, if only I was 6ft and above, I would be in the NBA..My ' potential ' was off the charts...Heck, people were calling me ' Mini-Dr J '. lol
JP More than potential...He was the TRUTH a MAN among boys...I watched his WHOLE college career
JP th-cam.com/video/y4u4MdSGSDo/w-d-xo.html I can see Len has great mid range. Other than that MJ is way better. Relentless on everything. Crazy.
Exactly. i had potential to be a doctor but i choose to smoke that crystal...
@@marvinhagler4721 you should have watched him that night he was partying... you could have saved his life. PRICK!
The music got me looking around every corner.
I want to die
Daniel Ashiru the world doesn't need people like you
Daniel Ashiru shut the fuck up kid. The world needs everybody.
Clorox Bleach how are you every where , EVERY WHERE
Will Mcclain I'm wondering that to lol...he don't sleep
Not sure if all of you guys already knew who Len bias was, but if not hope you guys enjoy this video !
Imagine a What If Video called "What If Len Bias Never Died" Holy Shit
you said "oubich" for aurbach...its pronounced "hour-back"
len died of a cocaine overdose...thats not tragic the nigga did it to himself
NBA Insider not sure if the 22 thing was a j cole reference
I didn't even know anything about Len Bias! Thanks for my extra basketball information for the day. Can u please make a what if. I thought of What if: Allen Iverson was drafted 1 pick down to the Raptors? Anyways thanks for making this content informing me each video with new facts. Keep continuing to grow, and keep making the videos! Merry Christmas :)
NBA Insider I'm a Celtics' Fan I knew about him when I leaned about cocaine use in the 1980s
I guess you could say NBA Insider was a little _biased_ while making this video
LOL
All due respect to the life, basketball skills, and person len bias was. With that being said, this is way too much of a uncomfortable tragic reminder of a fantasy rivalry or matchup that never unfortunately occurred. If it did, it would not be the first guy to be supposedly better than mj, or was the person that could shut down mj. As this potential hype would of grown, mj's competitive fire may have been too much for the young bias especially as Jordan elevated his skill set from best at time to best ever as he entered his 4th year in NBA. Good thing for Len Bias the basketball player, not human being, since I honestly believed Jordan if tested enough would of embarrassed the late great college baller. Mike was and would of proven he was better than bias. Video was fantasy fifth grade intrigue on the would of, could of, should of but due to a tragedy nba historians like myself wouldn't think about this ridiculous comparison a second after his untimely passing. R.I.P. Lenny bias
His name itself sounds Legendary. Len Bias sounds like a multi time NBA Champion
Truly Makel Faxx
Really?????
He would’ve been to
TacoBoi - yeah
@@jimmieparker8093 Yeah! He was drafted by the Celtics in 1986 and the Celtics won a ring in 1986 and they also made the finals in 1987 and 1988
I love the legend of Len Bias. It's cool to know someone once lived who could have rivaled Jordan. It's the type of stuff that keeps big dreams alive.
Facts
And i love jordan
Judging by his build, he could be the LBJ of that era, too bad....
Brian Fantana very true
If he had survived I'm sure he'd be better than LeBron James
Lucas Lehn no lebron is the goat
connar fong we can't be sure, this is "what if " pondering and discussion. Left your fanboyism at the door.
Why?
I still remember the day i heard Bias passed just blocks away from my childhood home. Can you imagine Bias on the Celtics with that roster.
If you guys enjoyed this story, you might enjoy this story as well: th-cam.com/video/vHazrzcrPjM/w-d-xo.html
NBA Insider Red arbitch 😂
Hahaha I thought I was the only one that caught that one!
hes dead .... no other can beat jordan..hahhahahah
NBA Insider
This is why u dont do drugs kids
John Pange ikr
this is why you don't do hard drugs like heroin cocaine meth crack and LSD weed is harmless however
Mexican Who Can't Speak Spanish Yeah but you will have low stamina lol. Every person I have known that smoked weed can't even walk up the steps without getting tired.😂😂
+Dan lmao that's cause they're just lazy fucks look at Michael Phelps Usain Bolt and Kareem Abdul Jabar theyre fuckin legends and they hella smoke weed weed doesn't give you low stamina cigarettes do
Mexican Who Can't Speak Spanish Damn then they must smoke hella cigarettes then lmao.
LOL! There is one thing you didn't mention. MENTAL GAME. That's what jordan had over ALL his contemporaries. he destroyed his opponents with the mental aspect of the game and his unyielding competitive drive. Also, in college Jordan played for a coach who restricted a lot of aspects of his game, which is why it wasn't until Jordan entered the NBA that he really exploded unto the scene. So comparing Bias and Jordan's college numbers is deceptive. Bias did have some physical advantages over Jordan, but so does Lebron, and Michael would have destroyed Lebron. Having said all of that, it is indeed intriguing to wonder what Len Bias' NBA career would have been like. But him being Jordan's 'kryptonite" is unlikely. Whenever Jordan faced hurdles, it only made him stronger, more determined to overcome them. Just asked Isaiah's Detroit Pistons.
cyber6sapien boi
MDS Sports same
He never did that to Bird or Magic.... 0-6 vs. Bird despite 63 in the Garden.
MJ and Len Bias going up against each other would've been legendary
Better then Michael Jordan, really?! The dude died before he even got a chance to be an NBA player
Ki Mu if u watch the video you'll understand that he was a BETTER college player, dumbass.
Matt Irwin how was he a better college player when Jordan averaged more points.
Harry Douglas he had a better shot tho
Pray for Harambe Nobody is better than Michael Jordan. Only Westbrook comes close. Westbrook and Jordan is once in a lifetime players. Also Magic Johnson. Other than that the other guys not on Jordan Level.
Harry Douglas kobe I'd the closes to jordan dude
The main thing you forgot were their positions. Jordan played primarily 1 and 2 in college, while Bias was a 3 or 4. So saying they would compete would be the equivalent of them sharing the floor but hardly guarding one another since that would have been Pippen, Grant, or Rodman's job.
Jordan sometimes played small forward as well..
Kyle Snyder Jordan wasn’t listed as a 1 but he often played the role as playmaker and initiator
Rodman Vs. BIAS!!! That would've been a battle to see!! Bad Boys Rodman Vs. Celtics Bias!!
@Kyle Snyder he played some point, he definitely didn't play 3.
they did compete against each other he was very good but still wasn’t better jordan in college they was about the same but bias could shoot better than jordan that’s about it and and was bigger
Imagine if Len Bias got to play with Bird and the rest of the 80s Celtics. Sheesh. RIP
Lionel Thompson ouch they would have dominated and Bird, McHale and Parrish would have won more rings. Just imagine probably the best NBA player of all time teammates with the best white NBA player of all time?? Damn and a possible Dream Team spot as well
championships on top of championships
Lionel Thompson mchale would have more 6th mans that's forsure
The Celts with the core of Bird, McHale, and Chief would have won at least 3 more titles.
Larry Bird said that if Bias didn't die he would've retired.
who will be stupid enough to overdose himself when there is a bright future is ahead. I think a mechanic did it.
trebledc lol
***** good insights, sad although i am a jordan fan but it makes sense. it will be cool to know the truth.
lmao ok, this gives a bias to pure insanity. the lakers did not lose to the heat. the lakers, with their whole roster healthy, the homecourt and being two time defending champs - were embarrasingly swept by the Dallas Mavericks. who orchestrated that? David Stern or Dirk Nowitzki? Did stern also interrupt kobe's attempt to "surpass jordan" when kobe shot horrendously in the 2004 finals? And became the main reason why the lakers were embarrased by the pistons, as well? i know the rest of the team was shut down, but you are suppose to kobe - and you shoot 38%! shaq gave you 27 ppg, 50% shooting and 12 rpg and you still lose. hmmm...
kobe shot 38% vs the pistons. 2004. kobe could not lead his team to hold a 25 point lead, in la, in a pivotal game in 2008 finals.
That type shit NEVER happened to Jordan after he became a champion.
that is why kobe did not catch Jordan. because he himself could not match jordan. not because wade teamed up with lebron.
trebledc who is stupid enough to ask a question and end it with a period instead of a question mark?
I had to learn about him in health class sad that he passed
Tyler_ 24645 mr tackie
Tyler_ 24645 Cocaine is a hell of a drug man. Smh
I saw it live on the news. I wish I were younger... :-)
Tyler_ 24645 Same out teacher showed a 30 for 30 documentary about him
Len Bias’s death was devastating! Just to think what Boston would’ve been like had he played a long career there. It’s extremely sad man 😢
I wish i could time travel and stop him from cocaine.
..or the Cocaine would stop you before Len will :)
GamingSniper 0716 Please, Everyone, always treat Everyone and Everything with kindness, love and respect. Please always remember, Jesus is always there for you no matter what. Please open your hearts to love and please find Jesus!!!!!!!
Lawrence Ledda Please, Everyone, always treat Everyone and Everything with kindness, love and respect. Please always remember, Jesus is always there for you no matter what. Please open your hearts to love and please find Jesus!!!!!!!
+J_Dog 247 Amen brother that's the greatest decision I ever made accepting receiving and loving my Lord and Saviour Jesus yeshua the Christ. Great message Brother God bless you and your family
+Donnell Adams were u get pure 100% blow from?
it's kinda Bias to say he's better than Jordan
lol fuk u
its kinda the truth. Better than college Jordan. Not comparing him to NBA Jordan
Tunes342 It was a pun with his last name.
got it
Speaking the truth LOL
Christian laetner had a better college carrier than both Michael Jordan and Len Bias or anyone for that matter and look at his numbers in the NBA it's nice to fantasize though.
Patrick Adzimah yeah maybe Coach K made those comments before Leattner played for Duke
Patrick Adzimah Why didnt Laettner's game translate to the NBA. I've heard about how great he was in college but never understanded why he couldn't do it in the NBA
in collage, he was a man among boys, in the NBA, he was a young white man amongst black men. Lol
He wasn't even that big of a flop. He had decent number but was never a superstar
Date on the quote he put up was 2003. Coach K picked those two over Laetner and Grant Hill.
Len is one of the best DMV basketball player to play
Is it something in the water Kevin Durant Michael Beasley Jeff green oladipo.
@@topeolojede6308 none of them were on Len’s level not even Kd
@@JabrenHarris98 maybe Durant he came into the nba at 19 also by the time he was 22 he almost made the finals. We would not know his full potential.
@@topeolojede6308 Just cause Durant came into the league at 19 doesn’tean anything. Len Bias was the only player who could stop Jordan and obliterated him on offense at the time.
@@JabrenHarris98 why did Len bias wait until 1986 and go into Michael Jordan’s draft.
The only difference between the two was Jordan was a better ball handler and on ball defender.
Mac Man and was better 3pt shooter
Jimmie Webb Jordan was ass at 3s.
Ow
camden johnson Jordan can shoot 3s if he wants to be good at it. He even said that himself. "I could be a 3pt shooter if I want to." The next game I think he scored 8 threes.
bullfucking shit why would he choose to be bad at 3s he sucked at 3s stop riding his nuts maybe you're talking about the season where the nba decreased the distance of the the 3 pt line lmfao
This has to be one of the most interesting videos I've ever seen in the 10+ years I've been watching videos on youtube. I'm no huge NBA fan but have always loved Jordan clips and this was extremely well presented. Thanks. If nothing else, it made me go look up more history about Len Bias. Thank you.
Your very welcome, glad you enjoyed !
NBA Insider You're
I was around during that time and Len lived not far from me. You're right about Len being the heir apparent to Bird and Len was a superstar in college but Len would not have been better than Jordan. I love Len but I can't see anyone on the same level as Jordan. I don't care too much for Jordan but no one was on the level of Jordan, period.
grayboo212 should check out Nick Smith and Mike Korzemba's videos as well
This was great! Thank you! As a Celtic fan since 1979 I will NEVER forget where I was when I first found out about what happened to Len Bias. I was on a plane on my way to California when they played the local news story on the plane's movie screen. I as a 14-year-old kid that was devastated! Although, at the time, I thought the Celtics were fine as they were with the plethora of talent they had, it wasn't until years later that I figured out the ramifications of losing Lenny would have on the organization.
It wasn't until years later in 1992 when the Celtics faced the Knicks in the playoffs that I realized what was about to happen. The Celtics set a playoff record with the most points scored in a game in ONE of the first 2 games against the knicks. The took a 2-0 series lead on the Knicks and proceeded to lose that series 3-2 (it was a best of 5 first round series then.) I knew then that this was the end of an incredible era of basketball in Boston.
Also in that time frame there was another young star emerging in the Celtics front court in the form of a young man named Reggie Lewis! He was another phenomenal talent the Celtics managed to get on their team. He was on the team in the early 90's until his untimely death as well in the early 90's. His talent combined with what would have been the prime years of Len Bias would have no doubt brought the Celtic dynasty to incredible heights in my estimation. Lord only knows what would have happened. I watched Reggie Lewis have the game of his life to that point against Michael Jordan one night, blocking 5 or 6 shots of Jordan's. Lewis was also destined for greatness.
The team with the "luckiest symbol" had become the UNLUCKIEST team in the league. The Celtics went into an abyss from 1992-2007 when the trade heard round the world brought in Kevin Garnet to play along side Paul Peirce and Ray Allen to bring the NBA finals trophy back to the games original monarchy! I still miss the 80's with the Celtics what could have been...
FACTS ☝ 🍀
An had both Len an Lewis played together , Boston would have 30 chips by no ... Or close to that
Well considering all the shady moves Red pulled off the Celtics deserved that good drought 😂😂😂😂 dont be.mad yall got like 18 titles
Could've, would've, should've. Nothing against Len Bias but any real basketball coach, player, or avid fan will tell you that making the transition from college basketball to actually playing in the pro ranks is a different monster. Jordan transitioned smoothly and became better as time went on. He even went on to become far better than the number one draft pick of his year which of course was the 84' draft.
No doubt Len Bias was crazy talented during his college years. Unfortunately he never had the opportunity to play in the NBA. Therefore in my opinion no comparison could ever be made. In order to receive credit for performing a job one must first be present to do the job. On and off the court all players professional or not must think about making their best decisions.
this might be the dumbest take i've ever heard. So you can't compare college and professional players? how the hell do you think scouts compare prospects and see who they'll draft? Len Bias would've definitely been a better player given his college career compared to Jordan along with the fact that Jordan was drafted 2 years earlier
@@znom3455Excellent point, based on fact, not opinion, regarding the scouting process. Many scouts reference current and former players in their scouting reports.
Great video man!
Appreciate it Nick !
Nick Smith You should upload some more of that MyGM
Nick Smith what's up nick smith you should make a video like this
I think LeBron James is the reincarnation of him just my opinion maybe a little what yall think
That's actually a really good comparison. I also think Hank Gathers could have been the real deal at the nBA lkevel, too. People don't talk about that.
I saw both of them play. I am a UNC fan and Jordan is my all time favorite. Len had the talent to be a top 10 all time player. Imo it would have been hard for him to surpass Bird and Magic. He did not have Jordan's intangibles, so no way would he have been better.
@Beaverish Buck Teeth the fact that you would say 10 time shows how either uniformed or dumb you are.
mental toughness is the biggest difference between mike and len the fact length caved in to peer pressure with the drugs that killed him is a clue
Steven Dajuan how do you know Jordan never took drugs? Lol not saying he did but you CAN'T know what he did personally?
thats not how it works, dummy. you cant prove a negative
InFamousNFX well number 1 there is no record of him ever fail a drug test it's only so much covering up I do know in his rookie yr his team mate were strongly into drugs they brought him to a drug party Jordan was offended and told management those players were traded in the off season that yr
Steven Dajuan you mean to tell me a national icon, a person that is bringing in a large amount of NBA revenue just off of himself would fail a drug test? Dude he could have killed someone and got out of it with house arrest he is just far too expensive to let go simply due to a drug test lets not forget his gambling problems either. A national icon like that isn't someone who's going to get suspended due to drug use. Far to valuable to the NBA just off of the revenue he brought AND STILL BRINGS IN....
When it came to his gambling and womanizing that was exposed until you can prove the great cover up of his failing drug test and drug abuse to him you looking just to argue with no fact
It's like Kobe and Lebron facing each other in the finals. I wish it happened
The 30 for 30 on Len Bias was really good.
Len Bias at 22, definitely better than Kobe, MJ and Bron at 22. Come at me, bronsexuals!
Neueregel yea he could be but its obvious that its not for him shame i wish i could see bias played in nba
Neueregel "come at me bronsexuals"...lol there really should be enforcement of age restriction on TH-cam
As a Terp fan I'll never forget the day in June of 1986 when the news blasted across Baltimore news radio he passed. He was a great player and would of loved seeing him with Bird.
TheLeadSled I’ll never forget that day either. Some tragedies are frozen in time; Len Bias’ death was one of those tragedies.
It took me years to get over it.
I've been offered drugs stronger than alcohol and weed but never indulged because of Len Bias' death. He was my favorite player back then and U would always tell myself, if it could kill Len, it will sure as hell kill me. Your death, although tragic, may have saved a few lives. RIP.
A story even more sad than Len Bias's death was the story of his younger brother Jay Bias who was beloved just as much as Len was in the DC area. Jay was killed by a gunman who shot him at a mall not too far from where the brother's grew up four years after the death of Bias. Bias died in the summer of 86 (the same year the space challenger disaster where we lost 7 crew members Jan 86)
We all were rooting for Jay who was a great basketball player in his own right. He didn't have all the physical gifts that Len had and he probably wasn't going to make in the NBA but most people from this area was praying that Jay could pick up the pieces for his brother. Some fool killed Jay at a local mall over, if I remember it correctly, either a girl or Jay just happen to glance at the dude.
The death of Jay was really sad and tore the family and the community up. Another story linking the Celtics was the death of Reggie Lewis who the Celtics drafted to eventually replace Bird after the death of Bias.
Reggie was a great player from Baltimore, not too far from Hyattsville MD (The area where the Bias's grew up and not too far from College Park Maryland home of Maryland University where Len Bias became a superstar) Baltimore is straight up 295/I95 and about 30 mins away. Reggie played High School ball at Paul Laurence Dunbar a team that dominated during those time and was always nationally ranked going back to Reggie Williams and David Wingate days. DC/MD basketball was rich during those times. Anyways, Reggie died on the court in 93. Can't remember if it were in a game or practice but the poor man died on the court in the midst of a promising career with the Celtics.
The Celtics had two devastating losses with both Len and Reggie being from the same area. General Manager Red Auerbach was devastated by both of the young men's death and Auerbach lived and coached in the DC area in his early days and so he knew about the rich basketball history of the DC area and Baltimore.
With the death of both Len and Reggie, the Celtics organization went into a decline for years and had not recovered until they were able to rebuild with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo
Jay's Death was heartbreaking and absolutely senseless. He was shot and killed on December 5,1990 in Baltimore by a jilted,jealous ex Boyfriend named Jerry Tyler who was furious that his ex Girlfriend who was a Jewelry Store Clerk was putting the moves on 20 year old Jay.. His Ex, was attracted to Jay and had asked him out. The Coward tried to fight Jay and had 2 fellow Gang friends of his jump Jay. But Jay got away with his best friend. The Coward and his friends opened fire at the Car with Jay driving away and struck him in the back several times.
jesusneverexisted300 CELTIC STRONG 💪🍀
jesusneverexisted300 Well said all I wanted to say but was too lazy to remember those days in the early 80's I lived in DC off New Hampshire Ave right on the border of MD and NE DC. There's a lot to his death than was suspicious to me ; knowing the actors involved
lol you left out ray allen, who was bigger than rondo when they won, might have been the best player on the finals
I remember that, I think they did a newsbreak live and a special news program talking with their Mom, it was numbingly sad
do who's the next mike korzemba oh wait i alre know "nba insider
Madden Mobile Harambe No. Similar what ifs but both of them are great in their own way. :)
RIP Len Bias . You were a real talent .
I thought the only guy better than Jordan was his older brother and maybe a future star down the line
Nah Jordan has better defense and better offense
37 PPG, 35 PPG, 32.5 PPG average from 1986-1989 all three higher than Lebron's highest PPG average
32.5 PPG, 8 RPG, 8 APG, 2.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG from Jordan which ties Lebrons at 8RPG but the 2.9 SPG is much higher than Lebron ever produced
Jordan had 4 times where he averaged a block Lebron has 3, Jordan had TEN times where he averaged 2 steals per game while Lebron only had ONE.
Post game goes to Jordan no debate
Jordan has better on the ball defense but that one is hard to argue with since only footage proves it
And Lebron fans. Hold 3 fingers then hold six. Six is twice as large than three
he only has 3 rings. and has been to 6 finals. but other than that. correct.
Ethan Williams him ckoke Jordan
Ethan Williams stats don't tell the whole story on defense Jordan is better
With due respect to your very good analysis I would respectfully disagree with your conclusion Many collegiate Players were so good during their College days but did't fare out well in the NBA They petered out finally for so many damn reasons I believe that to be successful in NBA a player must have Talent Physique Drive Dedication But most of all Self Discipline I don't think Len would be so successful as Michael as shown by his demeanor even before he started playing big time NBA
I agree
I wasn't a huge college basketball fan as a teenager around this time but there are guys that I remember getting as much or more hype than Len Bias in the mid 80's that did little or nothing in the pros. Keith Lee to name one. I definitely heard of him before I ever heard of Bias. Then there were guys like Karl Malone who we'd never heard of. You just never know how it's going to turn out for these guys.
trey burke was a beast in college and he's pretty bad in the nba
Fessler Graal beast? One good season and run and people blew him up. I want someone good every year or that freshmen year all around
Duke Head Coach LITERALLY said, "Over the course of my 30+ yr career, I have seen the best of the best college players. And there were two players that were on a different level.... Michael Jordan..:: and Len Bias."
There are so many videos that try to compare people to Michael Jordan, but they simply can't. In all honesty, Magic and Bird saved the game, and Michael Jordan put it in a whole new level! No one will ever be able to do what Michael did...ever! He carried the league through his career by not only dominating through 91-98 with Finals Championships each season he played in , but winning all scoring titles, being a lock down defender, winning league MVPs, Finals MVPs, and making the world watch NBA basketball. Respect to all that challenge, but no one compares!
There was a lot of bias in this report.
Gary Winehouse nicely done.
you guys forgot what separates Mike from everyone else, WILLPOWER.
uhh... how about a stronger supporting cast. Jordan had Daugherty, Worthy, Perkins and Kenny smith during his UNC career to help deflect defenses from him, Bias just had Adrian Branch so he faced a lot more double teams.
No doubt. MJ had a killer instinct .... fourth quarters were his. Every one knew it but no one could stop him. G.o.a.t. Greatest of all time
MJ tells in "the last dance" that in his 1st season in NBA one day he saw players of Chicago Bulls in a "party" bedroom using drugs. He automatically decided to close the door and leave. Unfortunately that was the difference between them. MJ had the personality to get away from it.
But not the personality to get away from gambling apparently.
@@TyFhoonBoom But gambling didn't cost him his life, and the appropriate word isn't "personality" in this situation. It's "prudence."
@@TyFhoonBoom When you have the money to do it and not become broke in the process, it's not really a problem.
The NBA Draft had some of the most talented college basketball players! Wow who would have thought
Drew Nichols he said "that draft" stupid
Len looked built af
len bias was good ass hell. but Jordan's GAME was so skillfully smoother then len.. look at the speed. the moves.
Yup
The title is a little "Bias" if you ask me
Lawnmowerman Boxcutter very true
Alln Ezail Iverson
I watched the game between Jordan and Len B. Micheal was way more active than Len was in that game. Micheal was quicker and faster to the ball. Len was and played like a regular big man in that game. The highlight of the game was Jordan's break away fast break dunk on the last play of the game.
@Ck_City yea and ur on crack. MJ better, quicker, smarter. Just watch film. Len a step slow compared to Mj
@Ck_City lmao at your dumbass 😅
You can't claim that he was better when he never played an NBA game.
billl o'connel u can because he did outplay him at the college level. I personally think to prove yourself you must b as good in the NBA, but there is definitely an argument that he was better based on the collegiate matchup.
uh did you even listen to what he said in the video sure he was dead but boi the facts are right there
billl o'connel
d
not a good argument. Many players are good in college which is why they get drafted, but not many even make it big in the NBA, some will be no-names forever. Tim Tebow was great in college football, won the heisman trophy but failed in the NFL.
NO kidding. Thanks, Bill. I mean how many talented collegians could we speculate such matters about? He was no Walton, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic or Bird.
Len Bias, Steve Francis, and Kevin Durant are all Maryland NBA legends.
Mohammad Ali Kevin Durant went to Texas
Savage Mode I know, I meant they are all from Maryland and are legends from here
Mohammad Ali oh my bad
How is Len Bias a NBA Legend if he never played a game in the NBA? lol
Michael Diesel true he never played in the league but he was drafted and will always be part of their history.
you should change the title to the man who was better than MJ, in college
he wasn't better in college, maybe scoring (shooting) but that's it.
THE ANDROID GAMER A lot of players were better than Jordan in college.
Joshua Macal amen brother👍
my goodness you must be dreaming. Things change in a blink of an eye. There were a lot of good players in College but never excelled in the NBA and vice-versa.Dont count the number of chicks while the chicken is still hatching or the eggs are still in the incubator.
joshua macal. mj won two player of the year awards n college. no not everyone was better than mj in college
The devil can fool some of the people some of the time, but he can't fool all of the people all of the time!
If Len Bias hadn't died, I strongly believe the Celtics would have 20 banners hanging in the rafters right now, he'd have likely been a career Celtic who would have the torch passed to him from Larry Bird. Perhaps he wouldn't have been better than Jordan, but he'd have been one of the greats of that era and possibly be seen as the only player who truly ever threatened Jordan, perhaps maybe even rob Jordan of a ring or two. I also believe, if he remained healthy, I could see him staying in the NBA long enough to pass the torch to the next great Celtic, Paul Pierce who may have been even better than he was in this reality under the tutelage of Len Bias who would have learned from Larry Bird. Which could in turn lead to even more rings for the Celtics throughout the early 2000's, and if not, would have made the Big Three of Allen, Piece and Garnett even more devastating and possibly lead to a threepeat from 2008 to 2010. That is assuming Bias' presence doesn't hurt the Celtics too much in terms of draft picks and trades, which, by the time of Paul Pierce, it likely wouldn't. Bias would likely retire in the early 2000's and have begun his decline in the mid to late 90's due to age.
Len Bias' death may be the worst thing that ever happened to the Celtics, which is hard to say, the Celtics are likely the luckiest and definitely the most successful franchise in NBA history with the most championships with only the Lakers even coming close and having the second most total play off appearances in NBA history only behind the Lakers, the Celtics have almost consistently since the inception of the NBA been in the hunt for a Championship, if not just a stone's throw away from it (like the current team we have), and Bias' unfortunate death was the Celtics equivalent of the dark ages. They lost to the Lakers in a series that may have been very difference with Len Bias around. It was all downhill after that. The Celtics weren't even contenders until the Big Three formed. Len Bias would have changed that.
In short, Len Bias would have become one of, if not the greatest Celtic of all time. Not only that, but I believe just being around, his obvious talent along with his presence would have made the Celtics, perhaps the most prestigious franchise in the NBA, uncontested, home of two of the all time greats (Top three to most people if Bias really was on level with Jordan), even more banners that may have put them so far ahead even the Lakers wouldn't have been able to catch up, and a consistent, competitive legacy in which there would never be a true period of time between Celtic dominance. The late 80's to early 2000's were the blind spot where the Celtics could not seem to put it together, Bias would have filled this spot and made the Celtics competitive for another decade and a half, long enough for the next great Celtic to emerge and go on to fill his shoes. A history where Bias never died, is a history where the Boston Celtics would have been dominant for even longer, and the gap between the era of Bird, Parish and McHale and the Big three of Garnett, Pierce and Allen, would be bridged by a decade of dominance from Len Bias.
That's just my opinion....And given I'm a massive Celtics fan, I have a bias (no pun intended), but if everything people predicted about Bias came to fruition, I believe this would be the result.
damm bruh you wrote a article lol
Yeah, I'm a passionate Celtics fan, so it's admittedly sad to me (for selfish reasons), that Len Bias passed. So it is frustrating. Though, outside of my fan reaction, it is a tragedy and further's my distaste for drugs.
understand homie , I read the whole thing
I love your Videos! keep it up!
;)
6 reasons why Len Bias would've been better than MJ: Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Bill Walton
Dont forget Reggie Lewis!
@@MaxsMusicc you if he didn't die etheir .... Both him and Len would've been the big 2 an could single handly take out the bulls dynasty
No shit
In dt era ..Legends of the game doesnt always draft by contender type of teams... Jst my opinion
Many young people on this post to not know who Len Bias was. Sure he was great, but we don't know if he would've been better than Jordan. We don't know that. He was really, really good. I had the opportunity to see hm play
At the time he was better than Jordan
He was a beast I lived in Bmore back then I saw all of Maryland's games he was a small forward MJ was a 2 guard. MJ played in a system Lenny was allowed to do his thing. If MJ played at another school he would have done more but scouts and those in the know understood MJ's potential greatness...
Keep dreaming. Bias better than the guy who arguably is the best player ever?
+christopher james,lol at the time when they were in college he was better. MJ wasnt arguably the greatest then. Thats why he was only the third pick. I can look at things from an objective stand point. MJ was the best when he was playing in the Nba in the 90's, but in college he was not better than Len Bias. I'm a Jordan fan, I'm just realistic. Just like when Kobe first came in the league he wasnt better than Eddie Jones, but he became better than him around his 4th or 5th season. Stop being a fan for a second and look at things objectively. I never said he was better than NBA Jordan, but he was better than NCAA Jordan. But I would never compare him to NBA Jordan because Bias never played in the NBA, so it would be unfair to compare
Sam Bowie was a super pro prospect and so was Hakeem. Both were tremendous big men so of course they were drafted before MJ.
so he was the LeBron James of that time
Member Berry he was 6'8" like LeBron
Cory Wilson lebrons basically 6'8"
Cory Wilson LeBron is a MyLeague regen of Len. Now that I think of it he would probably win 5 or 6 NBA titles because of MJ's retirement and other
Lenny wouldve been a top 10 player of all time, but MJ is and always will be in a class of his own.
Jordan was not really in a class all of his own. In terms of athleticism and leaping ability yes, I'll give him that. Larry Bird did everything better than Jordan, rebounding, passing, shooting, steals, you name it. He wasn't as fast or athletic, but that's all. He was also better clutch than Jordan or anybody else for that matter.
@@robertgrissom5760 Larry Bird was great, but I disagree. Larry is the most technically sound player ever talking fundamentals, with Pistol Pete a very close second. Jordan is the best player of all time and the most clutch player of all time. Had he not came back to the wizards he had a walk off game winner in the finals to end his career.
@JBSptfn Wilt was a freak for his time, playing against 6 ft 7 tall unathletic players. Jordan dropping 50 a night in that era dummy
I feel like claiming any player to be better than MJ is downright blasphemy
Make a video on benji
I got you !
NBA Insider yes please that story is so sad
vaw fedav benji who
documentary is on netflix my dude.
kishaun Coli this one on netflix too
If he had cocaine habit, he would never be better than MJ
Frank Lakers I couldn't agree more.
Frank Lakers They said there was no cocaine in his body
Michael Jordan was no saint, his greatness is undeniable but he had many vices himself
What vices did MJ have
Arturo Jr his most public vice was gambling
Len Bias death was a heart breaker, just like Reggie Lewis, another Celtic.
Andrew Czuba Reggie tbh was sadder, he was the steph curry of the league for the Celtics
Knowing MJ's obsession to greatness, and his work ethic, I think Bias has a little chance to be better than him. I mean, if MJ sees a rival he'll double his effort to surpass it. Just like what he did with Magic, Bird, and many legends.
Jerald Pahayac he didn’t surpass Bird and Magic. Father Time took care of them not MJ
@Jeffrey J Fact is he didn't beat them in their primes very much if at all and the record proves it, there's no denying that. That's no knock on MJ because Bird and Magic ran the league with squads that knew how to win no matter how otherworldly MJ's talents were.
@Jeffrey J Now we are making excuses, Bird and Magic promoted ball movement and flow which made them hard to attack thus making other players better. MJ was a ball stopper which didn't allow for anyone else to really get going. So the supporting cast thing could partly be attributed to MJ early on before he learned how to flow better and got the hang of the triangle offense.
Bro he got crushed when Jordan went against len bias
@Jeffrey J MJ averaged 2 assists less than Lebron. Thats actually pretty substantial over a whole career. Jordan was never known as distributor of the ball. LOL Fact of the matter is he is recognized as the goat but also a fact is that he didn't get going until after Magic and Bird were on the down sides of their careers
I'm from Bmore so I caught all the Terms games, back then..Len Bias was like Dominique Wilkins w/a perimeter game
I was watching him on Netflix he died from cocane and domnateed mj
Donkey Punched Name of the documentary?
Its probably the ESPN 30 for 30 Without Bias
30 for 30: Without Bias
Tommy Pearce Thanks
Big Gucci Sosa Thanks
he could of been the Michel Jordan of basketball but he did drugs
Isaiah Johnson u a real one
I mean he was all the things you need to play the game of basketball
Isaiah Johnson but...it is what it is
Art West yep
Isaiah Johnson mj did drugs to I think
Everything I've seen of Bias tells me he didn't have the mindset Jordan had to play in the NBA. You have to remember that Jordan was a fanatic and that he would practice a move thousands of times until he could do it fluently and with style while still being fully efficient. He even sacrificed some of his scoring potential to make sure he dominates in other areas like defense and assists. He was building himself for championships and his work ethic is still second to none, period. The greatest athlete in the NBA was probably Chamberlain but the biggest star is and will forever be Michael Jordan.
Everything changed on June 19, 1986. You couldn't help but cry.
Sounds like the Lebron of that era
Nobody better than Jordan...nobody!!!
Christopher Miller never know
Ppl say that all the time. But someone down the line always proves that wrong. But Jordan did set the bar very very high tho
lots say that but u don't know like if u fast forward 100 or 1000 years someone could be better
there might be someone not in the nba that's better
WDNG Crusher™ lmao cool joke
So.... Dominique Wilkins+Ray Allen= Len Bias. Man he would have been the ultimate player!
Bruce Lee ,Allen? Do you play ball? You'll have to add Karl Malone to make one Bias.
DAMN. Would have been great rivals to see back-in-the-day, especially being on the Celtics. Wonder if Bias was set up by someone 🤔 hmmmj
For real!
Yep!
CHICAGO "was" & "is" a CrOoKeD town. It's plausible Len Bias was set up and they called it an Over dose. AFTER being Drafted to the Celtics, who would go a celebrate with Cocaine. If he WAS a user THEN in College, there would have been EVIDENCE of this type of peculiar behavior. Cocaine usage you cannot hide.
Just because he was better in College doesn't mean he would be better in the pros. James Worthy was better than Mike in college and Mike wasn't even the best player for Carolina,soo...this is just speculation on what could have been. If LeBron won every finals,he would GOAT,same applies for Magic. IFs,IFs,IFs. Guess people just need to keep stuff going to get views
Jordan Clark never know
IFs never counted,only what is and what has been. IFs are irrelevant.
Jordan Clark you can say what if, if he never played in the Nba.
vaw fedav if Jordan never played? But he did so it's irrelevant. What if the Sun never came up again? What if Adam & Eve died and went to Hell? All of that doesn't matter because it's hypotheticals,sure they can be pondered on but they hold zero merit because they already happened and cannot be altered. It isn't an ongoing event,it's in the past, it happened,The End. MJ is the best. Len Bias was the best college player ever. That is what is. Period.
Jordan Clark I'm not claiming that he's better that Jorden no need to get so offended. All I said is you never know.
Death elevated Len Bias’ legend. He would’ve been a solid player. But he wasn’t on Jordan’s level. And his premature death has led to projections because we never saw him play in the NBA. MJ was national player of the year. That’s with Akeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and yes, young Len Bias in college. Bias never reached that level despite Lefty Drissell being much more liberal with his game plan than Dean Smith at Maryland and Bias being the clear cut undisputed #1 option. I think he would’ve been good. But his skill set wasn’t as defined as MJ. And I’m not sure he had the same drive to win.
Congrats, you have the only informed opinion in these comments.
Manu Ginobilis Bald Spot word up, head to head, it was Jordan who stood out when they played that time.
You didn't see him play in person; " Solid? " Please refrain from commenting/speculating on things you know nothing about. I was there, saw him play, and he was that good.
If if if! Now, all we know is another talented stud screwed up his life partying with out limits and succumbing to external forses without internal control.
LOL Dude you never saw Bias play. As far as MJ being the National Player of the year, he NEVER took Carolina back to the Final Four or won an ACC tournament championship without James Worthy.
Great video. I’m a Marylander and still remember hearing the news that day. Couldn’t believe it.
If things were different and he had a healthy career, the GOAT discussion would likely have been between Jordan and Bias.
But like the saying goes, “if if was a fifth, we’d all be drunk”. Too bad we’ll never know and are left with forcing comparisons between players from different generations.
He was a great player, soon to be a beast in the NBA, but better than Jordan is too far...
He was INCREDIBLE!!! He really was like Jordan...Amazing talent...
i can also say jay williams is the best player this is bullshit
Carlo Sarmiento great bait mate
Jon Trollston you mean gr8 b8 m8. i give it 8/8
Great topic. More videos on L. Bias
such a sad story
Came here after i watched the docu "Without Bias" Damn. Such a great player, incredible talent. Sad moment for the ppl of Maryland and Boston
"many years after analyst and fans still claim Bias was more NBA ready than Jordan".
Rookie MJ: "Hold my beer".
Casually averaged 28 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.8 blocks, 51% FG in 82 games. Led the league in total points scored.
Len Bias 16.4 ppg 6rebs career that's pretty good but Kurt Thomas averaged 30ppg and 13rebs lead the nation in scoring and rebounds so I guess he would be better than Jordan in the NBA to if he died after college lol.
pyramid architect even tho len posted those stats hè was still Very RAW, even more RAW then Jordan and had many weaknesses to improve but still dominated by sheer athleticsm. Hè just had more potential then Jordan, i repeat potential, was bigger faster stronger then MJ
being from the Northwestern/Hyattsville community it is still surreal even 30 years later. Life is cruel.
This seems kind of... BIASED
Lighterz i see what u did there...
Firstly the caption on this vid is folly. Bias was incredible no doubt but look who the commentators were jaw dropped from. Jordan was revolutionary from the start. I think Bias was dominant and his career would have been more like karl malone with a few rings. Prolific but falls short of what Jordan had. Jordan had a creativity and artistry that no one had ever seen and most of all, matched with this an unwaivering will to be a champion. I hear alot of comparison of players of today. Ive seen both eras. That era of basketball was legendary and Jordan was at the panthion of it all. Frankly there is no comparison. He was that special to watch.
Len was freak. Could Damn near touch the top of the backboard.
I believe I saw him play twice on TV in his last college season. I don't know about being another Jordan, but Jordan wasn't Jordan yet, if you know what I mean. I do recall one crazy high flying dunk and some beautiful passes from Len. With all that talent that Boston already had, well, I can just imagine how shook up the rest of the league was at the thought of Bias, Larry, Kevin etc, etc playing and growing together over the next few years, frightening I'd say. Too bad, we'll never know
Are y'all serious!!! I grew up in ACC country.. Lenny was good, no was awesome but not better than MJ
I'm old enough to have remembered those days quite well, I was in my mid to late 20s during Bias college career. Jordan was a better defensive player, and perhaps a bit quicker but Lenny was stronger in the paint and had a much better mid range jumper. Jordan also had the benefit of a MUCH better supporting cast (James Worthy, Brad Daughtery, Sam Perkins, Kenny Smith, all of whom went on to become stars while basically, Bias just had Adrian Branch and a bunch of guys named Joe. Sadly, we will never know who would have made a better Pro, but for my money the best NCAA player was Bias
No, Jordan was the better player. I too was around for those games. I was a UNC student at the time and watched the two play every game. Bias was very good, but not as good as Jordan. The only player that played in the ACC that could rival Jordan came 10 years prior to Jordan, and that was David Thompson from NC State. Next in line would be Ralph Sampson of Virginia and then probably Christian Laettner of Duke. Bias would have been a good power forward in the NBA, but the myth built around Bias doesn't hold water. Here is the 1984 game, judge for yourself: th-cam.com/video/y4u4MdSGSDo/w-d-xo.html
Man you’re old
Mistah, I'm not that old, but time will sneak up on you as well and one day, someone somewhere will say to you "man you're old".
I'm also old enough to remember those games jordan had against bias Maryland team. Jordan gave it to them, the same way he did everybody else. He didn't care who len bias was, he just wanted to trample over him and win the game. He didn't discriminate
Larry Mccarty mj was limited in the dean smith system but got a chance to develop great fundamentals. He thrived straight away in nba when he can score freely. So judging ncaa days is not accurate.
Glowing up 20miles outside charlotte NC I watched every televised ACC game ,saw Bias put up 41+pts agsinst the Tarheels
Your headline "meet the player who was better than Michael Jordan," is a misleading attention grabber which you contradict throughout your video. In the video you state that they were comparable in college, point out that Jordan had a slightly better scoring average and shooting percentage in college, and state that it is difficult to know if he would have been as good in the pros as Jordan. Len Bias was a great college player and would like have been an excellent pro had he not died two days after being drafted. However, there is no way to know if he would have been as good as Jordan in the pros. Why mislead the audience?
So he was basically LeBron
AJ KING but a better shooter
I can never forget him I was a child learning the game and I was watching him play when he collapsed. He was an amazing ball player.
4:40 oddly looks like lebron in his early years
That's mj
No
If anybody "thinks" that Len Bias would have been even close to MJ just doesn't know basketball. Len Bias would have never had the work ethic MJ had to start. Also the pure shooting and scoring ability is of no comparison. 2nd and maybe more important is MJ absolutely a great defensive player. Believe me no comparison.
He was most certainly a great player - I meant to say that
Len Bias played well but Michael Jordan controlled the game and took completely over in the last ten minutes
isaiah richardson agree.. and i don't think this guy can win a game with only 3 mins left on the last quarter..
Oh yes he could. In fact, his Maryland team was the first to win the ACC tournament, when Bias was a sophomore. It was his coming out party and he dominated the tournament, winning tournament MVP. UNC was the #1 ranked team in the country at the time. And in 1986, he dominated UNC in their first loss ever at the Dean dome, scoring 42 points. I know because I was at the game. I had never seen such an explosive jumpshot. It was impossible to stop, because he held it high above his head, like Kevin Garnett, and had a 42 inch vertical. He had all the physical tools that Jordan had, but had 2 inches and about 20 lbs on him.
True but no off the court discipline.
ELITE SPORTS PERFORMANCE Espfitness Where did you hear that from? He had never taken drugs before that night. He was a great kid off the court. Besides that night.
Read what I said! I never said anything about drugs. Off the court discipline means surrounding yourself around the right people so you can advance and keeping some at a distance. One night can change your whole life and great kids shouldn't do drugs.
MJ only can say if he really is better than him. But awesome video. Don't mind the hate of the other people.
Lenny had a touch of MJ and a sprinkle of Nique with a jumper
He could never be better than Jordan. MJ’s athleticism, will to win and “STRONG MIND” always takes him over the top of players. MJ played the whole floor too. Len was a great player his jumper might’ve been better in their college days but as we can see what became of MJ’s jumper. Might be the best mid range killer ever!! Anyway one was a Forward and one was a 2 Guard so can’t compare them. Just like the Stupid GOAT debate today.
man if only he didnt do cocaine
kennethleon1 he should've not hang with the ppl he hanged with