Leonard Kevin "Len" Bayas ( Eng. Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias ; November 18, 1963 in Landover , Maryland - June 19, 1986 in Riverdale , New Jersey ) - American basketball player , who was chosen by the general number 2 on the 1986 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics club, died two days after the draft pick from a drug overdose.
| Len Byas | |
|---|---|
| Len bias | |
 Len Byas Draft 1986 | |
| Completed career | |
| Position | Easy forward |
| Growth | 203 cm |
| Weight | 95 kg |
| Citizenship |  |
| Date of Birth | November 18, 1963 |
| Place of Birth | Landover , Maryland , USA |
| Date of death | June 19, 1986 (22 years) |
| Place of death | Riverdale , MD , USA |
| School | Northwest ( Hiattsville ) |
| College | Maryland (1982-1986) |
| NBA Draft | 2nd, 1986 , Boston Celtics |
Content
Biography
Bayas is the son of Lonis and James Bayas and elder brother of Jay. Born November 18, 1963 in Landover , Maryland , USA . He studied at Northwestern High School in Heitsville , Maryland. Upon graduation, he entered the University of Maryland at College Park . While studying at the university, he was included in the All-American team .
NBA Draft
On June 17, 1986, Byas was chosen as the reigning league champion of the Boston Celtics under the second overall number in the annual draft , which was held in New York at the Madison Square Garden . Back in 1984, the President of the Celtics Red Auerbach won the right to choose from the Seattle Supersonics draft, exchanging Gerald Henderson for him.
On June 18th, Byas and his father flew to Boston from Washington for a traditional performance of players. In the same place, Bayas signed a $ 3 million contract with Reebok . Later that day, his father flew back to Washington, where he gave a short press conference at the Washington National Airport to local media.
After death
Court
On July 25, 1986, Bayas' friend Brian Tribbl was accused of possessing cocaine and possession of cocaine for sale, and his former teammates Terry Long and David Gregg of possession of cocaine and obstruction of the court. July 31, Long and Gregg were excluded from the team. In August, all three defendants pleaded not guilty.
On October 20, 1986, the prosecutor’s office dropped all charges against Long and Gregg in exchange for testimony against Tribbl. On October 30, the grand jury added three more accusations against Tribbl: one conspiring to obstruct the administration of justice and two to obstruct justice.
On October 30, Kenneth Mark Fobbs, who lived in the same room with Tribble, was accused of giving false testimony before a grand jury about the time when he last saw Tribble. On March 24, 1987, the state dropped the charges against Phobbs, and on June 3, 1987, the jury acquitted Tribblu, dismissing all charges in the case of Byas.
In October 1990, Tribble was convicted as a drug dealer. He concluded an agreement with the government and until July 15, 1993, remained at large. He was later sent to prison for 10 years and 1 month.
In 1998, the US Congress passed a tough anti-drug law, known as the “Lena Byas Act”. He was supported by both parties and strengthened previous drug laws, providing for tougher penalties and expanding the DARE program.
University of Maryland
Due to the circumstances of the death of Byas, the University of Maryland and its sports program were at the center of a large investigation, which showed that despite the fact that Byas used all his privileges as an athlete, he lacked 21 credits . On August 26, 1986, State Attorney Arthur Marshall Jr. said that a few hours after the death of Byas, the head coach of the university basketball team Lefty Drezell told players to remove drugs from Lena’s dorm room. Two days later, Byas' father, James, accused the university and Drizell of ignoring the academic status of their athletes. Later, the National University Sports Association began its own investigation.
The trial forced sports director Dick Dalla to resign from his post on October 7, 1987, and October 29, Drizell resigned, having worked as a coach for Terrapins for 17 years. The grand jury reviewing the case of Basas published its final report on February 26, 1987, in which the work of the sports department of the University of Maryland, the admissions office and campus police was criticized. According to the results of the investigation, the NCAA has established a three-year probation period for the university’s men's basketball program. Terrapins were suspended from television for one year and were denied sports scholarships. After that, the University of Maryland imposed strict admission standards for all student-athletes [1] .
Jay Byas
On December 5, 1990, Bayas' younger brother, James Stanley "Jay" Bayas III, a budding young basketball player, was shot dead in a parking lot near Prince George Square near a shopping center located just a few miles from the University of Maryland. Two shooters shot several times at the car in which Jay and his two friends were. As a result, two bullets hit J in the back. He was taken to the same hospital where his brother Len died and died there. Jay Byas was buried next to his brother in the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery [2] .
Movie
A film about the life of Byas, directed by Kirk Fraser, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008, and its official release took place on June 19, 2009. [3] On November 3, 2009, the ESPN television network released the documentary “Without Bias”. The tape has become part of a series of documentary films 30 events over 30 years , dedicated to the thirty-year anniversary of the network.
Notes
- ↑ Triumph to turmoil Neopr (June 18, 2006). The appeal date is April 29, 2012. Archived July 4, 2012.
- Len "Len Bias's Brother Dies in Shooting," New York Times, 12/5/90 (retrieved 11/2/07) , New York Times (December 5, 1990). The appeal date is April 26, 2012.
- ↑ Nancy Doyle Palmer. Len Bias Movie Promoted at Sundance (February 28, 2008). The appeal date is April 26, 2012. Archived July 4, 2012.