All my life, I've been a Boston Celtics fan.

From the days of Havlicek and Cowens, thoughout the glory years of Bird, McHale, and Parish, I've avoided the obnoxiously loud Detroit Pistons fans and the sadly desperate Cleveland Cavaliers followers to quietly cheer for the Green Machine from the Boston Garden.

June 16, 1986 was a great day for Celtics fans. As a result of some astute front-office moves, the defending Eastern Conference champions had the second pick overall in the NBA draft; they were able to select the consensus best athlete in the country -- University of Maryland forward Len Bias

The possibilities were staggering. Fans could already hear legendary Boston radio man Johnny Most screaming into his microphone, "Bird with the rebound, outlets to DJ, who fires downcourt on the break -- Bias through the lane with a THUNdering slam dunk, and the Celtics lead by 12! Mark it down and count it!

On June 19, 1986, Len Bias was dead.

"I fully believe I am on a mission from God to save the youth and families of America. Len Bias, in death, will be your link to freedom and making proper choices. He's done more in death than he ever could have done in life."

The words are those of Lonise Bias, the mother of the late basketball star. She spoke to several groups around Northwest Ohio recently, in a visit sponsored by SAIL (the Substance Abuse Intervention League) in association with the area-wide Red Ribbon Council.

Len Bias, days before he was to sign a multi-million dollar with the Boston Celtics, died of a cocaine overdose. Since that tragedy, his mother has travelled the country, speaking to groups of young people about their responsibility to make healthy decisions.

"This is the hour of correction," Lonise Bias told one group of junior high youth during her recent Toledo excursion. She impored them to repeat after her, "I cannot ... I will not ... use another person as an excuse to fail."

"I love each and every last one of you. I said this same thing to the pro basketball players at rookie camp last week, and now I can say it to you -- I love you not with my heart, but with the divine love of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

The words were strong -- and clearly some of the young teens listening seemed unsure how to take them. This was, to be sure, much more than another "Just Say No!" plug. Especially after the next statement from this speaker with the commanding presence:

"Drugs and alcohol are NOT the problem. If we put an ice cream man outside this auditorium and no one buys the ice cream, the ice cream man goes away.

"You have NO power over drugs or over alcohol. When you use drugs or alcohol, you're saying you can hold fire in your lap and not get burned. The wealthiest man in the community today is the undertaker, taking young people who said they were different to the cemetery.

"Your health is your wealth. -- a healthy body and a sound mind -- a mind void of flawed disease. We take these beautiful gifts God has given us for granted. Don't you know that you're all miracles?"

Then, quoting one of the Psalms, Lonis Bias proclaimed for the young people present, You are fearfully and wonderfully made!

It was hard not to believe her.

Convinced of her sincerity, enthralled by her powerful presence (at one point she grabbed the microphone from its stand and said "Hang on and fasten your seatbelts -- I'm just getting started!") and, perhaps most importantly, assured of their own self-worth, the teens gathered there listened to Bias talk of what she calls "The Six Basic Lies That Cause Young People to Fail."

1. If I buy the right things ... everything will be all right.
   "The Greatest Love of All," Bias explained, in referring to the Whitney Houston song, "has not to do with the name on your shoes, but the name on your birth certificate. Are you as excited about your own name as you are about a designer's name?

   "We have entirely too many people with $200 hats on $20 heads!"

2. If I join the right group ...
   Without ever using the dreaded, and dreadfully overused phrase "peer pressure," Bias made the powerful point, "The grass looks greener on the other side, but when you get there, it's still tough to cut!

   "You think to yourself, I won't do what these people do, I'll just be seen with them ... but before you know it, there are you doing something you don't want to do!" Which lead so easily to the third lie ...

3. If I do what the group does ...
   "Misery loves company," Bias reminded the youth. "If people are miserable, they try to pull you down with them." The challenge is not to do as all others, but to do what is right -- and to encourage others to do that as well.

   "When you dare to lead," she admitted, "you shall be opposed. Opposition comes with leadership -- but it will not hurt you! It will build strength and character."

4. If I pay no attention to any adult ...
   Referring to The Simpsons, a popular "cult" TV show with young people, Bias gives this perception:

   "Mom and Dad are always projected as not knowing their head from their feet -- and who's the center of the universe? Little Bart with all the answers. This is not reality! We as parents have rights, and we do not exercise them. As Alex Haley once said, 'If you don't deal with reality, reality will deal with you.'

   "When your parents tell you no, when they block your way -- that's love! That's because they care! If you're uncomfortable with that, good! Comfort retards growth. And that's reality.

5. No one in the world has a problem like mine.
   "There are people who have it much tougher than you ... and they're making it," Bias reminded the young people.

   "Anyone can stand up in the good times, but who can stand when it's hard? You are our nation's greatest natural resource. Take a stand for what you believe in. And if you want to complain, remember -- if it stinks when it leaves your mouth, wait to see how it smells when it comes back to you. You make it a lot easier on yourself if you listen, and don't talk so much.

6. I'm different ... it won't kill me.
   This, according to Lonise Bias, is the worst of these six lies, the only one of the six that provides no second chance. It gave no second chance to her young adult son four-and-a-half years ago.

"Why are there two baskets? Because there is a defensive team, and an offensive team. You are all the offensive team, trying to score -- but it's not all easy. There will be people there blocking you, distracting you from accomplishing what you want.

I CANNOT ...
"The definition, the real definition of 'friend' is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you as you are now."

I WILL NOT ...
"It doesn't matter where you're coming from. Where are you going?"

... USE ANOTHER PERSON AS AN EXCUSE TO FAIL.

Mark it down and count it.