Like all Lakers fans, I am beyond devastated about Andrew Bynum’s severe knee injury. In fact, the English language has yet to generate a word that can describe the combination of horror, anger, frustration, betrayal, and utter (utter) disbelief that this event has brought upon all of us. I mean, really. How can a human being reconcile this? Two years in a row! Just as the guy is blossoming! Random freak accident with a TEAMMATE! We can’t even blame anyone for it! In one fell swoop we go from the beginning of a potential dynasty to potentially handing another championship to those fuckface Celtic cocksuckers. Why is God doing this to us?

There is only one explanation I can come up with. It’s the Revenge of Len Bias. The Len Bias story is one the great sports tragedies that for some reason has disappeared from general dialogue. The story goes as follows: Len Bias was a phenom All-American small forward out of Maryland in the mid-80’s. Bias mixed mind blowing athleticism with a sweet jump shot and  smooth overall game. He was one of the first of the heralded “Baby Jordans”, although Jordan had yet to establish himself as the monolith that he was, so the comparison was probably more of a hint at All-Star potential than Hall of Fame potential. Nevertheless, Bias was a standout and a can’t miss prospect destined for a great NBA career.

The 1986 Boston Celtics were coming off their 3rd championship of the decade, easily their finest, going 67-15 and demolishing the Houston Rockets (who had upset an overconfident Lakers squad in the Western Conference Finals). They returned their entire team and had lucked into the 2nd overall pick in the 1986 draft. While even the strongest rookies typically contributed little in their initial season back in the 80’s (far less than they are expected to today), it still stood to figure that anyone that the Celtics could get at #2 would make a significant impact and perhaps give them the leg up on the Lakers whom everyone anticipated to come back with a vengence after their embarrassing upset. At #1, the Clevaland Cavaliers took North Carolina center Brad Daugherty. Daugherty was another college juggernaut and showed flashes of Hall of Fame promise during his pro career which was plagued and eventually cut short by injuries. At 2, providence blessed the Celtics with Len Bias. Scary. A stud small forward to throw in the mix with Bird, McHale, and Parish and to lead the transition away from that 3 into the next decade. It was high time in Beantown.

The 1986 NBA Draft was held on June 16, 1986. Sometime on June 18, 1986, Len Bias’ car was spotted cruising a Washington D.C. ghetto, known for drug trafficking and abuse. Later that night, he hit a couple frat parties with his friends and headed back home by himself. That was at 2 am. At 3 am he was dead from a cocaine induced heart attack….Let that sink in here for second. This guy, with his entire life as an NBA superstar blessed with fame and fortune ahead of him, less than 48 hours removed from the greatest moment of his life, went into convulsions in his University of Maryland dorm room and died of a heart attack…at 22! Could you make this up? Not in a million years. Decorum prevents me from having even an ounce of sympathy for soulless Celtics fans, but good lord, how does that not haunt a franchise till the end of time?

Now, I don’t mean to de-value Bias’ tragic death by comparing it to a couple of season ending knee injuries, but I almost feel like some mystic power is revisiting the Celtics devastation on us Lakers fans all over again in a spiteful fit of vengence. This is the only explanation I can come up with. Either that, or Nietzsche was right and God does really hate us all. Whether this season or next, Bynum will return to the court. And once he does, every time he collides with an opposing player or goes up for a rebound and comes down hard, I will see the ghost of Len Bias hovering over.

How the hell does sports do this to me?!