What If? The Len Bias Story

Country: USA

Number of Episodes: 7

Average Length: 35 minutes

Year of Release: 2021

Created by: The Ringer (only available on Spotify)

Len Bias was a rising star and in 1986 was the second pick of the NBA draft to the Boston Celtics. Bias was on top of the world and his trajectory was one that many have speculated would have ran right alongside that of Michael Jordan. But 2 days after the draft, at age 22, Bias died from complications related to cocaine use.

The podcast takes us back to the time when Bias was on the precipice of success and fame and what got him there, the fateful events of the draft night, both glorious and disastrous and the aftermath of the tragedy. But the aftermath was not localised to Bias's school and community. The social and legal fallout of his death reverberated widely and the effects were felt in a distinctly racialised way. The title of the podcast is simple but really lays it out. What might have been had Bias lived and achieved his fantastic potential?