Boston Celtics: June 19th, a Date Which Lives in Infamy

Twenty-five years ago today, the Boston Celtics organization was changed forever.

On June 19th, 1986, Len Bias was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead from cardiac arrhythmia after a cocaine overdose, all just two days after being drafted to the Boston Celtics. In his death, Bias not only left behind a lesson but also one of the greatest "What-ifs?" in sports.

So what if it never happened? What if Len Bias decided not to use cocaine on that fateful night?

The answer to that question can obviously never be definitively answered, but there is substantial evidence that points towards a few answers.

When he was drafted, the Celtics were coming off winning the NBA Finals with what some consider to be the greatest team ever. Yet, with some wonders worked by Red Auerbach, they found themselves with the second pick of the 1986 draft.

With that pick they had one player in mind, and that was Len Bias. They obviously saw something in him because they wanted him badly. Red Auerbach said at his wake that he had schemed for years to get Bias.

What they saw in him was probably just the same as the rest of the country: a charismatic kid with athleticism rivaling Jordan, as pure a jump shot as any other, and an incredible will to win.

If you saw him play in college, then you would know that he was for real. He was as good a college prospect as I have ever seen and no doubt destined for NBA-stardom.

He drew comparisons to Michael Jordan, who was only in his second year in the league.

Would he have been the next Jordan? Hard to say. But, as a rookie at Maryland he battled Jordan and traded him basket for basket before Jordan's Tar Heels prevailed at the very end and Jordan did his famous Rock-the-Cardle dunk before time expired.

But for the Celtics team he would soon join, he did not need to be Jordan. He was walking onto the greatest team ever; they had Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, and Bill Walton. They didn't need another star, yet.

Another role player could have given them the 1987 Finals that they were so close to winning. But beyond that, the main problem of the post-1986 Celtics was that there was not enough depth and as a result, the starters got worn down and many fought injuries such as Bird, McHale, and Walton.

So even if Bias was not the next Jordan, at least right away, his very presence would have helped the Celtics immediately. He could have come off the bench for either Bird or McHale and cut down on their minutes and lessen the wear and tear on their bodies.

This would have allowed the Celtics to have a few more years to win it all, and while Bias developed, they could start to build the team around him.

And a team built around Len Bias had a very good chance of winning, just ask any ACC rival that he led his Maryland team past en route to an ACC title.

It's safe to say that with him the Bird Celtics could have managed two more championships and the sky would have been the limit for when the reigns were handed over to him.

Unfortunately, we never got to see any of this play out.

He choose to use cocaine on the night of June 18, 1986, and died on the morning of June 19th, 1986, forever changing the Celtics and leaving more questions than answers.

But one thing is for sure, we missed out on a heck of a player. Not only did the Celtics and Celtics fans miss out, but the whole world missed out on watching this kid. One to battle Jordan. One to rule the highlight reel. One that anyone would want to watch.

But instead, now, 25 years later, one that everyone wonders "What if?" about.