WHAT IF Len Bias & Reggie Lewis Had Lived? Bob Ryan’s Alternate Celtics Dynasty
What happens to the Boston Celtics dynasty if Len Bias survives and Reggie Lewis never collapses? Bob Ryan — one of the greatest basketball minds alive — breaks down the alternate timeline in detail. Where does Bias fit on those Bird/McHale teams? How close was Reggie Lewis to true stardom? And what would it have meant for the Celtics’ dynasty window?
Bob Ryan was there the night Len Bias dropped 40 on Duke. He was 10 feet away when Reggie Lewis collapsed. This is firsthand history.
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👇 Do you think the Celtics would have won more titles with Bias?
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0:00 — What if Len Bias had lived?
2:30 — Bob Ryan was there when Bias dropped 40 on Duke
6:00 — Where does Bias fit on the ’86 Celtics?
9:00 — Reggie Lewis — how good could he have been?
13:00 — Bob Ryan was 10 feet away when Reggie collapsed
16:00 — Reggie Lewis’ underrecruited backstory at Northeastern
On this episode, Bob Ryan and Gary Tanguay play a game of ‘what if?’ and rewrite Celtics history.
Bob theorizes how good Reggie Lewis and Len Bias would have been had they not tragically passed away. Bias was an All-American star at the University of Maryland who died of a fatal cocaine overdose on June 19, 1986, just two days after being drafted to Boston. Reggie Lewis, the captain of the Celtics, tragically died of sudden cardiac death on July 27, 1993, during an off-season practice at Brandeis University.
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Boston would’ve had more championships,!!! 🏀
Magic’s Lakers last championship would have been 1985. No Pistons championships. Bulls only win a few.
answer's simple: Boston would be talking about hanging banner 21 instead of 19
Larry has said he would have retired earlier if Bias had lived. I don’t know how that would have worked out in that case
From an LA Lakers fan since 1965: Boston wins in 1987-89; and Bird retires. Result: Boston does not win any championships in the 1990s (because Parish and McHale are aging). Detroit wins one championship in 1990 and then the Chicago Bulls get their six championship. Although I as a Lakers fan, was never a fan of Bird, I respect his great talent and his work ethic surpassed everyone in the NBA No one could have a 12 plus year career given the rigors Bird put his body through. Boston Celtics fans: an unforced error – "never" should have traded Cedrick Maxwell. There was enough talent on the 1986 championship team to win without Walton who was of no value to the Celtics after that season.
We probably would have been too good have gotten Reggie if Bias had lived and thrived?
If Bias and Lewis had lived longer, the Celtics would have at least 2 more championships. 1987 NBA Defensive player of the year and HOF Michael Cooper has admitted on a podcast with Gilbert Arenas a few years back that if the Celtics have Bias, they will not be able to beat the Celtics again for they do not have an answer for him.
Is it bad that I’ve thought about this question and what might have been everyday since the summer of ‘93?
I met Isaiah Thomas – ended up being a great guy. I asked him what would have happened had Bias lived. He said that the Celtics would have won many more titles – His Pistons would have never won
If Bias lived…
That '86 Celtics team would've won 3 in a row
Bias,lewis with a healthy bird,mchale win at least 1 or 2 more rings. Coop said lakers could not have beat Cs with bias….our starters took a beating in 87 with minimal depth , bias with young legs wouldve been a massive help
The bad boy pistons & bulls never make it
If Bias had lived, he would have had a drug problem. If Lewis had lived, he would have retired because of heart problems. Just "living" ain't enough.
Had everything worked out in 87 no injuries to the Kevin Bull Danny DJ Chief and Len living I don't know. That Finals v would have turned out different. But then do the Celtics still take Reggie? Lewis was the contingency for Bias.
Maybe the Lakers get him? How about the season. Does Boston get their fourth 60 piece in a row. I don't think Larry would have retired he would have had the motivization to keep goin. I.E. those damn Lakers and Magic.