Len Bias: A Mixed Legacy | The Interviews: John Salley

How did Len Bias spend the few months from the end of his college career in April that year until he died? He took risks…he had fun…he spent lots of money…and he made a bad choice to abuse cocaine to an extent that it killed him.  As newly drafted players prepare for the NBA, we revisit some of the contenxt from Episode 3 in the series.  Len Bias: A Mixed Legacy was recently selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 35 Maryland Sports Podcasts on the web.https://blog.feedspot.com/maryland_sports_podcasts/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In remembrance of Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Lefty Driesell, the producers have aggregated clips from the series that tell the story of Lefty Driesell, his relationship with Len Bias, and his up and down history with The University of Maryland, where many argue, including Lefty himself, that he put the program on the map in the college basketball universe.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former NC State star and NBA center Chris Washburn talks with Executive Producer Dave Ungrady about his own struggles with drug use causing him to be in and out of basketball and the effect Len Bias's death had on his life and others. Certain claims in the interview made by Washburn are unsubstantiated and are not to be taken as statements or facts from the producers of this podcast.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave and Don interview 4x NBA Champion John Salley who recalls his memories of his friendship with Len Bias from high school through the NBA Draft. John also discusses the impact Len would have had on the NBA and the actual impact his death had on the players and the league.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave and don interview UCF Head Coach, former NCAA Player of the Year at Duke, and former NBA point guard Johnny Dawkins. Johnny remembers his time playing against Len in the ACC, barnstorming games and pickup games. His unique perspective is shared on how Len's tragic death and legacy helped save lives.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maryland radio sportscaster Johnny Holliday remembers Len Bias and shares the stories of his unique relationship with Len and his family before and after his death including a personal request from Lonise Bias for Johnny to sing at Len's service. Johnny is interviewed by Dave Ungrady, Don Markus, and Rich Daniel. Johnny appears across the podcast series and is featured across multiple episodes and highlight clips.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Boston Globe sports journalist Bob Ryan is interviewed by producers Don Markus and Dave Ungrady in relation to his coverage of the team during and after the draft of Len Bias. Bob speaks to the immediate reaction of the team to Len's death, and what it would have meant to have Bias as a Celtic. Bob Ryan has been described as "the quintessential American sportswriter" and a basketball guru, and is well known for his coverage of the NBA and in particular the Boston Celtics. Episode 9 - Len Bias: A Mixed Legacy - From Dynasty to Drought: How the Death of Len Bias Impacted the Celtics and the NBA goes into further detail on the impact of Bias's death to the Boston Celtics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As June 19th marks the anniversary of Len Bias's tragic death, we hear from Len's teammates and his mother Lonise Bias on their immediate reaction to hearing Len was in the hospital and that he had passed away. More on the full story of the death of Len Bias and timeline of events surrounding the tragedy can be found in Ep 4 "His Final Hours" of this podcast series.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Interviews series continues with Don Markus interviewing ESPN broadcaster, former Duke Blue Devil, and attorney Jay Bilas. Jay played against Len his entire career in the ACC and offers a unique perspective on his death and the impact that it had on him and society at large. His viewpoint is shared in many episodes of the series including Ep 4 on Len's untimely death and Episode 8 where he shares his viewpoint on mandatory sentencing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The podcast series continues with new episodes by releasing the full length interviews from the series. The first interview episode is with Dorothy Gaines. Dorothy is an example of the cruel and harsh mandatory minimum sentencing laws introduced following the death of Len Bias. Dorothy recounts her story with executive produce Dave Ungrady. Dorthy featured prominently in Episode 8 where the series profiled her and others whose lives were turned upside down by mandatory sentencing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.