Lefty Drieselll dead at 92

[stevenash]

Lefty Driesell, coach who put Maryland on college basketball’s map, dies at 92 - ABC News (go.com)

He was one of the good ones.
RIP

[Da Manster!]

RIP Lefty Driesell

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Lefty Driesell, coach who put Maryland on college basketball’s map, dies at 92 - ABC News (go.com)

He was one of the good ones.
RIP

Fuq. I know he was well-liked. RIP.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the Len Bias death. What a mess that was. Can you put any culpability on Lefty?

Bias was the star player. He wasn't interested in school. But you'd expect him to be interested in his future as a pro. Guy made a terrible decision.

[stevenash]

Bias would have been a great Boston Celtic.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Bias would have been a great Boston Celtic.

Think about WHEN Bias would have joined the Celtics. Lenny would have been the perfect transition player from Parish/McHale/Bird.

I've written about this b4. Celtics win in 1986, they were on FUMES in 1987. McHale played thru the broken foot, it's a miracle that the Celtics made the finals in 1987. The Bucks and the Pistons arguably should have taken out the Celtics. That was the year of the "Steal by Bird" play against Thomas.

[str]

"I Ain't Dumb. I went to Duke"

RIP Lefthander.

He was something else.

[EasyCover]

I went to his basketball camp at Maryland when I was 12. It was a fun week. He was the best. Never felt he was responsible for Len Bias, but someone had to be the fall guy. Bias broke my heart.

[hawkwind]

Set back Boston for Years He'll rot in hell 4 his DRUG ABUSE.

RIP Lefty a GOOD MAN

[stevenash]

RIP Lefty a GOOD MAN

You got that right!
Everybody loved Lefty. I'm a UConn homer and even I respected him.

[EasyCover]

Set back Boston for Years He'll rot in hell 4 his DRUG ABUSE.

RIP Lefty a GOOD MAN

Rot in hell? So you never made a mistake? Bet you're fun at parties. Pious prick.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

I went to his basketball camp at Maryland when I was 12. It was a fun week. He was the best. Never felt he was responsible for Len Bias, but someone had to be the fall guy. Bias broke my heart.

EZ, I'm with you. Someone had to be the fall-guy, and Lefty fit.

You said it. The Bias death was heart-breaking. The talent was obvious, potential to the moon.

Scouts talked about the Jordan vs Bias comparison. Not many players could be compared to Jordan's talent. Bias was in that pool, and he was bigger.

Can only ponder how he would have done in Boston. In 1986 Bill Walton was re-born. He was healthy and won Sixth Man of the Year. In 1987 Walton was shot, he played sparingly. IMHO, two things happen if Bias is on the 1986-87 team:

1) McHale might have sat out the remainder of the season, just like the doctor told him to. If Bias was the 6th-man, McHale might have felt like the team had a suitable replacement. McHale played thru the broken foot b/c Kevin likely thought it was the team's last GOOD shot to win the title.
2) If Bias was as good as advertised, he might have been the difference to tilt the title to Boston in 1987. That was the year that Magic hit the late sky-hook to steal Game 4 in the Garden.

[EasyCover]

EZ, I'm with you. Someone had to be the fall-guy, and Lefty fit.

You said it. The Bias death was heart-breaking. The talent was obvious, potential to the moon.

Scouts talked about the Jordan vs Bias comparison. Not many players could be compared to Jordan's talent. Bias was in that pool, and he was bigger.

Can only ponder how he would have done in Boston. In 1986 Bill Walton was re-born. He was healthy and won Sixth Man of the Year. In 1987 Walton was shot, he played sparingly. IMHO, two things happen if Bias is on the 1986-87 team:

1) McHale might have sat out the remainder of the season, just like the doctor told him to. If Bias was the 6th-man, McHale might have felt like the team had a suitable replacement. McHale played thru the broken foot b/c Kevin likely thought it was the team's last GOOD shot to win the title.
2) If Bias was as good as advertised, he might have been the difference to tilt the title to Boston in 1987. That was the year that Magic hit the late sky-hook to steal Game 4 in the Garden.

Chucky you're spot on. I always thought Bias was the only one who could have challenged Jordan. I was in the Army stationed in California when he beat Carolina twice. I used to trade duty with other guys so I could watch him play. I used to have an argument with a buddy about who was better, Bias or Walter Berry from St. John's.
The day he died I didn't hear about it because I was on duty, and the other guys didn't wanna tell me cause they knew it would crush me.
And it did.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Chucky you're spot on. I always thought Bias was the only one who could have challenged Jordan. I was in the Army stationed in California when he beat Carolina twice. I used to trade duty with other guys so I could watch him play. I used to have an argument with a buddy about who was better, Bias or Walter Berry from St. John's.
The day he died I didn't hear about it because I was on duty, and the other guys didn't wanna tell me cause they knew it would crush me.
And it did.

Good stuff, EZ. Bias was so good. If you're a fan of sport, CRUSHING is the only word for his early departure.

[EasyCover]

Thanks Chucky. Bias was my favorite. Still makes me wanna choke up. He was my favorite athlete and no one has come close since.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Thanks Chucky. Bias was my favorite. Still makes me wanna choke up. He was my favorite athlete and no one has come close since.

Watching the ESPN 30-for-30. Only word is HEART-BREAKING.

In 40+ years of watching sports, I think about the Heart-breaking sports incidents:
*1978: Lyman Bostock - is shot and killed
*1979: Thurman Munson - dies in the plane crash
*1983: Joe Delaney - dies while trying to save two kids from drowning
*1990: Hank Gathers - dies on the court
*1993: Steve Olin and Tim Crews - die in the boating accident
*1993: Drazen Petrovic - dies in the car accident
*2001: Dale Earnhardt Sr - dies at Daytona


All tragic. None was more heart-breaking than the passing of Lenny. All before he was able to show his talents in the NBA.

[Otters27]

Hank Gathers was sad they played that next game