Reggie Lewis

On July 27th, 1993, at the age of 27, Reggie Lewis passed away because of a cardiac arrest. He was coming of the 2 best seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics, averaging 20.8 points in both seasons. The Celtics had lost their star from the post-Bird era. It was a tragic day for the NBA.

Lewis went to 4 years of college at Northwestern (1983-87). He was drafted with the 22nd overall pick by the Boston Celtics. The Celtics were looking to add youth to their team as the big 3 of Mchale, Bird and Parish were getting older. During his rookie year, he only played 8.3 minutes under former player K.C. Jones. The next season, with a new coach and Larry Bird injured, Lewis played over 30 minutes, and scored 18.5 points per game, a whole 14 point difference from his rookie year. In 1992, he played his first and only All-Star Game.

In Waltham, Massachusetts, Lewis suffered a cardiac arrest during an off-court practice. He was only 27 years old and coming out in the NBA. If he had not passed away, he could have more success, more All-Star Appearances and maybe a Hall of Fame ticket.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of This Day in History, please leave a comment on what player I should do and on what date.