Reggie Lewis was born in Baltimore. He was just 27. But African-Americans are more vulnerable, with two to three times the rate of sudden cardiac death than in whites. -- Conchita Martinez, the defending champion and No. When Reggie Lewis, the popular captain of basketball's most storied team, collapsed while shooting baskets and died of heart failure, the city of Boston treated him like a fallen hero. Over his four years at Northeastern, Lewis scored 2,708 points, still the all-time record at the university. Defense was also a strength for Lewis. Doctors who examined the late Boston Celtics player Reggie Lewis say they believed his heart quite likely was damaged by cocaine before the former Dunbar High basketball star collapsed and died of heart failure near Boston in 1993. "He was showing us older guys respect," Jordan said, "but he also knew he belonged.". #inline-recirc-item--id-b3f182ca-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { [10] One of the officers was James Crowley. The death of Reggie Lewis, Boston Celtic captain, was the result of a viral infection severely damaging his heart, leaving him vulnerable to the kind of abnormal heart rhythm that killed him last July, according to his death certificate. Lewis died at age 27 after he collapsed while shooting baskets. The most dynamic scorer in NBA history is now admitting two decades later that he was shocked by what Reggie Lewis did to him, confused by his length and made tentative offensively. Theodore Abraham, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.S.E. Lawyers for four doctors being sued by Lewis' widow, Donna Harris-Lewis, have asked Northeastern for the documents collected by a Blue Ribbon Commission on Athletics that investigated allegations of drug use by players. -- The Pittsburgh Penguins demoted 1991 first-round draft choice Markus Naslund to Cleveland of the International Hockey League. During the ceremony, former teammate Dee Brown made a speech while two other former teammates, Sherman Douglas and Xavier McDaniel, held up Lewis' framed jersey. The Wall Street Journal reported in 1995 that doctors at New England Baptist recommended Lewis be tested for cocaine. They will run a series of heart tests from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 16, on athletes who volunteer to be checked in Morgan State's University Student Center. Most of the time internet deceives the audience by passing news about a healthy person as if they are dead. Reggie Lewis, all-time great Boston Celtic (1987-93) pic.twitter.com/r2dHHkgvl8, Robert Parish Said Phil Jackson Got Straight to the Point With Him After Signing With the Bulls. What kind of legacy would he have carved out in a city that had already embraced him as one of its own? "I'm glad Reggie was my teammate, because he was one of them.". But Reggie never said a word. All Rights Reserved. ", Asked if anyone else had ever blocked four of his shots in one game, Jordan answered, "No one had ever done it before, and no one has done it since.". Dr. Stanton Kessler, the deputy medical examiner, told the Journal that he stood by his findings. He spent his entire life working his hardest to make it into the N. He tried to return to action that night, but the Celtics medical staff pulled him again when he suffered dizziness and shortness of breath. Celtics' Lewis Collapses on Court, Dies - Los Angeles Times Enter the last name, specialty or keyword for your search below. October 19, 2022 by Robin. To the naked eye, nothing betrays the macabre spot where Reggie Lewis, their team captain and gentle star, collapsed while shooting baskets on July 27, soon to be dead. At the age of 27, Lewis died while still a member of the Celtics, and his number was posthumously retired by the team. Dr. Mudge told the Journal that he later had come to agree that Mr. Lewis' heart was damaged. Reggie got out of East Baltimore, he didn't want to go back.". The story of how Reggie Lewis is one of the most heartbreaking stories you will ever hear. According to depositions, Lewis and his teammate Andre LeFleur first delayed taking a school-administered drug test. I had the privilege of watching Reggie accomplish some astounding things on the basketball court. He loved it. It was during a workout at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, on July 27, 1993, when Lewis collapsed on the court and died. The other five were all Hall of Fame inductees, so it's not a stretch to say that Lewis was on the path to greatness. Had Reggie Lewis lived, would there have been additional battles with Jordan to add to the highlight reel? 1998 The Associated Press. Autopsy results found Lewis had a large, extensively scarred heart, and the cause of that scar tissue is still not known. Report: Doctors Suspected That Cocaine Killed Celtics' Lewis Two depositions said the two failed the test when they took it the next day. 'It's going to be epic': Stephen Curry and LeBron James face off -- again, Curry sets G7 record with 50 as Dubs move on, Hobbled Butler serves as 'decoy' late in Heat win, Grizz's Brooks doesn't regret verbal jab at LeBron, 'This one's on me': Brunson self-critical after loss, Jokic on Murray's playoffs: 'We are following him', Rivers: Embiid likely doubtful for G1 vs. Celtics, How do Stephen Curry and the Warriors keep doing this?! "The adenovirus 2 finding was wildly improbable," said Dr. Jeffrey Isner, the sole cardiologist who consulted on the autopsy. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. I got clearance to shoot again. The Celtics responded by threatening to file a $100 million lawsuit against the reporter, the Wall Street Journal and its parent company, Dow Jones and Co. Inc. "The story was written with complete disregard for the truth," the team said in a statement. That was about it," Bird told ESPN. Kennedy McKinney (26-0-1) of Memphis, Tenn., knocked out Jose Rincones (19-2-2) of Venezuela in the fifth round at Johannesburg, South Africa, and retained the International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight title. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, Elliott: Pissed off Kings must improve in key areas to break Oilers playoff stranglehold, Shohei Ohtanis seventh home run of the season helps Angels avoid sweep, Florida Panthers upset record-setting Boston Bruins in Game 7 OT thriller, Dodgers dont need the long ball to finish sweep of Cardinals, School is in session as Sparks begin training camp. . "But he was a worker. They shouldn't bother. The extra adrenalin is like poison to the heart. The death certificate is expected to help clarify Lewis case. There was the 1984 NCAA tournament game against VCU, when he was close to unstoppable. "No, nobody did," Jordan said. They knew Reggie Lewis was no slouch. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . "It was clear the expectations for Reggie were very high at that time," Jordan said. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Lewis was told his condition was most likely career-ending. That came from Gilbert H. Mudge, director of clinical cardiology at a Harvard teaching hospital, who said Lewis suffered from a benign neurological disorder. BOSTON - Doctors suspected that cocaine killed Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis in 1993, but they were thwarted by actions by his family and a "dismissive" policy toward drugs by the NBA, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Reggie did not do drugs, period. He was a tough matchup, and he had those long arms that really bothered me. He blocked four of Jordans shots, shocking His Airness in the process. He refused. As many as 300 young athletes from 18 teams, ranging from 14 to 18 years of age, will be examined for HCM. Lewis was diagnosed with "focal cardiomyopathy", a disease of the heart muscle that can cause irregular heartbeat and heart failure. The possibility of another one existed when the torch was passed to Reggie Lewis.. The 198182 Dunbar Poets finished the season at 290 during Lewis' junior season and finished 310 during his senior season, and were ranked first in the nation by USA Today.[2]. * The Celtics told Mr. Lewis' doctors -- incorrectly -- that National Basketball Association rules prevented them from forcing Mr. Lewis to submit to drug tests -- tests that, if positive, would have allowed him to seek life-saving medical help, but also might have forced an end to a career that was lucrative to Mr. Lewis and the team. "So it comes down to detective work, depending on age of person and what else you see, you would make that determination. The other 5 are NBA legends: Barkley, Drexler, Jordan, Karl Malone & Mullin pic.twitter.com/1RbXJGIuDp. As ESPN reports, on July 27, 1993, Lewis collapsed on the basketball court during a practice at Brandeis University, just outside Boston.The All-Star was pronounced dead two hours later. Dr. Baughman said a diagnosis of cocaine use could not be made unless there was evidence of specific cocaine-induced damage to the heart -- caused by spasms in the arteries -- and evidence the person was using cocaine. Twenty years later, we still ponder what might have been. Family details how they keep Reggie Lewis' legacy alive on the 25th display: block; She said that the school promised privacy to people who spoke to the commission and that releasing the files would cripple the school's ability to conduct future confidential internal investigations. African-American players at special risk of death from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Sudden Death of Baltimore Basketball Player Reggie Lewis Spurs Coach to Screen Other Young Players For Heart Defects - 01/14/2010. "Reggie Lewis' death was not caused by cocaine ingestion, nor was the damage to the heart at all typical of that known to be caused by cocaine usage," Dr. Richard Evans said. The death of Reggie Lewis, Boston Celtic captain, was the result of a viral infection severely damaging his heart, leaving him vulnerable to . Though having collapsed earlier in the year, which weakens, inflames and enlarges the muscle, Lewis continued to play, not fully aware of the danger to his heart. Reggie Lewis, the Boston Celtics' leading scorer who fainted during an NBA playoff game three months ago, died Tuesday night in Waltham, Mass., after collapsing while shooting baskets at Brandeis . Mr. Lewis, whose $1 billion acquisition in 1987 of the Beatrice . She also denied the Journal's report, attributed to his doctors, that her husband refused drug tests while hospitalized. In the final game of his life, in the 1993 playoffs against the Charlotte Hornets and his childhood friend Muggsy Bogues, Lewis was electric in the opening minutes. Like everyone on the Celtics, Lewis teammate Rick Fox took the news hard. "He was a tough matchup," Jordan said. The most frustrating thing is that so many athletes are seemingly unaware about the consequences of putting too much strain on their abnormal cardiac muscle during vigorous exercise, adds Abraham. For other uses, see, Reggie Lewis portrait from the Celtics yearbook, America East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year, List of basketball players who died during their careers, "Fallen Celtic: Remembering Reggie Lewis", "The Reggie Lewis Aftermath Boston Mourns, Puzzles And Opines Over Celtics Star's Death", "Celtics sign PJ Dozier to a two-way contract", "With Len Bias-Reggie Lewis Duo, Boston Celtics Could Have Owned 1990s", "Every retired number for the Celtics and who wore it", "To those who knew Reggie Lewis best, fond memories are always front and center", "Officer Defends Arrest of Harvard Professor", "Young athletes urged to get screened for heart trouble", "Report: Doctors Suspected That Cocaine Killed Celtics' Lewis", "Cocaine claim could spur insurance probe", "Deadly Silence: How the Inner Circles, Of Medicine and Sports, Failed a Stricken Star", "Doctors: Drugs Did Not Kill Reggie Lewis", "At Face Value, Board Makes Celtics Pay For Their Success", "Bosh, Heat part ways over year after last game", Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reggie_Lewis&oldid=1144474244, National Basketball Association All-Stars, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, Northeastern Huskies men's basketball players, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 13 March 2023, at 23:36. While a doctor diagnosed the athlete with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the spring (and deeming the disease career-ending), Lewis sought a second opinion from another area hospital, where another doctor gave the basketball star a less serious, non-fatal diagnosis. It also seemed an object lesson in the relativity of medical truth, and in . Lewis was examined by 12 experts who concluded that he suffered from a life-threatening disease that would most likely end his career. Martina Navratilova made the final of the Paris womens open with a 6-1, 6-3, victory over Leila Meshki. On a night when Bird had his own shooting issues (he missed 21 of his 36 shots), Lewis scored 25 and utilized his lethal first step to keep Chicago's defenders guessing. The block surprised Jordan, whose otherworldly elevation usually negated any chance of a rejected shot. As far as Reggie using drugs, he never used any drugs, no kind of way, never in his lifetime did anything like that happen. "What is undeniable: Cocaine was a central, explosive issue for the doctors, the Lewis family, the Celtics and the pathologists who conducted his November 1993 autopsy - an issue that became untouchable because Mr. Lewis was a basketball superstar," the newspaper said. How much better could he have been? A bad back forced Bird into early retirement in 1992. Following the death information, people wonder what Reggie Lewis's cause of death was. Navratilova will play Julie Halard, who beat Katerina Maleeva. If used consistently, cocaine can weaken the heart muscle, inflame it and ultimately kill the person taking it. Fair or Foul? a Story Linking Reggie Lewis'S Death to Possible Cocaine In addition to The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Philips Healthcare, other co-sponsors of this event are Morgan State University, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, the National Football Foundation, the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, Friends in Red, and the Chad Foundation. Follow @TIME. Volunteers will test student athletes during the third annual Hopkins Heart Hype screening slated to take place at the 14th annual Basketball Academy Competition. "He told us he is going to read a statement and walk off," said Cynthia Case, a spokeswoman for Gund Arena. They are shameful and disgusting. He made his way back onto the court later in the game but quickly came back to the bench after experiencing dizziness. "And Reggie was the same way. "There will absolutely be no Q-and-A. 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. Lewis was selected to play in his first and only NBA All-Star Game held in Orlando, Florida in 1992. "When Reggie first came into the league, he really didn't know how to play the game. He was pronounced dead two hours later, leaving his family, his friends, his city, his team and his NBA peers completely numb. Young people are not supposed to die, especially when they are in what we believe to be peak physical form, says Wade, current coordinator of athletics for the Baltimore City Public School System. . Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? As a rookie, Lewis played sporadically, averaging 8.3 minutes per game under coach K. C. Jones. Most players weren't athletic enough to literally "hang" with Jordan. What Killed Reggie Lewis? Contact us or find a patient care location. The newspaper said Lewis' death couldn't have come at a worse time for the publicly traded company that owns the NBA team, the Celtics Limited Partnership. Abraham will lead the Hopkins team on Saturday. When a group of eminent cardiac pathologists met in Boston last year to discuss the issue of sudden death and athletes' hearts, they asked Kessler to discuss his conclusions in Lewis' death. 18. "Reggie was a model citizen and an intelligent and wise man. His shocking death triggered unprecedented spasms of grief throughout Boston, where he left an indelible imprint on the inner-city kids he mentored, kids whose dreams were not unlike his own. 2 Jim Courier, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, in the semifinals of the U.S. Indoor tournament at Philadelphia. -- Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets and Claude Lemieux of the New Jersey Devils were suspended and fined by the NHL for separate incidents last weekend. In a long report, the Journal said part of the answer as to why a treatable heart ailment ended in tragedy could lie in "the willingness of family members, lawyers, Celtics officials and some doctors to sidestep the possible cause of Mr. Lewis collapse.". Jordan likened Lewis to Detroit guard Joe Dumars, who, along with Isiah Thomas, led the Pistons to back-to-back championships. On March 31, 1991, the Bulls strutted into the Boston Garden with a 53-17 record (they would go on to win 61 games). If you know that somebodyused cocaine, you might think that caused it, but they might have heart damage for another reason," Dr. Gottlieb said. Jordan said Reggie would have been a "perennial All-Star," and Shaw is convinced he could have been one of the greatest Celtics of all time. What Killed Reggie Lewis? - CBS News News articles at the time described cardiac specialists as stunned by the diagnosis of a benign fainting condition by Dr. Gilbert Mudge of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Medical Examiner Repeats 1st Finding of Cause of Death - Sfgate But Dr. Gold said it is difficult to tell whether cocaine, a virus, alcohol or other factors caused the heart damage. This NBA Player Died on The Court.. - YouTube Mr. Lewis died from a cerebral hemorrhage related to the cancer, his company said. Lewis had worn the number 35 for his entire career. In Game 4, he topped that with 42 points, six assists and five steals. Doctors tried to get answers. However, the U.S. Olympic team does not require physical exams for its competing athletes, but instead offers voluntary cardiac screening. L He charged further that the article was motivated by racism. "There was a lot of pressure on him, but it didn't seem to faze him at all.". Experts estimate that one in 500 Americans has undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He wasn't sweating profusely or working that hard, but he suddenly crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath, and then lay still. The Tragic Death Of Reggie Lewis - Grunge Meanwhile, the stolen banner bearing the retired number of Lewis was back at Boston Garden after police discovered it in the bedroom of a 16-year-old Melrose, Mass., boy. "Indeed, since Reggie's death, local and out-of-town reporters have combed our campus for evidence of drug use or association by Reggie. Shaw left the Celtics in 1994. Here's this talented guy who had never done anything wrong, who did so much for the city of Boston, and the next thing you know, he's gone.". He saw it with his mother and how it ruined a lot of people's careers who came out of East Baltimore. Just to throw that bone out there so people think about it, I think that's not right at all.". "Reggie knew what we meant. Any and all proceeds will go to the Reggie Lewis Foundation.". The tragedy that befell the . Reginald F. Lewis, 50, Is Dead; Financier Led Beatrice Takeover The following day, the Celtics gathered a dozen heart specialists through New England Baptist Hospital, a dream team of doctors, according to The Boston Globe. Autopsy confirms Lewis had serious heart defects Specific ailment still Mudge's lawyer declined to comment to the Herald on the case. A heart arrhythmia . He also assured doctors, from his own experience with Mr. Lewis, that he was not a drug user. They've found nothing, because there is nothing to find. Doctor Knew Lewis Used Cocaine - CBS News He also said he experienced guilt. But the information presented regarding Reggie Lewis is true, and we found a . The checkup will include a basic questionnaire to review any past history of chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting spells, instances of sudden cardiac death in relatives, weight and blood pressure measurements, and tests for unusual heartbeats or murmurs. Lewis sat, dazed, on the court. Lewis, an athletic swingman from nearby Northeastern University, was considered the next big Celtics star after Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish moved on. Trending News The following day they were tested again, and finally passed. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. [4], Lewis was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Boston Celtics in the 1987 NBA draft. Per ESPN, Lewis proved that he could pull off insane feats throughout his tenure. His heart damage still could have been caused by a virus. If anything was being covered up, it was the fact he had a heart condition. According to the Journal, the partnership found itself with a capital deficit of $28.1 million in the summer of 1993. He revived on his own, but was pulled from the game due to shortness of breath and dizziness. Our goal this year is to screen an even larger number of athletes than last years event, says Theodore Abraham, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.S.E., a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and director of Johns Hopkins' Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic. It has been 25 years to the day since Lewis collapsed while shooting baskets at Brandeis University and died from heart failure at a nearby hospital on July 27, 1993. He became an NBA All-Star during the 1991-92 season when he averaged 20.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. 1998 The Associated Press. "Reggie was on his way to being something really special. The Celtics plan to retire Mr. Lewis' uniform number during halftime of a game on March 22, a ceremony the club says will go on as scheduled. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Lewis attended high school at Dunbar High School, where he played basketball alongside future NBA players Muggsy Bogues and David Wingate. Reggie Lewis's death still hurts, 20 years later. "A lot of people just knew Reggie as a basketball player, but the guys on the team knew him off the court," he said. The Tragic Death of NBA All-Star Reggie Lewis Shaped - Sportscasting The possibility of another one existed when the torch was passed to Reggie Lewis. "Reggie was very aware of the problems drugs could bring. He was popular for being a Basketball Player. He never relinquished his own aggressiveness. "Oh, I remember it well," Jordan laughed. NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik said the Journal's story "is based entirely on speculation and has no real factual basis.". His Northeastern teams won the ECAC North all four seasons and played in the NCAA men's basketball tournament every year. They even went out and bought life insurance policies together. He had previously collapsed during a game, and a team of New England Baptist Hospital doctors said he had a life-threatening heart ailment and warned that his career was in jeopardy.