The Tragic Death of NBA All-Star Reggie Lewis Shaped the ’90s for the Boston Celtics
Today, many fans are unaware of Lewis's promising but unjustifiably brief career. Let's examine what he did, how he passed away, and how his passing affected the Celtics' decade.
Before being selected by the Boston Celtics with the 22nd overall choice in the 1987 NBA Draft, Lewis played four years of college basketball at Northeastern University in Boston.
The Celtics anticipated Lewis would bring in fresh talent to complement their proven superstars Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish.
Lewis was chosen for his first and only All-Star team during the 1991–1992 campaign. In both of Lewis' final seasons with the Celtics, he averaged 20.8 points per game.
In the opening game of the Celtics' 1992–93 postseason, everything changed. Lewis lost consciousness on the court during that contest with the Charlotte Hornets. When he stood up, he showed alarming signs of confusion and dizziness.
Later in the game, he made a brief comeback but was promptly benched when he struggled to keep up with the other players.
Focal cardiomyopathy, a condition that would very probably end Lewis' career, was the initial diagnosis made for him. Later, Lewis was given a second diagnosis of neurocardiogenic syncope, which was somewhat less grave.
But catastrophe struck in July 1993. Lewis passed out and suffered a heart arrest while taking part in a session during the off-season. Lewis passed away despite attempts to revive him at the site.
Lewis's passing had a significant impact on the Celtics' results for the remainder of the decade. They lost one of their top scorers almost immediately, which had a negative impact on the team's morale.
Lewis wasn't the only promising young player the Celtics had lost. Len Bias, who was their highly coveted draught pick in 1986, passed away from a cocaine overdose before he had the chance to participate in even one game for the squad.