Reggie Lewis

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Lore & Background

Lewis attended Dunbar High School in Baltimore, playing alongside future NBA players Muggsy Bogues, Reggie Williams and David Wingate. The 1981–82 Dunbar Poets finished 29–0 during his junior season, and 31–0 during his senior season, ranked first nationally by USA Today. He played college basketball at Northeastern University in Boston, scoring 2,708 points (the all-time record at the university). His Northeastern teams won the ECAC North all four seasons and played in the NCAA tournament each year; the 1983–84 Huskies advanced to the second round, losing by one point to VCU. Lewis was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 1987 NBA draft. As a rookie he averaged 4.5 points per game; in his second season he averaged 18.5 points per game. In 1991 he scored a career-high 42 points against the Miami Heat. The following season he was selected to his only NBA All-Star Game, playing 15 minutes and scoring seven points with four rebounds. After Larry Bird retired in 1992, Lewis was named Celtics captain. On April 29, 1993, in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Charlotte Hornets, Lewis collapsed on the court, returned briefly, but was pulled due to dizziness and shortness of breath; he scored 17 points in 13 minutes in what was his final NBA game. He averaged 20.8 points per game in each of his last two seasons and 17.6 points per game for his career. Lewis was married to Donna Harris-Lewis and had two children; during his Celtics tenure the family lived in Dedham, Massachusetts. He was a second cousin of PJ Dozier. After collapsing, Lewis was diagnosed with focal cardiomyopathy, then with neurocardiogenic syncope by Dr. Gilbert Mudge, and began working out to return for the 1994–95 season. On July 27, 1993, during off-season practice at Brandeis University, Lewis suffered sudden cardiac death at age 27. His death was attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Questions arose about possible cocaine use; some physicians suspected cocaine, but the autopsy doctor testified scarring was inconsistent with cocaine use, and other doctors reached the same conclusion though they stopped short of saying he never used drugs. Lewis's heart tissue tested positive for adenovirus during autopsy. On March 22, 1995, the Celtics retired Lewis's jersey number 35.

In Their Own Story

On April 29, 1993, during Game 1 of the playoffs against the Charlotte Hornets, Lewis collapsed on the court. He remained down for several seconds before rising, looking perplexed and dazed as he headed to the bench. Although he briefly returned to the game, he was eventually pulled due to dizziness and shortness of breath after scoring 17 points in just 13 minutes. This marked his final NBA appearance. The following day, he checked into New England Baptist Hospital, where over a dozen specialists diagnosed him with 'focal cardiomyopathy.' Despite being told the condition was likely career-ending, Lewis sought a second opinion from Dr. Gilbert Mudge at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Mudge diagnosed him with neurocardiogenic syncope, a less serious condition, leading Lewis to begin workouts for a potential 1994–95 return. Tragically, on July 27, 1993, during off-season practice at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, Lewis suffered sudden cardiac death. Two police officers attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but were unsuccessful.

Reader's Guide

Lewis's uniform number was retired by Northeastern University and hangs in Matthews Arena. His Celtics number 35 was retired on March 22, 1995; during the ceremony, former teammate Dee Brown made a speech while Sherman Douglas and Xavier McDaniel held up the framed jersey. Lewis's contract remained on the Celtics' salary cap for two full seasons after his death because the NBA had no provision to void contracts if an active player died; Commissioner David Stern suggested an exemption, but the other teams refused. The rules were later changed so that a similar case would be paid by league insurance.

Did You Know?

• Lewis scored 2,708 points at Northeastern University, still the all-time record there.
• He was a second cousin of NBA player PJ Dozier, who wore number 35 in honor of Lewis.
• Lewis's heart tissue tested positive for adenovirus during his autopsy.
• The Celtics retired Lewis's number 35 on March 22, 1995.