Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Per CBS, Lewis had collapsed one time before, during a playoff game earlier that year against the Charlotte Hornets. In 1993, Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis died from HCM during an offseason practice. http://www.hopkinsheart.org/clinical-services/centers-excellence/center-excellence-hcm.html, David March 410-955-1534 office; 410-598-7056 cellular; dmarch1@jhmi.edu. Reggie was lucky primarily.. Where was Reggie Lewis born? The Detroit Pistons rejected a trade for Sacramento center Duane Causwell, saying he failed to pass a physical examination because of an unspecified problem. He was a quiet, unassuming player who had to wait for his greatness. Reggie Lewis: The NBA Star Who Died Too Soon. The Celtics leading scorer, with a 20.8-point average, had a successful basketball shoe commercial that gave him national recognition. Mudge now says he was prevented from making a proper diagnosis because Lewis concealed his cocaine use. Lewis later received a second, somewhat less serious diagnosis of neurocardiogenic syncope. corinne lillis facebook; acsm strength training guidelines 2020; reggie lewis heart condition; grafted bougainvillea bonsai; observation of eco friendly products; danesi espresso machine No Comments; June 4, 2021 . With Lewis in the lineup during his junior and senior seasons, the Dunbar Poets went 60-0 and were ranked first in the . On the anniversary of his tragic death in 1993 due to heart issues exacerbated by his career as an NBA player with the Boston Celtics, there has rightfully been a lot of attention on the passing of Reggie Lewis and the aftermath. Celtics captain Reggie Lewis had an abnormal, enlarged and extensively scarred heart when he suffered cardiac arrest and died July 27, a medical examiner said Wednesday afternoon. Lewis died just two years later, at the age of 27. His death came just months after he collapsed on the court during a game, and it was later revealed that he had a rare heart condition. "What caused it, in the final analysis, was irrelevant to treating it. Celtic officials said they allowed Lewis to continue because they believed he suffered a blow to the head. No, nobody did, Jordan said. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. It had a major influence on this situation.". The 6-foot-7-inch tall player was the 22nd pick in the 1987 NBA draft. title by defeating Walter Ray Williams Jr., 276-238, in a tournament at Richmond Heights, Mo. He remains one of the most beloved figures in Celtics history and his death continues to be felt by those who knew him and loved him. In his six seasons with the Celtics, Lewis became one of the teams best players. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. The thickening makes it hard for the heart to pump blood and can cause fast heartbeats. 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. Three months later, the All-Star died of cardiac arrhythmia while practicing jump shots at Brandeis University. Stanton C. Kessler, the associate chief medical examiner of Massachusetts who signed the death certificate, told the New York Times that a virus was found in Lewis heart and it caused myocarditis, an inflammation that scars and enlarges the heart. By Kathleen Burge, Globe Staff, 9/12/2003. BOSTON -- The world-renowned cardiologist who told Celtics captain Reggie Lewis he suffered from a minor fainting disorder conceded yesterday that the player showed signs of heart problems before he dropped dead shooting baskets in 1993. Lewis then consulted a third team of heart specialists in California about the conflicting diagnoses. Marta Figueras-Dotti ended 11 years of frustration on the LPGA Tour with a victory in the Hawaiian Ladies Open at Ewa Beach. But a season after being named an NBA All-Star in 1992, the 6-foot-7 forward collapsed and died during an off-season practice in July 1993. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. Has anyone ever died during a basketball game? 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. Even with some experts voicing concern that Lewis was too skinny for his height at 183 pounds, Celtics coach Red Auerbach. Reggie was hard to stop, Bird said. Reggie was a phenomenal human being and was capable of accomplishing a lot more than he did on the hardwood floor. Preparticipation screening had revealed no cardiac abnormality in three of them. In 1994, the Celtics retired his number 35 jersey and erected a statue of him outside their arena. He was in the final season of a five-year, $16.5-million contract, with 40% of the money deferred over 15 years. Health officials in one region of Italy reported that screening had saved at least 22 lives. Experts estimate that one in 500 Americans has undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. #inline-recirc-item--id-b41ec884-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-b41ec884-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { His passing shocked the Boston community and created an emptiness that would not go away. The Roxbury Community College in Massachusetts dedicated in his honor the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center,for his dedication and advocacy for educational and social well being of the youth within the Boston community. Anyone can read what you share. I consent to the use of following cookies: Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. Reggie Lewis. He had received conflicting diagnoses regarding his condition and was advised not to . He was a two-time All-Star and led the Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals in his final season. The NBA would also feel the impact of Lewis death, as it raised concerns about player safety and led to changes in the way cardiac conditions are treated in athletes. Find a doctor at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center or Johns Hopkins Community Physicians. Colombias team was encouraged when doctors said a knee cartilage tear suffered by midfielder Carlos Valderrama, 32, wasnt as severe as feared and he should be ready for the World Cup. Lewis started all 82 games and shot better than 50% from the floor that season. But African-Americans are more vulnerable, with two to three times the rate of sudden cardiac death than in whites. He was only 27 years old. He called me literally the day he died, and I was at Jordans Furniture remember Jordans Furniture? Im glad Reggie was my teammate, because he was one of them.. Reggie Lewis died at only 27 as a star player for the Boston Celtics. Scheller said Lewis suffered a ventricular tachycardia--a fast heart beat that can result in sudden cardiac arrest. It turns out that 3 months earlier, he passed out during an NBA playoff . Lewis was initially diagnosed with focal cardiomyopathy, a disease that would almost certainly end his career. 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. In the last decade, Abraham has treated dozens of athletes with overly enlarged hearts. Reggie Lewis was one of the most promising young stars in the NBA when his life was tragically cut short. Lewis is known as the obsessive type who is rarely satisfied. All rights reserved. That was the initial diagnosis of a "Dream Team" of 12 doctors at New England Baptist Hospital, where Lewis was taken after he collapsed during a playoff game in April 1993. Boston An audit released today by the Office of State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump (OSA) shows that Roxbury Community College (RCC) is still in the process of implementing recommendations by the office to improve the management of the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center (RLTAC). Once his breathing stopped, he never regained consciousness. The Johns Hopkins team of more than 70 includes cardiologists, medical residents, nurses, ultrasound technicians, administrative assistants and community volunteers. Lewis attempted to come back and play again, but he died just months later of a heart attack. Sanders said. hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Abraham will lead the Hopkins team on Saturday. There were a few guys in the league I hated to guard because you didnt know what they were thinking. Lewis 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. A frustrated Lewis left the hospital at 11:30 p.m. EDT Sunday and entered Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston to get another opinion. . As many as 300 young athletes from 18 teams, ranging from 14 to 18 years of age, will be examined for HCM. . 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. Reggie Lewis was an NBA player for the Boston Celtics who died suddenly of a heart attack in 1993 at the age of 27. 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. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. The tragic loss of Reggie Lewis is still felt today, more than 25 years later. Like everyone on the Celtics, Lewis teammate Rick Fox took the news hard. Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies. Get all the Lakers news you need in Dan Woike's weekly newsletter. Lewis was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1987 and went on to have a successful six-year career with the team. BOSTON, AUG. 4 -- Reggie Lewis's heart was abnormal, enlarged and extensively scarred when he died suddenly last week, a medical examiner said today. 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. The Big Three dominated throughout the 1980s. PRO BASKETBALL; Celtics' Lewis Dies After Collapsing in a Gym, https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/28/sports/pro-basketball-celtics-lewis-dies-after-collapsing-in-a-gym.html. Reggieana Lewis is the daughter of Reggie Lewis and Donna Harris-Lewis. He was 27. 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. He finished the game with one more point (37) than shots taken (36). December 28, . Indeed, Lewis had fainted during a game a few months before, prompting a much-publicized debate on his heart health and foreshadowing his death. Lewis's heart condition has been a subject of debate and controversy. Reggie Lewis was born on November 21, 1965. 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. I cant live on this, he once told the Boston Globe when discussing his scoring average. When Reggie Lewis died suddenly at age 27, the basketball world was stunned. Reggie Lewis collapsed on the court from sudden cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at Bostons New England Medical Center less than an hour later. He played basketball at Northeastern University, where he quickly became one of the best players in the country. } Twelve weeks later, Lewis's sudden death reignited controversy over Mudge's diagnosis. Michael Jordan Was Blocked 4 Times in a Game by Reggie Lewis, a Young Celtics Star Primed to be the Next Big Thing. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. These players have a higher than normal risk of sudden, potentially fatal heart rhythm disturbances or cardiac arrest, he says. a structural heart defect that . This season, Lewis succeeded Larry Bird as the Celtics captain, which made him Bostons centerpiece in its transition period. Explore our state-of-the-art patient care facilities in the Sheikh Zayed Tower. The use of Philips equipment for this event does not constitute or imply endorsement by Johns Hopkins of Philips products or services. In 2004, the International Olympic Committee recommended that all athletes be EKG-tested every two years for potential heart abnormalities. -- Boston Celtics captain and star Reggie Lewis died of cardiac arrest Tuesday evening after collapsing while shooting baskets just three months after he passed out during a. He became an NBA All-Star during the 1991-92 season when he averaged 20.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. He was selected 22nd by the Celtics in the first round of the 1987 draft. He averaged 20 points per game over his seven-year career and was selected for the All-Star team in 1992. Theodore Abraham, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.S.E. Donna Harris-Lewis was pregnant with their second child Reggieana Lewis, when Reggie died on July 27, 1993. The Big Three dominated throughout the 1980s, but age and injuries took their toll, forcing the three out of Boston. Lewis was diagnosed with "focal cardiomyopathy ", a disease of the heart muscle that can cause irregular heartbeat and heart failure. Reggie Lewis was a star basketball player for the Boston Celtics leading the team to the playoffs in 1990 and 1991. Just two months earlier, he had collapsed during a game and was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia. Dr. Gilbert Mudge said 16 days before Lewis collapsed from a heart attack in 1993, he acknowledged having used cocaine, but said he had stopped. Goran Ivanisevic defeated Boris Becker, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Stefan Edberg beat Sergi Bruguera, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the Eurocard Open final at Stuttgart, Germany. He had my number that particular night. Set in '50s London, the film sees revered and picky fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) take the young Alma (Vicky Krieps) as his muse. Is Reggie Lewis in the Hall of Fame? #inline-recirc-item--id-b41ec884-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. Among the most notable fatalities to date was Lewis, a graduate of Dunbar High School who was also African-American. I was trying to take advantage of his passive demeanor, but he didnt back down. Can you integrate if function is not continuous. Rock music developed from the rock and roll music that emerged during the 1950s and includes a diverse . He was just 27. Its got to be devastating.. Tragically, Lewis died suddenly on July 27, 1993, after collapsing during a pick-up game at Brandeis University His death came as a shock to the basketball world, and an autopsy later revealed that he had a rare heart condition that had gone undetected. His doctors judged the problem serious enough to discuss whether it would be dangerous to move him to another room for testing. He led the team in scoring, averaging 20.8 points a game last season and was selected as the team's captain. The death certificate is expected to help clarify Lewis case. He was an All-Star in 1992 and led the Celtics to the playoffs several times. Notice of Privacy Practices(Patients & Health Plan Members). He played basketball for Dunbar High School where he was named Marylands all-time high school scoring leader with 2,200 points. When someone with his talent does that to you, you can live with it., We lost All-Star Reggie Lewis 29 years ago today. 1:38 BOSTON (AP) The wife of late Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis has dropped her case against two of the four doctors she accused of misdiagnosing her husband's heart condition. Because of the differing views, Lewis had a team of L.A. specialists review the data. Reggie Lewis weighed 195 lbs (88 kg) when playing. Masks are required inside all of our care facilities. We were lucky, Dave Gavitt, the Celtics president, told the Baltimore Sun. . Lewis transferred to Brigham and Women's Hospital, where a team led by Mudge diagnosed him with a less-harmful neurological condition. According to The Globe, Lewis had a run of six extra heartbeats the day before he switched hospitals. Reggie Lewis/Children. July 27, 2021 10:45 am ET. Lewis was born in 1965 in Baltimore, Maryland. Mudge said in court papers that Harris-Lewis, who has denied her husband used cocaine, grew agitated when he asked Lewis about cocaine. "Boston is the most political medical place in the country," an unidentified cardiologist told The Globe. "He was one of the guys who bucked the odds and became a professional athlete. It also left the Celtics without a star. Lewis got another, more satisfying opinion and was diagnosed with a non-fatal condition called "neurocardiogenic syncope." Dr. Richard . TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Autopsy results found Lewis had a large, extensively scarred heart, and the cause of that scar tissue is still not known. On July 27, 1993, a 27-year-old Boston Celtics player, Reggie Lewis, died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during an offseason practice at a basketball court. From Staff and Wire Reports 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. What happens when you learn of a loss is you go through denial, anger and you gradually learn to accept it.. WALTHAM, Mass. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. Reggie Jr. Lewis However, in 1993, he collapsed again and this time he died. But as we know now, even top-flight athletes can have hidden heart disease.. The victory set up a possible matchup of Hearns and Bobby Czyz (41-5), who won a 10-round unanimous decision over George OMara on the undercard. But in 1993, he collapsed during a game and was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a condition that weakens the heart muscle. "They're trying to avoid facing the terrible medical mistake that was made by throwing in all this rumor and innuendo," Harley told the Boston Herald. George Archer had a second-round five-under-par 67 to take a two-stroke lead at a Senior PGA tournament in Naples, Fla. Thomas Hearns (53-4-1) retained his North American Boxing Federation cruiserweight title by overcoming two knockdowns in a unanimous 12-round decision over Freddie Delgado at Charlotte, N.C. 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 had made his first All-Star appearance, and he was the leader and team captain of the Boston Celtics. . Heart of the Matter. In the years since his passing, Lewis has been remembered as one of the NBAs brightest stars and one whose life was cut far too short. Reggie Lewis was one of the most promising young players in the NBA when his life was tragically cut short by a heart condition. After administering a battery of medical examinations, a team of 12 cardiologists and electrophysiologists at New England Baptist Hospital concluded Lewis had a serious heart ailment. I got clearance to shoot again. However, he later sought a second opinion from Dr. Gilbert Mudge at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who diagnosed Lewis with neurocardiogenic syncope . Mudge later said, "I am optimistic that under medical supervision Mr. Reggie Lewis will be able to return to professional basketball without limitation. Reggie Lewis. I was trying to be aggressive with him. Autopsy results would later confirm that Lewis had an enlarged heart, an inherited defect called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which produced an errant heart rhythm under exercise stress that led to his sudden death. But we felt a little more attention to the career of Lewis on the court and what he . Lewis attended Northeastern University in Boston, where he became an outstanding scorer. display: none; 18. Sure, Michael Jordan got his points on March 31, 1991. That group studied Lewis and. He went on to play college basketball at Northeastern University before being drafted by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 1987 NBA draft. 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. Philips is providing the 20 ultrasound machines and 15 electrocardiographs for EKG screening, plus supplies, needed for the event. The 1981-82 . From 1988-93, he was 1 of 6 players to post 7.5K PTS, 1.5K REBS, 1K ASTS & 500 STLS. Mudge, who is being sued by Lewis' widow, Donna Harris-Lewis, said he confronted Lewis after reviewing test results that showed his heart condition had deteriorated. Haarhuis defeated Jaime Yzaga, 6-3, 6-3. . 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. A Debate About Playing. The following is a list of notable performers of rock and roll music or rock music, and others directly associated with the music as producers, songwriters, or in other closely related roles, who died in the 2020s decade.The list gives their date, cause and location of death, and their age. Reggie Lewis was on the verge of superstar status in the National Basketball Association when he died suddenly of a heart condition at the age of 27. McHale followed the year after. His death came as a shock to the basketball world, and left many wondering what could have been. Fifteen minutes later, McDonald recalled later, Lewis sank to the floor in a sitting position and soon drew the attention of his friend and a woman who had been shooting baskets nearby and noticed that he was having trouble breathing. 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. Zena Ray Zeke Upshaw was American professional basketball player who played in the D league after going undrafted in the NBA. Chang will face Paul Haarhuis, who has never won a singles title, in the final. LSU Basketball Commits: Whos Headed to Baton Rouge? Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. 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 also said he experienced guilt. He was named an All-Star in 1992 and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team in 1991. On the 20th anniversary of Reggie Lewis's death, Comcast SportsNet will debut a 90-minute documentary on Sunday at 8 p.m. reflecting on his life. In six seasons with the. In the initial shock, the death of basketball star Reggie Lewis last week seemed a grim parable of the seductive power of professional sports -- of an athlete so devoted to a game and its. The other 5 are NBA legends: Barkley, Drexler, Jordan, Karl Malone & Mullin pic.twitter.com/1RbXJGIuDp. The Lewises turned to Mudge at Brigham and Women's Hospital for a second opinion and he initially agreed. Kyrie Irving, Read More Who Is The Best Point Guard In The NBA?Continue, Contents The USA basketball team is set to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo The USA basketball team is looking to defend their gold medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio The USA Basketball team has a new Head Coach in Gregg Popovich The USA basketball team has a new crop of, Read More USA Basketball News You Need to KnowContinue, ContentsLSUs 2020 Basketball CommitsWho is LSUs Top 2020 Commit?Why LSUs 2020 Commits MatterWho are LSUs 2020 Basketball Recruits?What LSUs 2020 Basketball Commits Mean for the FutureHow Good are LSUs 2020 Basketball Commits?What are LSUs 2020 Basketball Commits Rankings?What are LSUs 2020 Basketball Commits Stats?What Other Schools were in the Running for LSUs 2020 Commits?Whats Next, Read More LSU Basketball Commits: Whos Headed to Baton Rouge?Continue, Contents Peter Kiss An NBA Star on the Rise The Early Years The Making of an NBA Star The Rise to Stardom The All-Star Game The Playoffs The Finals The Off-Season The FutureConclusion Peter Kiss is quickly becoming one of the NBAs most promising young stars With his incredible shooting touch and impressive athleticism, hes, Read More Peter Kiss: An NBA Star on the RiseContinue, The Impact of Reggie Lewis Death on His Family, Basketball Tournaments In Ga: The Best of the Best. The motion includes a sworn deposition from a Northeastern student, Wayne Brown, who claimed he snorted and smoked cocaine with Lewis at his apartment "15 or 20 times" while Lewis was a student. Sanders joined the meeting to offer his support for Reed, who had agreed in principle on Dec. 27 to become the Wildcats' coach. It was during a workout at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, on July 27, 1993, when Lewis collapsed on the court and died. At least 11 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case. Potential causes include viruses, medications, illegal drugs, poisons and alcohol. "There's so many hospitals and so many competitive situations. Reggie Lewis was a star player in the NBA who tragically died at the age of 27. On July 27, 1993, Reggie Lewis died of a heart attack at the age of 27. Dr. Gilbert Mudge, answering questions publicly for the first time since the NBA star's death at age 27, testified at his malpractice trial that he never discounted the possibility Lewis had a potentially fatal heart condition -- even as he told the player and the world that Lewis had a less serious neurological ailment. Team-Leading Scorer. Trending News He blocked four of Jordans shots, shocking His Airness in the process. ", When Harley asked Mudge if he lied at the news conference, Mudge replied, "What I did say was very limited. The more we can educate young adults about the risk of sudden cardiac death, he says the more we can prevent young athletes from dying unnecessarily.. Reggie Lewis was a star player for the Boston Celtics but his career was cut short when he suddenly died of a heart condition. He stumbled to his feet and was dazed and confused. Mudge did just that at a news conference the day Lewis was discharged from Brigham and Women's, and his words came back to haunt him Wednesday as Harley played videotape of the doctor triumphantly announcing he had disproved the "Dream Team.". January 14, 2010- To this day, it still shocks former Dunbar High School basketball coach Bob Wade when he thinks back to June 1993, when he first heard that his star former student, 27-year-old Reggie Lewis, 67 and 195 pounds, the top scorer and center for the Boston Celtics, had suddenly collapsed and died during basketball shoot-around. If Jordans Furniture wasnt so far away, I probably wouldve been there that day and may have been able to maybe get him over to the hospital.. Specific cause of death was not announced. 1999 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved At least one of Lewis' many tests showed a potential sign of "life-threatening arrhythmia," Mudge said under intense questioning by Robert Harley, an attorney for the player's widow. They would never ask Larry Bird about drugs.