Talented wingman Reggie Lewis was pegged to become one of the NBA’s biggest superstars. A 6’7″ ace for the Boston Celtics, he was set to inherit the throne left behind by Larry Bird and would carry the team into the future. However, all that ceased in July 1993 when he collapsed while shooting around at Brandeis University and died at the age of 27.
As crushing as the development was for the franchise and its devoted fanbase, Reggie’s teammates would bear the brunt of his loss. Dee Brown, Reggie’s backcourt partner and close friend, was particularly affected by his passing and relayed how he doesn’t remember much from the 1993-94 season as he was too enveloped by grief to care much about hooping.
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Trouble loomed in the 1993 playoffs
Reggie was ready for an encore after a stellar showing in the 1992 playoffs as the Celtics faced off against the Charlotte Hornets in the first round. Finding his rhythm early, he already had 11 of the Celtics’ 16 points. But then, disaster struck as he staggered before falling on the floor.
“I just thought he dropped because of his own adrenaline, because he was playing so hard,” Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn, who was broadcasting that game, said.
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“During the game, I didn’t think anything of it,” Celtics teammate Kevin Gamble added. “I just thought he was lightheaded or didn’t eat—we didn’t know he had the health problem that he had.”
Even the Hornets were taken aback by what they saw.
“I thought somebody had tripped him,” Hornets guard Muggsy Bogues relayed. “And Johnny Newman was trying to pick him up as he was falling. Then we went back down the other end, not even knowing how serious it was.”
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Basketball took a backseat
What it was was a rare heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which cardiologists diagnosed Reggie with having. However, getting a second opinion paved the way for him to return to the court. On that fateful day in late July, he even called teammate Rick Fox and invited him to join him for a casual shootaround.
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“I was in town and he hit my phone while I was at Jordan’s Furniture. He’s like, ‘Hey yo Rick, I’m getting ready to go down to Brandeis, get some jumpers up,'” Rick remembered. “I said, ‘Oh, you got clearance?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ Then he says, ‘You want to come down and shoot with me?’ I said, ‘Yo man, I’ll be right there. I’m way out, let me just get out of here and I’ll be over.'”
By the time Rick got to the facility, medical personnel were already working on his teammate.
“I was 15, 20 feet down the hall in the hospital and heard them working on Reggie,” Celtics PR guy Jeff Twiss stated. “I saw [then-teammate] Rick Fox come in with tears in his eyes, and I knew we had lost Reggie.”
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“The GM at the time, Jan Volk, called me and said, ‘You’ve got to get back to Boston.’ From that call, I don’t remember one thing,” Brown added. “The next season, I don’t remember. I can’t tell you a highlight I had. I can’t tell you a play I played in. I can’t tell you my teammates, because the one that I wanted to be playing with wasn’t there anymore.”
Words fail to capture the sadness the Celtics players felt upon losing one of their own, someone who spilled blood and sweat on the court with them every night. To many, Reggie was a superstar-in-the-making. To them, he was more than just a teammate; he was a brother, a friend, and an inspiration.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.