The team has won 17 championships, the highest total of any team. In my office, whether it was at UConn or wherever, I got a big picture of him because he reminded me of the joy of the game, the joy of a kid who came up from Baltimore eastside and became a gentle, wonderful, competitive, loving father, loving friend. Shoots: We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Its still weighs heavily on my heart, his passing, because he was so young and he was just reaching the mountaintop of his career. The reason why its not there yet, my daughter, when shes ready, thats when were going to do it. Donna Harris-Lewis was pregnant with their second child Reggieana Lewis, when Reggie died on July 27, 1993. The children are in their mid-20s now, and the family still calls the Boston area home. Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 3rd round (78th overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft. Reggie Lewis was born in Port Arthur, TX. Boston Celtics captain Reggie Lewis is doing some light shooting with a friend rebounding for him at Brandeis University when he suddenly collapses. Lewis, according to witnesses, spent the final hours of his conscious life doing what he had been doing every chance he could get since he was a schoolboy growing up in Baltimore: shooting baskets with a friend. Navigation Toggle NBA. What are Sixers' chances if Embiid misses Game 1? He was just 27 years old, with the best years of his career still ahead of him. Lewiss shining moment was when he was named MVP of the Johnstown Tournament in Pennsylvania as a senior, taking over when two of his teammates had fouled out. Reggie Lewis was born in Port Arthur, TX. She continues Lewiss charity work. See the article in its original context from. But in July 1993, tragedy struck. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Instead, they were relegated to using stopgap players and trying to recapture young prospects in the draft. Those obstacles included fielding questions first about why they pursued a second opinion when 12 doctors determined Lewis should not play again after a frightening fall during a 1993 playoff game led to the discovery of his heart condition, and later about the aforementioned alleged cocaine abuse allegations Harris-Lewis steadfastly denied while mourning her husbands death as a single mother. . Anyone can read what you share. Position: I did my best as captain to hold the franchise together, still make it respectable, be about the right things, respect the logo.. Those involved in the black community of Boston describe a man whose charitableness was never-ending, who adopted Boston as his home and offered hope and happiness with his annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaways. And how did Reggie get to Boston Garden for his press conference? Lewis flourished as a Celtic, and was tabbed the heir apparent cornerstone to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. 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By then the hospital had become a magnet for members of the Celtic family, including Lewis's teammate Rick Fox and two former stars, Dave Cowens and M. L. Carr. Reggie Lewis was born in Baltimore, Maryland. ", Describing Lewis as "a gentle, kind, wonderful, considerate guy," Dave Gavitt, the Celtics' senior executive vice president, said: "We've lost a very treasured member of our family. As far as he knows he left here in search of what was really going on with him.. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. I remember once someone wrote he was doctor fishing, Harris Lewis told the Globe. Lewis scored 20.8 points per game in both of his final seasons with the Celtics. The condition was considered to be career-ending. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. We all were. Lewis also had a mild narrowing of the . The official site of the National Basketball Association. Reggie Lewiss unmarked grave is between these two headstones at Forest Hills Cemetery. Two years after the death of 51-year old Bobbie Lewis Jr. in a hit-and-run accident, the Mariners Harbor Playground has been renamed Bobbie Lewis Jr. Playground. Reggie Lewis weighed 200 lbs (90 kg) when playing. Mementoes of her son, Reggie Lewis, the basketball star. All rights reserved. Reggie Lewis and his wife, Donna, were all smiles in May 1993 when his return to basketball was announced, but he died just two months later. The Lewis family commitment to giving our time and resources to help others has been achieved in a variety of ways over the past 25 years. Do what you can. Three players on that team Bogues, Reggie Williams and Reggie Lewis were first-round picks in the 1987 NBA draft, joining David Wingate, who was a second-round pick the previous year. I know blame has been shifted towards Reggie and towards me but were not . For that, local newspaper columnists wondered, Why is Donna Harris-Lewis doing this?, The answer seems obvious: Reggie Lewis could no longer defend himself, and his wife was left to bear the torch for his name. Paul Laurence Dunbar in Baltimore, Maryland, Draft: Following Reggieana Lewis father death, questions were raised about whether he had used cocaine, and whether cocaine use had contributed to his death. He was transparent, Harris Lewis said. Cambridge (Middlesex County), Massachusetts, Family: Childhood: Family noted (Son of Reggie Lewis). Reggie Lewis was born on November 21, 1965, in Baltimore, Maryland. This is from Reggie's Hall of Fame induction page from the Northeastern University web site, "Reggie Lewis left fans around the nation with memories of his basketball accomplishments. Memphis' promising season comes to an abrupt halt with its Game 6 drubbing at the hands of the Lakers. "It's been difficult," Ritch says. Free shipping for many products! Do you have a blog? The Globe's most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. Reggie Lewis was a standout basketball player during his time with the Boston Celtics. There was no answers, there was no explanation. We present them here for purely educational purposes. The 1982-1983 Paul Laurence Dunbar High School basketball team included Reggie Lewis (#31), Reggie Williams (center rear), and Tyrone Bogues (#14), all of whom had impressive college and NBA . We are grateful to the Boston fans and world for the continued love and support shown to his family. A Debate About Playing. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. We couldnt and we didnt.. Reggies interest to give back to underserved communities germinated from a sincere concern for young people to utilize academics and athletics (just as he did) to improve their quality of life and to inspire the next generation to do the same. Do you have a sports website? Police arrive 10 minutes later and paramedics seven minutes after that. Reggie Lewis was born on November 21, 1965, in Baltimore, Maryland. Human resources is my passion, too. On July 27, 1993, during off-season practice atBrandeis UniversityinWaltham, Massachusetts, Lewis sufferedsudden cardiac deathon the basketball court at the age of 27 years old. The Lewis family remains committed to supporting secular organizations that promote athletics, academics and the arts. All rights reserved. His life could have been saved. Those numbers continued to improve incrementally over the next several years. Whatever. "He was a great athlete," Cowens said. Reggieana Lewis is the daughter of Reggie Lewis. Theres a lot of conjecture as to the nature of the illness, the nature of the malady but whatever it was, it was inexplicable. The type 2 adenovirus that the medical examiner said damaged Lewis's heart could have come from an infection during the basketball season or years earlier. Basketball Reference (joueurs de la NBA G League) Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. sibling relationship with Lewis, Reggina (born 7 February 1994) Source Notes. July 27, 1993 still stands as a day that changed the lives of those close to Reggie forever, and the day the Celtics lost their centerpiece. The franchise, led by former Big East commissioner Dave Gavitt and general manager Jan Volk, was perplexed about the situation because of its seriousness and the possibility that Lewiss career was over. We all know now. Lewis spent four years playing college basketball at Northeastern University in Boston, before the Celtics drafted him with the 22nd pick of the 1987 NBA draft. He was taken at 5:41 P.M. to Waltham-Weston Hospital, where doctors treated him for another two hours before pronouncing him dead at 7:30 P.M. The Celtics' first-round draft choice out of Northeastern in 1987, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17.6 points in his six seasons in the NBA. The second cleared Mudge of malpractice. We're celebrating the contributions the Black community has made to creating a thriving, vibrant Boston. His Northeastern teams won the ECAC North all four seasons and played in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament every year. But Im OK. After Reggies death, the, Remember Reggie: Boston honors Reggie Lewis (Video). That happened [Reggies death] and all of a sudden Im thrust into a franchise role and honestly I dont remember the whole 93-94 year I played in a blur the whole year because I was thinking about Reggie, Brown said. He missed the rest of the series and, despite winning Game 1, Boston fell to Charlotte . Use what you have. He consistently raised his level of play during the postseason, averaging as many as 28.0 points per game in the 1991-92 playoffs. On the other hand, the doctor who performed the autopsy on Lewis testified that thescarringon his heart was inconsistent with cocaine use, and other doctors reached the same conclusion though they stopped short of saying he never used drugs.Also, Lewiss heart tissue tested positive for adenovirus during his autopsy. You had a young man in the prime of his life, the prime of his career who was an elite athlete, Volk said. He played in practice against Reggie Williams, Tim Dawson, he played against those guys every day in practice and he did a great job. When I reached out to confirm that the family still made their home in the Boston area, Harris-Lewis answered in the affirmative and signed off with, Go NU Huskies! But he really didnt. So it was tough, because I knew my career could have been different. He wasnt worried about that. He returned to the court after getting treated but couldn't. The conflicting opinions caused a running controversy in Boston, especially after one of the original cardiologists expressed doubt about the new diagnosis, and Lewis, himself, was critical of the Celtic team physician, Dr. Arnold Scheller, for releasing a statement saying Lewis he had potentially life-threatening "cardiac abnormalities. Kevon Looney's historically elite rebounding provided separation in a winner-take-all Game 7. VAR: Hologram on back is 1993 style (Upper Deck text and diamond logo) 1992-93 Upper Deck - All-Division Team #AD4 Reggie Lewis. Those who knew him describe a man who was fueled by a quiet confidence but never felt above the common man. "I'm trying to adjust to this.. Reggie Lewis, AAU, and the Sultans of Swing I was driving home from Boston with my younger son today. At the time, the Celtics foresaw Lewis providing an influx of young talent to help supplement their aging superstars Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Reggie Lewis, the Boston Celtics' star who collapsed with a heart ailment during a playoff game last April and was warned by doctors that he would risk his life if he ever played basketball. Due to his greatness as a basketball player, his number was retired. The growth of Lewis as a player offered the Celtics hope and optimism for the post-Bird era. He played for the team from 1987 to 1993 and averaged nearly 20 points per game, including two 20-point games in his final two seasons. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Thats all I can say.. Shes active with the Reggie Lewis Center. . Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Home; Tickets; Schedule. During my 1994 Northeastern University commencement address (accepting posthumously Reggies Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice and an honorary doctorate degree in humanities) to fellow alumnae, I encouraged them, To invest their considerable knowledge, talent, time and resources to underserved communities or non-profit charitable organizations. Reggies life inspired those sentiments. Its hardly a fitting memorial for someone held in such high esteem and so sorely missed, but it will remain that way until its time for Reggiena Lewis to say goodbye and hello. 1965 The Dunbar Poets featured future NBA players David Wingate, Reggie Williams, and Tyrone Muggsy Bogues as well as three other Division 1 players. Playing both guard and forward for the Celtics, the 6-7 Lewis emerged as both a high scorer and a team leader. Lewis never started a game in high school. Reggie Lewis played at Northeastern from 1983 to 1987. Yet in his sophomore year, thanks to a change of coaching staff and an injury to Bird, the 67 Lewis found himself suddenly playing 32.8 minutes per game. Georgina Grint: Who is Rupert Grints sister? Some doctors warned Lewis that he would risk his life if he ever played basketball again, while another group of doctors gave a second opinion, that he didn't have a life-threatening heart ailment. Reggie Lewis attended Paul Laurence Dunbar in Baltimore, Maryland and Northeastern University. * Selected to Pro Bowl, + First-Team AP All-Pro, Bold indicates league leader. But he had it and it was rare and once he got his opportunity. Gavitt died in 2011. They added Reggie to incorporate more young talent to continue their winning dynasty. Williams, Bogues, and Lewis were all taken in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft. Today, we are proud to honor the life and contributions of Reggie Lewis, the Celtics' number 35! Jaylen Brown Retweeted. It took seven years for a jury to clear Mudge of wrongdoing in the Lewis case, as he intimated that Lewis revealed to him a history of cocaine use and said he never cleared Lewis to work out on his own. You go through those moments and youre kind of sad but at the same time, we are where we are and you do what you can do.. We all remembered Reggie collapsing earlier in the spring on the court in a playoff game vs the Charlotte Hornets in Game 1 of their first round playoff series. On Tuesday night, that Dunbar High School team is featured in Baltimore Boys, an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary. A day later, the Celtics gathered a dozen heart specialists through New England Baptist Hospital, a group they tabbed the dream team and their diagnosis was that Lewis suffered from focal cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that can cause irregular heartbeats and heart failure. Reginald C. Lewis (November 21, 1965 - July 27, 1993) was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association 's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993. But on the night of May 2, Lewis, Harris Lewis and his agent arranged for the Celtics player to be discharged from New England Baptist and moved to Brigham and Womens Hospital. Her Zodiac sign is Aquarius. He had too much left to accomplish. Vote on the best moments, plays and more from the 2022-23 season. 884. On March 22, 1995, the Boston Celtics retired Reggies jersey. Everybody learned some valuable lessons. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. There, on the floor of the small college gym in Waltham, he collapsed and died of heart failure at age 27, ending a remarkable life far too soon and beginning an ugly debate over Lewiss health, his decision to ignore his diagnosis, and who was exactly responsible for this tragedy. He apparently felt confident enough to shoot baskets at the Brandeis training center even though the Celtics did not allow him to take part in team workouts. Categories The story of how Reggie Lewis is one of the most heartbreaking stories you will ever hear. Basketball Africa League; By all accounts, Lewis was primed to make the leap to the teams go-to scorer for the rest of the 90s. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. inBaltimore,Maryland We present them here for purely educational purposes. It happened. That quiet confidence, I never knew where it came from, I really didnt. No. The Celtics wouldnt return to prominence for another 15 years. The 3-time Oscar winner and Lakers superfan was back in his customary seat for the 1st time since the 2021-22 season opener. Shooting Guard and Small Forward inPort Arthur,TX, Weighted Career AV (100-95-): 6 (10099th overall since 1960). Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Virtually overnight, they lost one of their best scorers, while also suffering a serious setback to the teams morale. Her Zodiac sign is Aquarius. She is a full-time ordained minister. Team-Leading Scorer. I dont have any regrets because I wasnt a medical doctor, she said. On the day before he was drafted, he attended Donnas graduation from Northeastern, wearing the same Filenes Basement navy blue suit and tie he would wear to the Celtics draft press conference the next day. Thats it. Reggie Lewis was just another skinny basketball hopeful when he was introduced to coach Bob Wade in the summer of 1981 after failing to make the varsity team at Patterson High School in Baltimore. You saw that then but he was very thin, Im talking about 155 pounds. Its hardly a fitting memorial for someone held in such high esteem and so sorely missed, but it will remain that way until its time for Reggiena Lewis to say goodbye and hello. American public figure, the son of Celtics basketball star Reggie Lewis, whose death led to years of litigation between his widow and insurance companies over whether his death was caused from a heart condition or drug abuse. Reggie Lewis had collapsed on the court at Brandeis University in Waltham during a summer workout. The woman, a Brandeis student who asked not to be identified, is a trained medical technician, according to McDonald, who said she was the first to find that Lewis had no pulse and was not breathing and the first to try to revive him. He attended Dunbar High School where he played alongside NBA greats such as Muggsy Bogues, David Wingate, and Reggie Williams. Baltimore native Reggie Lewis was on his way to becoming an NBA legend when the young basketball star tragically collapsed on the court, leading to a death that shook the sports world. 2009 Panini Absolute NBA Icons Spectrum #4 Reggie Lewis: $1.24: 2013 Panini Timeless Treasures Treasured Threads #18 Reggie Lewis: $3.03: 2015 Panini Totally Certified EPIX Game . There was a time in Boston when Donna Harris-Lewis, the widow of Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis, was derisively dubbed by local media a professional widow who misses the limelight. But in the decades since, as her profile turned private, she has proven above all else that what always mattered most to her was keeping her husbands legacy alive and well, in the NBA community and beyond. How tall is Reggie Lewis? Muggsy Bogues, David Wingate, and Reggie Williams. Or write about sports? Last season he complained of dizziness. At the time, the Celtics foresaw Lewis providing an influx of young talent to help supplement their aging superstars Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. Do you have a blog? But the crazy part is the games played Jaylen Brown - 7,902 PTS in 450 games Reggie Lewis - 7,902 PTS in 450 games. His death was attributed tohypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a structural heart defect that is the most common cause of death in young athletes. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Lewis was 27 when he died in the Celtics practice gym at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., on July 27, 1993. For Reggie, you could see some of those special things, the love for the game, incredible athletic talent and as he got stronger and better, he became a force, Calhoun said. He was declared healthy enough to return and did eventually, finishing with 17 points before leaving the game midway through the third quarter with dizziness. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The death of the man who had been captain of the Celtics recalled at once the 1986 cocaine-related death of Len Bias, which occurred less than 48 hours after the Celtics had made him their top draft choice and second pick over all, and the 1991 death of Hank Gathers, the Loyola Marymount player, who succumbed to cardiomyopathy, a disease that causes the heart to beat less vigorously. Reggie Lewis Basketball Trading Card Values. I dealt with other very complicated cases and I moved on after this complicated case and so did my career. Lewis didnt see a ton of playing time during his rookie season. Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow the action on NBA scores, schedules, stats, news, Team and Player news. One does not expect an elite athlete to be so vulnerable as he turned out to be. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. It occurred during his freshman year at Northeastern when he pulled his coach aside and asked him, Coach, I have a serious question I want to ask you, can you not yell at me in front of the players? During that game against the Charlotte Hornets, Lewis collapsed on the court. I remember when we used to ride in the car and Id say when were older, were going to be like that, holding hands. But when he got his opportunity, he took advantage of it.. Northeastern tried to recruit him not because of what he is but what he was going to be. He played college basketball with the Miami Dade Sharks and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Reggie Cross. Reggie was an up and coming superstar for the squad. We all miss him.. How old is Reggie Lewis? 35 jersey., Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. 132. People make a big to-do and that was explained by the family and explained to everybody but you cant fight what a lot of people say.. Find out more. After arriving at the gym about 4 P.M., he spent the next hour or so shooting baskets without any strenuous exertion and chatting with onlookers, according to witnesses, including participants and counselors at a women's summer basketball camp. Lewiss death drastically changed the Celtics fortunes for the rest of the decade. Even when he was playing. And after it was delivered by a team of 11 cardiologists who had examined records of medical tests done while Lewis was at New England Baptist Hospital, Lewis abruptly switched hospitals, moving to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He led the team in scoring, averaging 20.8 points a game last season and was selected as the team's captain. Whether it is via our volunteer time teaching Bible truths with our Christian Congregation of Jehovahs Witnesses or supporting the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College; the Roxbury Community College Foundation; Northeastern University mens basketball; Northeasterns Reggie Lewis Memorial Scholarship, Jack Grinold Media Center and Annual Leadership Circle; the Urban League; the National Basketball Wives Association Inc.; NBA Cares; the Boston Celtics; the Boston Arts Academy; WGBH; all of the Boston community centers (especially Shelburne); Roxbury Charter Preparatory School; the National Council of Negro Women; Boys and Girls Clubs of America; Rosies Place; The Dimock Center; the Boston Neighborhood Basketball League; Dunbar High School; and the Cecil Kirk Community Center, to name a few.