Celtics news: Larry Bird once called this tragedy 'the cruelest thing I've ever heard'

Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird once called the tragic death of Len Bias "the cruelest thing I've ever heard." Bias died in 1986.

The Boston Celtics have lived numerous happy memories with their league-leading 17 NBA championships, but they've also endured their share of heartbreak. Larry Bird, a franchise legend, called the death of Len Bias “the cruelest” thing he has ever heard.

The NBA had already found a blockbuster star in Michael Jordan, but it was bound for even more quality when Bias declared for the 1986 NBA Draft. Bias was selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the Celtics, as then-president and general manager Red Auerbach admitted he had looked forward to drafting Bias for three years since he was a freshman for the Terrapins.

Two days after reaching his NBA dream, Bias was found dead.

A tip of the hat to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports:

“It's the cruelest thing I've ever heard,” Bird told Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated on June 30, 1986.

Bias died of a cocaine overdose as he went back to campus for a gathering with some of his friends.

Bird was bound to find some frontcourt help with a young Bias coming in, as the rookie was the only player to average 25 points and 10 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament since seeding began in 1979. It was Bias, not Jordan, who was named the 1984 ACC Tournament MVP.

Bias' future looked so promising, and everyone in the Celtics organization believed so.

Those who were his college contemporaries, like former Duke standout Jay Bilas, believed he could reach All-Star status:

“He was superman in a basketball uniform,” Bilas said in a recent ESPN retrospective on Bias. “He was an extraordinary player. I believed he was headed toward Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame status. He would have been, had he played in the NBA, a perennial All-Star and would have been a challenger – I’m not saying he would’ve been as good as Jordan – but he would’ve been a challenger.”

Bias' death was an unexpected tragedy. The Celtics honored Bias with their own memorial service and gave his never-used No. 30 Celtics jersey to his mother.

Boston would have had to tweak some of its older players to rebuild around Bias, but Bird, who was coming off an NBA title, would have certainly taken part in that experience.