When A 17 Year Old Michael Jordan Met His Equal At A Basketball Camp

In the summer of 1980, the nation's most select high school

basketball

players gathered at the annual 5-Star Basketball Camp. At 5-Star, these top high school players would showcase their skills to college scouts and learn from

basketball

's most prestigious minds. History Over the

year

s, the 5-Star Basketball Camp has hosted dozens of all-time greats LeBron James Kevin Durant Chris Paul Dwyane Wade Stefan Curry Vince Carter Carmelo Anthony and it's 54

year

s of history, if you were a great high school prospect, you would be in this

camp

. Since 1966, the 5-Star Basketball Camp has featured over 500 future NBA players and over 10,000 Division I players and in 1980 the

camp

's talent pool was filled with Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Dominique Wilkins and one of the youngest players in camp, a six-foot relative unknown.

Len Bias, a Maryland high school sophomore named Len Bias in 1980, was still a naturally gifted, freakishly athletic freak, who felt lucky enough to be invited to camp just six years later, Bias would become A college basketball legend and a second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, Bias had just concluded his sophomore season at Northwestern High School with teammate and fellow high school standout Brian Waller, but being a face Relatively new to the elite basketball circuit, Bias spent her first few weeks in camp. He met some of the other camp attendees with the help of a camp counselor, and Waller met the camp's brightest young talent.

One of the players he met in his first week of camp was a skinny 17-year-old guard from North. Carolina, a 6-foot-5 high school junior who was also unknown at the time the boy introduced himself to Bias as Black Ice, but you may know him by his other name, Michael Jordan. . Jordan and bhayya spent the next few weeks together at camp learning. from each other, growing together in their games and eventually becoming friends. Growing up just 2 miles from the University of Maryland campus even gave Jordan some of Maryland's two of the most talented players in the country, but their friendship went far beyond this summer camp in the years that followed, Jordan and Báez stayed in touch in 1982,

when

Bias was a senior in high school.

He and Brian Waller met up with Michael Jordan and a friend at a University of Maryland football game. Of course, it didn't take long for his competitive nature to take effect and before the football game was even over, Bias Jordan and his two friends left the game to play two years later, Brian Waller proudly declared that he and Bias beat to Jordan and his friend. Little did these two phenomena know that the next two years would happen. face to face as they climbed the ladder of all-time great generational talents in the mid-'80s, just a few years after they met at that camp, everyone was Len Bias and Michael Jordan, everyone else was in a race for third place, but in February 1984, during the rise of these two legends, they had a showdown for the ages and let's just say that only one of them emerged victorious in 1983.

Michael Jordan was on his way to becoming one of the best college players in the country. already won an NCAA championship with the Tar Heels and hit a shot that immediately made Michael Jordan a household name, while Bias was just beginning his college career coming off the bench for a strong Maryland team and on February 12, In 1983 the two friends would confront each other. In a regular season matchup that fans wouldn't soon forget, they'd get it back even if it's good, Michael Jordan's girl in Dorney came out again Michael Jordan by three, his son North Carolina by three minutes, 24 and a half left, Michael Jordan has that consists the cover Michael Michael Jordan baseline Len Bias for talking to his coach the lefty Duracell this and he gets fouled now he should have shot this ball right here once it fell instead of passing just white marijuana oh look , come on five this half shut up, I just got a short rebound taken by the dam why haven't they tried to temper the game Jordan takes it from the zombie a sophomore Michael Jordan came out scorching scoring 15 points in the first half the kid was absolutely lighting up Maryland on offense and shutting down the Terps on defense, there wasn't a 30-second stretch throughout this entire game where Mike didn't do something spectacular in a game that featured six future NBA players, four of which would become the first four selections.

In the NBA Draft, MJ was by far the best player on the court, but while Jordan alone kept the Tar Heels in the game, Len Bias was just coming off the bench as a freshman, Len had yet to win a starting position and there was no real comparison between him and Jordan in the end, MJ finished with 21 points. Baez had 11 more along with a sickening dunk that caused Brad Daugherty to duck for cover. Mike was clearly the better player and had a year's head start. in college, but it was a one-year gap that Bias quickly closed in his sophomore campaign because the following season, Bias went from a freshman to a sophomore superstar, 11 months after their showdown. 1983 between Len Bias and Michael Jordan. to face each other again and this time the bias was ready at that time in the ACC there were three guys that stood out above everyone else, Michael Jordan Ralph Sampson and Len Bias, this time Boyka will get the ball back and the bias will happen.

At the top of the fifth point, Matt Doherty's 16-pointer throws it away from Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan's top floor, let's go through Jordan. I'm not surprised he comes to the open place. Lenny Bias, who had a great game playing the question, enjoy sir. I guess it's a pretty fitting ending to the game. I glanced at the clock with two seconds left and the excitement again in an epic matchup against two of the best teams in the country. Len Bias and Michael Jordan put on an absolute show. clinic going back and forth throughout the game Mike goes down and makes a ridiculous layup slant comes back and knocks down a silky smooth jumper Mike throws down a monster dunk for this he goes down and goes back these guys were putting on a show At that moment, Mike was well known for his extraordinary style and incredible skills, but for the first time in Michael's college career he was sharing the court with a player who was even more electric than him, the same kid with whom Mike had built a friendship earlier.

Little time. Four years ago now he was putting buckets on his head, Bias scored a career high 24 points and actually surpassed Mike. This was rare, the fans knew they were witnessing the beginning of a legitimate rivalry. Later that season, Bias led Maryland to an ACC tournament championship while also winning tournament MVP. honors as a sophomore and MJ was keeping up his end of the rivalry by leading the Tar Heels to a perfect 40th conference record, elevating UNC to the number one spot in the country for 15 consecutive weeks and winning almost all the awards that college basketball has. offer, but you know very well that the story does not end there.

Michael knew that the NBA Draft was only a few months away and, being the psychotically competitive winner that he was, Mike refused to go out being attacked by his youngest friend and rival, so on February 19th. 1984, in his last college matchup, Michael Jordan made it a point to let Len Bias know off the court that we could be best friends, but in that case, Bias was just another guy in New Jersey. Mike was out for revenge, you know, I'm not saying. He was not a threat, but

when

I compared myself to him I was offended because he is for Carolina Jordan.

Mario leads Jordan with a movement on the very open baseline, the partiality of him, who my butt is left alone again and the Jordans accept the goal. Sam Jordan is free. from the sidelines three freshmen stop, leaves Coleman alone and John in the replays Hale Jordan Watson is 60 Jordan improves his life every time he is Jordan again puffle has the MBA salivating over his game let's see no one wants to do what his the past is incredible inhale is a basic athlete that was talked about in the last game where Jordan and Bias faced off Mike burned Marilyn for 25 points and seven rebounds on 71 percent shooting.

Bias gave a noble effort losing 16 points, but it was clearer than ever at least in that At the time when Michael Jordan was the top player, now the bias was elite, in fact, Len Bias was the second best player in the entire the conference, but MJ was in his own pity, he was too soft, too explosive, too precise and too difficult to handle at only 21 years old. Old Jordan already looked like a seasoned veteran and even with the overwhelming force that he was, Len Bias still had work to do over the next two seasons, while MJ was making the NBA look like a recreational league, Len was honing his skills in college. level and improving day by day, taking big steps toward becoming a future NBA superstar and earning accolades rarely seen from a college player after spending four seasons at Maryland, winning two Player of the Year awards and terrifying to college basketball.

Len Bias was selected with the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, of course, most of us are very familiar with how this story ends: a player who was truly destined to be one of the greats disappeared before he could play his first NBA game, many fans speculate about the legacy. that could have been that Vitus was drafted to a Celtics team that had just won an NBA title nine days earlier. Bias could have been the extra piece the franchise needed to carry its success into the late '80s and '90s. He could have been the NBA rival that Michael Jordan had never been, I mean, some players tried to be on par. height of the circumstances, very few were successful, but no one really challenged MJ once he peaked Charles Barkley beat Gary Payton held back Isaiah Thomas is the only player who really gave Jordan a run for his money, but once MJ found success in the league, Isaiah never again won the manufactured rivalry between Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler, literally offended.

Michael Reggie Miller had some moments but MJ always had bigger ones, there wasn't a single player who could really go toe to toe with Jordan acceptable and Bias fans who witnessed the slant and action believe he could have been the player who challenged Jordan throughout the '90s, but we will never know and the legend of Michael Jordan grows stronger, but the legend of Len Bias is still alive and well, the boy who not only stood his ground against Jordan, but He was one of the few who was within reach of the goat. The same kid who showed up at a basketball camp 40 years ago befriended a high school classmate, Hooper, and ignited a violently bright but brief flame, I hope everyone.

I enjoyed it and as always until next time.