Reggie Lewis
Encyclopedia
Reggie Lewis was an American
professional basketball
player for the NBA
's Boston Celtics
from 1987
to 1993
.
, David Wingate, and Reggie Williams
. The 1981-82 Dunbar Poets finished the season at 29-0 during Lewis' junior season and finished 31-0 during his senior season, and were ranked first in the nation by USA Today. Lewis attended Northeastern University in Boston. His uniform number was retired and hangs in tribute in Matthews Arena
(the Celtics' original home arena in 1946).
His #35 jersey was retired by the Celtics as a memorial to him — one of only two Celtics to have a retired number but not a championship in the 62-year history of the franchise. The other was Ed Macauley
, who did win a championship with the St. Louis Hawks
in 1958.
He was selected to play in his first and only NBA All-Star Game
held in Orlando, Florida
, 1992
. He played 15 minutes, scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds.
on the basketball court at an off-season practice on July 27, 1993 at Brandeis University
in Waltham, Massachusetts
. He was only 27 years old. Lewis had shown symptoms of heart problems in the preceding months (including collapsing during the opening game of their first-round playoff series
with the Charlotte Hornets), and the cause of his death was subsequently attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
, a structural heart defect that is considered the most common cause of death in young athletes. James Crowley, a Brandeis University police officer who happened upon the gym on a routine patrol, and another Brandeis University police officer attempted to revive Lewis by using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but they were unsuccessful. Following Lewis' death, it was alleged that Lewis had used cocaine, and that drug use may have been a contributing factor in his death. However, after his autopsy, doctors who examined his heart found the scarring inconsistent with cocaine use.
After his death the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center
was opened in Roxbury, Massachusetts
. The center was funded partially by Lewis and routinely hosts major indoor track and field competitions, including the Boston Indoor Games
, as well as home basketball games for Roxbury Community College.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
from 1987
1987-88 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Mark Jackson, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls...
to 1993
1992-93 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns*Rookie of the Year: Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
.
Early life
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Lewis attended high school at Dunbar High School, where he played basketball alongside NBA players Muggsy BoguesMuggsy Bogues
Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the now-defunct Charlotte Sting of the Women's National Basketball Association . The shortest player ever to play in the NBA, the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his...
, David Wingate, and Reggie Williams
Reggie Williams (basketball)
Reggie Williams is a retired American professional basketball player. His nickname during his playing days was "Silk."-High school and college career:...
. The 1981-82 Dunbar Poets finished the season at 29-0 during Lewis' junior season and finished 31-0 during his senior season, and were ranked first in the nation by USA Today. Lewis attended Northeastern University in Boston. His uniform number was retired and hangs in tribute in Matthews Arena
Matthews Arena
Matthews Arena, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is a basketball and ice hockey arena. Renovated several times, it is the oldest indoor ice hockey arena still being used for hockey and is the oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, in the world. It opened in 1910 on what is now the...
(the Celtics' original home arena in 1946).
Boston Celtics
He averaged 20.8 points per game in each of his last two seasons with the Celtics, and finished with a career average of 17.6 points per contest.His #35 jersey was retired by the Celtics as a memorial to him — one of only two Celtics to have a retired number but not a championship in the 62-year history of the franchise. The other was Ed Macauley
Ed Macauley
Charles Edward "Ed" Macauley was a professional basketball player in the NBA. His playing nickname was "Easy Ed."...
, who did win a championship with the St. Louis Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
in 1958.
He was selected to play in his first and only NBA All-Star Game
1992 NBA All-Star Game
The 1992 NBA All-Star Game was the 42nd edition of the All-Star Game. The event took place at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida. The West defeated the East, 153-113. The game is most remembered for the return of Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who retired before the 1991-92 NBA season...
held in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, 1992
1991-92 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets*Defensive Player of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs...
. He played 15 minutes, scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds.
Death and legacy
Lewis suffered sudden cardiac deathSudden Cardiac Death
Sudden cardiac death is natural death from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms. Other forms of sudden death may be noncardiac in origin...
on the basketball court at an off-season practice on July 27, 1993 at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
. He was only 27 years old. Lewis had shown symptoms of heart problems in the preceding months (including collapsing during the opening game of their first-round playoff series
1993 NBA Playoffs
The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...
with the Charlotte Hornets), and the cause of his death was subsequently attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause...
, a structural heart defect that is considered the most common cause of death in young athletes. James Crowley, a Brandeis University police officer who happened upon the gym on a routine patrol, and another Brandeis University police officer attempted to revive Lewis by using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but they were unsuccessful. Following Lewis' death, it was alleged that Lewis had used cocaine, and that drug use may have been a contributing factor in his death. However, after his autopsy, doctors who examined his heart found the scarring inconsistent with cocaine use.
After his death the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center
Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center
The Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center is an indoor track and indoor basketball stadium in Roxbury, Massachusetts, partially funded by the state of Massachusetts. It is home to numerous MIAA indoor track and field conferences, along with the MIAA State Championships and the New England High...
was opened in Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
. The center was funded partially by Lewis and routinely hosts major indoor track and field competitions, including the Boston Indoor Games
Boston Indoor Games
The Boston Indoor Games, known as the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, is an annual indoor track and field meet which is held in late January or early February at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center...
, as well as home basketball games for Roxbury Community College.