LEN BIAS'S LEGACY

I appreciated The Post's coverage of the 20th anniversary of the
death of college basketball great Len Bias, particularly Michael
Wilbon's June 19 Sports column ["The Story of Bias's Death Should
Always Have Life"].

I worked at NBC News at the time of the University of Maryland
basketball star's death. A few years later, I decided to produce a
segment with correspondent Bill Schechner for "Sunday Today" on Len's
mom, Lonise Bias. Bill and I spent some time taping Lonise as she
spoke to students, prisoners and teens about the dangers of drugs.

Lonise not only had lost her son Len to a cocaine overdose but had
lost another son, Jay, to a senseless murder outside a shopping mall.
What struck me was her incredible strength, her ability to forgive
and her mission to get the message out. In the segment she said,
"When Len Bias died, it's as if people woke up and said we have a
drug problem in this country. . . . I realized that in Len's death,
people's lives had truly been touched." She was right.

Wilbon's interviews with various coaches and players, nearly 20 years
later, put it all in perspective. What would have become of Len had
he lived? What would his accomplishments have been? Len came from a
wonderful family -- incredible parents and great siblings. Lonise
continues to spread the word about the dangers of drugs, but she
talks about the importance of family, too. In the NBC interview, she
alerted kids to "not take your families for granted. Treat them as if
it's your last day with them."

What happened to Len on that terrible night that ended his life
lingers. But what is also not forgotten is that kids still choose
their friends, they are still faced with peer pressures and they
still face the insecurities that are all part of growing up. It takes
everyone in a community to work with kids for the safety of their futures.

I think Lonise's crusade to get communities, parents and schools
involved is truly the legacy of Len Bias 20 years later. He really
isn't gone. He's just holding court off the field.

- -- Gemma Puglisi

Washington

is an assistant professor at American University's School of Communication.