December 29, 1998 / 10:15 PM Like everyone on the Celtics, Lewis teammate Rick Fox took the news hard. That clause was never invoked in Mr. Lewis' case, despite the mounting medical evidence, the Journal said. "He had my number that particular night.". He spent a lot of time improving his game. When he finally stood up and headed for the bench, he looked perplexed -- and frightened. Virus Damaged Heart, Lewis' Autopsy Finds - Los Angeles Times Third-seeded Michael Chang defeated No. #inline-recirc-item--id-b3f182ca-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { The 24-year-old daughter of former Celtics great Reggie Lewis never met her father, born a few months after his tragic and untimely death 25 years ago. [citation needed], On March 22, 1995, the Boston Celtics retired Lewis' jersey. He loved it. They agreed that Mr. Lewis had a life-threatening condition called focal cardiomyopathy, caused by scarring of the heart muscle. "Oh, I remember it well," Jordan laughed. The use of Philips equipment for this event does not constitute or imply endorsement by Johns Hopkins of Philips products or services. Wade has lent his support and will join volunteers and heart disease experts from Johns Hopkins in Marylands only screening program to detect early signs of life-threatening heart abnormalities in student athletes. title by defeating Walter Ray Williams Jr., 276-238, in a tournament at Richmond Heights, Mo. "When Reggie first came into the league," Bird told me, "he really didn't know how to play the game. That was it.". He was evolving into a superstar before our eyes. Dumars was on a roster that included Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and John Salley, and their supersized personalities often overshadowed his accomplishments. "Basically, what the diagnosis comes down to is circumstantial evidence. Defense was also a strength for Lewis. "Players tried to intimidate him, make it personal. ", "It's not true. He blocked four of Jordans shots, shocking His Airness in the process. Drugs ruled out as cause of Lewis' death - sfgate.com Philips is providing the 20 ultrasound machines and 15 electrocardiographs for EKG screening, plus supplies, needed for the event. The NBA said that Roy Tarpley, who was banished in 1991 because of drug problems, has applied for reinstatement, and, at the request of his agent, the Dallas Mavericks have talked with their 7-foot center, who plays in Greece. Mudge's lawyer declined to comment to the Herald on the case. [citation needed], Lewis' contract remained on the Celtics' salary cap for two full seasons after his death because at the time the NBA did not have a provision to void contracts if an active player died; NBA Commissioner David Stern suggested that the remaining NBA teams should approve an exemption for Lewis' contract, but the teams refused to do so. Reggie Lewis Cause of Death, How did Reggie Lewis Die? Potential causes include viruses, medications, illegal drugs, poisons and . "Reggie was hard to stop," Bird said. You could always tell that.". #inline-recirc-item--id-b3f182ca-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-b3f182ca-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { He stumbled to his feet and was dazed and confused. "We felt it was our duty to abide by our pledge of confidentiality," Janet Hookailo, the spokeswoman, said Tuesday. All rights reserved. Doctor Knew Lewis Used Cocaine. "Indeed, since Reggie's death, local and out-of-town reporters have combed our campus for evidence of drug use or association by Reggie. Lewis blocked Jordan four times in that game and harassed him into a 12-for-36 shooting performance. "No, nobody did," Jordan said. They said it was not only possible that a common cold virus known as adenovirus 2 caused the heart damage, but also that it was a logical conclusion. I was getting some furniture, and he said, Hey man, I got clearance to play. Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, On an island of resorts, this Hawaii hotel is the budget option, 5 farmhouses to book for an agritourism getaway, How to plan a weekend getaway to Mount Shasta, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). She also denied the Journal's report, attributed to his doctors, that her husband refused drug tests while hospitalized. He soon left to seek care at another hospital. Hookailo said defense attorneys have rejected Northeastern's compromise. A report in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, however, said the doctors kept silent about their suspicions under influence from the Celtics and Mr. Lewis' family, who stood to lose millions of dollars if his illness was linked to drugs. Robert Harley, Harris-Lewis' lawyer, has denied the basketball star used drugs. The next time, he became concerned. If anything was being covered up, it was the fact he had a heart condition. "I think we'll never know. He denied it. Reggie had no choice but to learn to wait on greatness. Lewis scored 20.8 points per game in both of his final seasons with the Celtics. The Tragic Death of Reggie Lewis: Boston Celtics Championship History There was the 1984 NCAA tournament game against VCU, when he was close to unstoppable. The Tragic Story Of Reggie Lewis: A Microcosm Of The NBA's Problems From 1988-93, he was 1 of 6 players to post 7.5K PTS, 1.5K REBS, 1K ASTS & 500 STLS. With young people, experts say, scarring of the heart is more often associated with cocaine abuse. Mr. Gavitt told Mr. Lewis' doctors that the ailing star "couldn't be forced into it." "There will absolutely be no Q-and-A. Mudge was later cleared of any wrongdoing, and he insisted he had never authorized Lewis to resume workouts.[9]. Would he shake you with that explosive first step and attack the rim, or would he suddenly pull up after one devastating dribble and hoist his trademark praying mantis jumper? Reggie got out of East Baltimore, he didn't want to go back.". Meet me at Brandeis. I said Ill be down there, man. As a rookie, Lewis played sporadically, averaging 8.3 minutes per game under coach K. C. Jones. Jordan was about to win his fifth consecutive scoring title and his first NBA championship. But authorities stopped short of saying Lewis didn't use drugs. I was trying to be aggressive with him. In honor of the Boston Celtics 17 championships, were highlighting 17 signature moments, both good and bad, that took the Celtics from a woeful 22-38 BAA debut in 1946-47 to the current iteration of the longtime powerhouse franchise thats now coming off an NBA Finals appearance. After breaking the Northeastern scoring record, he was drafted 22nd by the Boston Celtics but played only 8.3 minutes a game in his 1987-88, his rookie season. Mr. Lewis' doctors immediately began to question him about drug use after the fainting incident. He was drafted 22nd overall by the Celtics in 1987 after a standout college career at Northeastern University. Had Reggie Lewis lived, would there have been additional battles with Jordan to add to the highlight reel? Jordan likened Lewis to Detroit guard Joe Dumars, who, along with Isiah Thomas, led the Pistons to back-to-back championships. At issue was concern for his reputation and the financial interests of his family and the team, the newspaper said. He shot the ball. His cause of death was cited as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common athletic ailment where the heart thickens, eventually causing heart attacks and cardiac . Young athletes and their parents should feel secure in pursuing physical fitness to the best of their childrens abilities and without the unknown risk of sudden cardiac death.. Meanwhile, the Journal reported, the Celtics' chief operating officer at the time, David R. Gavitt, was telling doctors that NBA rules prevented them from forcing Mr. Lewis to submit to drug testing. 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. On July 27, 1993, while shooting baskets at Brandeis University, Lewis collapsed and died. Lewis averaged 20.8 points in each of his last two seasons with the Celtics, and finished with a career average of 17.6 points per contest. The Celtics selected Lewis with the 22nd overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. 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. 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. . 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. This article was compiled by Sun staff writer Frank D. Roylance, with reporting by staff writers Diana Sugg and Mike Preston and Ken Rosenthal and contributing writer Ian Browne. "They had that inner confidence where they believed, 'You can say what you want, but I'm still going to play my game.'". "But he was a worker. 35 jersey was retired by the Celtics, making him one of only two Celtics to have a retired number without winning a championship with the team, the other player being Ed Macauley. If he was still using, Dr. Mudge warned, he had to stop immediately. Because Lewis was so understated off the floor, opponents mistakenly figured he lacked the killer instinct. The Journal said these "dismissive policies regarding drugs may have affected human behavior and medical procedure in a fatal fashion.". He initially went unrecruited by most Division I programs -- except by dogged Northeastern coach Jim Calhoun, who saw something special in the slender, shy wing player.
