Len Bias happened in 1986.
This is 1979.
There was the Pittsburgh cocaine trials as well, but superstar athletes largely weren’t seen scum bags until gossip blogs popped up in the early aughts.
One of the best examples of this, to this day, is Julius Erving. Man was allowed to shyt on his ex wife in that nba tv documentary despite him fathering a girl who would make the Wimbledon semis (Alexandra Stevenson).
Man also had an 80s era sex tape out on the market. Dr. J had/has a pristine image.
Actors and rock and rollers were the ones we associated with scumbagery.