Ronald Daley was driving in Prince George’s County in the summer of 1986 when he heard on the radio that one of his favorite athletes, Terrapins men’s basketball star Len Bias, had died of a cocaine overdose at 22, less than 48 hours after being drafted second overall by the NBA’s Boston Celtics.
As soon as Daley shook the initial shock from the news, one thought rushed to his mind.
“I’m going to write a song about this,” Daley said to himself.
30 years later, Daley, now retired and living in Bladensburg, still has a CD of his song, “Lenny Bias — Maryland’s Super Star.