This is a review of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary film, “Without Bias“. For a generation of Americans aged 35-50, the date of June 19, 1986 will forever resonate. It’s the day the young, vibrant and talented basketball star, Len Bias died. Drafted the same week by the Boston Celtics, Bias, a forward at the University of Maryland had his whole future ahead of him. The Celtics, notably GM Red Auerbach, had schemed three years to get Bias. He would be joining an NBA World Championship team filled with talent such as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson.
During a celebration with some friends in a dorm room, it all turned south when Bias suddenly died of a cocaine-induced seizure at the young age of 22.
Director Kirk Fraser takes a look at the events leading up to and after Bias’ death. It’s a historical account using news footage and interviews from then and now with those who knew Len (parents, siblings, friends, coaches, teammates, reporters) and those who did not. Similar to other 30 for 30 projects, there’s no narrative and the interviews and pictures are allowed to speak for the subject.
Fraser does a good job in interviewing Bias’ family, father James, mother Dr. Lonise, sister Michelle and brother Eric. In addition, he’s able to gain access to Bias’ friend Brian Tribble, the man who had the cocaine that Bias used on that fateful night, plus teammate David Gregg who was also in the room, as well as fellow teammates Keith Gatlin and Jeff Baxter who were in other rooms, but apparently did not know of Bias’ drug use.
When Bias collapsed and went into a seizure, we hear Tribble’s chilling 911 call and his disbelief that something like this could happen. In addition, Tribble says he felt pressure that he had to pull Bias out of the seizure. But by the time Bias gets to the hospital, he’s breathing on a respirator and he’s practically gone.
Throughout the documentary, we hear from an all-star cast of reporters such as CBS Sports’ James Brown who was a sports anchor in Washington, DC covering Len Bias; Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post who was then a young reporter covering the NBA and a friend of Bias; Bob Ryan and Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe. In addition, Bias’ coach at Maryland, Lefty Driesell talks about his memories.
Friends, family and teammates except for Tribble and Gregg all expressed shock that Bias had used cocaine and refuse to believe that he was a habitual user. Tribble said he and Bias used on occasion and because it didn’t affect their training, strength or family life, they continued to use.
The style of ESPN’s 30 for 30 is to not to use a narrator as HBO Sports employs in their documentary. For the most part, the other four documentaries did not need a narrator, but for “Without Bias”, I felt it definitely could have used one. In addition, the documentary is a pure historical account with some cause and effects of his death. I would have liked to have seen more of a reconstruction of the events surrounding Bias’ death and what caused them.
I felt that when Fraser used news footage of the announcement of Bias’ toxicology results, it was glossed over too quickly and then dropped to move on to another subject.
But I give credit to Fraser for getting the family as well as those at the dormitory on the night of Bias’ death to talk about what happened. However, this is a subject that needs more than an hour to explore.
Of the five documentaries that I have seen in the 30 for 30 series, this is the weakest of the bunch. I give this an overall grade of B minus, but still a powerful documentary especially hearing Brian Tribble’s 911 call.
“Without Bias” premieres tonight at 8 on ESPN with multiple replays throughout the week.
