"Reggie was very aware of the problems drugs could bring. #inline-recirc-item--id-b3f182ca-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Per ESPN, Lewis proved that he could pull off insane feats throughout his tenure. In spite of Jordan's poor shooting in that epic March 31 battle, the Bulls still led by three in the waning seconds. Northeastern, Lewis' alma mater, is reluctant to turn over the results of the internal investigation. But he abruptly left their care to get another opinion. .. "What is undeniable: Cocaine was a central, explosive issue for the doctors, the Lewis family, the Celtics and the pathologists who conducted his November 1993 autopsy - an issue that became untouchable because Mr. Lewis was a basketball superstar," the newspaper said. "There's simply no hard science, no evidence," linking the virus to the condition that killed Lewis. Mudge said he was optimistic Lewis could play again. "He had those long arms that really bothered me. Shortly after the doctors' assessments were related to Lewis and his wife, the player checked himself out of Baptist Hospital and was admitted to nearby Brigham and Women's, where he underwent additional tests. The Journal reported that Dr. Isner, who assisted with the autopsy, said that a lawyer representing the Lewis family threatened to sue for damages if anything emerged from the autopsy about drugs. The Tragic Death Of Reggie Lewis - Grunge We'll deal with that in time.". "Michael would have 37 and Reggie would have 32, so all the talk was about MJ, but Reggie was right there.". 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. "We wish to try the case on the facts of Reggie Lewis' medical treatment," Harley told the Boston Herald. In older patients, dead tissue might indicate damage from arteriosclerosis, abnormal thickening and loss of elasticity of the walls of the arteries. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Many cases go undiagnosed, Abraham adds, because the young athletes healthy appearance and peak physical condition may mask their underlying sickness. "We felt it was our duty to abide by our pledge of confidentiality," Janet Hookailo, the spokeswoman, said Tuesday. The Journal added the following: Whether Mr. Lewis died from a heart damaged by cocaine -- as many doctors suspected then and now -- cannot be definitively shown. Although the myocarditis had healed, Kessler told the newspaper that Lewis heart remained scared and enlarged when he collapsed and died while shooting baskets at Brandeis University in the Boston area. That is how I will remember him," Ms. Harris-Lewis said. She also denied the Journal's report, attributed to his doctors, that her husband refused drug tests while hospitalized. New masking guidelines are in effect starting April 24. MJ was the best player in the game, the perfect measuring stick for a young player trying to establish credibility. -- The Pittsburgh Penguins demoted 1991 first-round draft choice Markus Naslund to Cleveland of the International Hockey League. -- Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets and Claude Lemieux of the New Jersey Devils were suspended and fined by the NHL for separate incidents last weekend. "He was showing us older guys respect," Jordan said, "but he also knew he belonged.". Reggie Lewis. "It's something that people don't like to bring up," Mr. Gaston said. The possibility of another one existed when the torch was passed to Reggie Lewis. It would be virtually impossible to prove it was cocaine that killed him.". His mother, Inez "Peggy" Ritch, has had two heart attacks -- the first when she was 17 and the other in 1990, after she had been a cocaine addict for about seven years. The following day they were tested again, and finally passed. In addition, Mr. Lewis was born with a heart murmur, which. The cause of the former Dunbar High School star's first fainting spell and his eventual death was the subject of public medical debate from the beginning. Jordan likened Lewis to Detroit guard Joe Dumars, who, along with Isiah Thomas, led the Pistons to back-to-back championships. SF tourists go in droves to In-N-Out. "Indeed, since Reggie's death, local and out-of-town reporters have combed our campus for evidence of drug use or association by Reggie. 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. If he was still using, Dr. Mudge warned, he had to stop immediately. He was drafted 22nd overall by the Celtics in 1987 after a standout college career at Northeastern University. He tried to return to action that night, but the Celtics medical staff pulled him again when he suffered dizziness and shortness of breath. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! All Rights Reserved. He had received conflicting diagnoses regarding his condition and was advised not to exercise strenuously. "It's thought to be the most common cause of unexplained heart damage in young, otherwise healthy people. He consistently raised his level of play during the postseason, averaging as many as 28.0 points per game in the 1991-92 playoffs. It also left the Celtics without a star. * The Celtics told Mr. Lewis' doctors -- incorrectly -- that National Basketball Association rules prevented them from forcing Mr. Lewis to submit to drug tests -- tests that, if positive, would have allowed him to seek life-saving medical help, but also might have forced an end to a career that was lucrative to Mr. Lewis and the team. There, Dr. Mudge performed further tests and concluded that Mr. Lewis had neurocardiogenic syncope, a benign confusion in the electrical signals running between the brain and the heart that was causing the heart to slow down at inappropriate moments. BOSTON - Doctors suspected that cocaine killed Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis in 1993, but they were thwarted by actions by his family and a "dismissive" policy toward drugs by the NBA, the Wall Street Journal reported today. 7 seed Lori McNeil, 6-3, 6-1. "He was on his way to being one of the best 2-guards in the league," said friend and former teammate Brian Shaw. "I miss him," Shaw said. "No, nobody did," Jordan said. But Dr. Gold said it is difficult to tell whether cocaine, a virus, alcohol or other factors caused the heart damage. "His length confused me," Jordan conceded. The otherwise healthy 27-year-old managed to achieve a great deal during his six-year career with the association, becoming an All-Star, a Celtics captain, and a mentor to underprivileged youth. Lewis is buried in an unmarked grave in Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. And until she's ready to make that trip . He soon left to seek care at another hospital. The block surprised Jordan, whose otherworldly elevation usually negated any chance of a rejected shot. When Reggie Lewis, the popular captain of basketball's most storied team, collapsed while shooting baskets and died of heart failure, the city of Boston treated him like a fallen hero. That was about it. "Reggie Lewis' death was not caused by cocaine ingestion, nor was the damage to the heart at all typical of that known to be caused by cocaine usage," Dr. Richard Evans said. Mr. Lewis' doctors immediately began to question him about drug use after the fainting incident. "Reggie was a model citizen and an intelligent and wise man. The Journal also reported that there "was the more specific danger that such a scandal would interfere with a crucial business deal the Celtics were negotiating at that time.". He became an NBA All-Star during the 1991-92 season when he averaged 20.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. What Killed Reggie Lewis? - CBS News A lot of people get exposed to it, and it's unusual for it to attack the heart muscle, but it can happen," said Dr. Michael Gold, director of cardiac electrophysiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center. And by the fourth time, on a lefty drive to the hoop, Jordan was irritated -- and somewhat spooked. Reggie had no choice but to learn to wait on greatness. 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. Trending News Lewis died at age 27 after he collapsed while shooting baskets. Just to throw that bone out there so people think about it, I think that's not right at all.". 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, 6'7" and 195 pounds, the top scorer and center for the Boston Celtics, had suddenly collapsed and died during basketball shoot-around. [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. Doctor Knew Lewis Used Cocaine. / AP. But African-Americans are more vulnerable, with two to three times the rate of sudden cardiac death than in whites. That's when Lewis came down and drilled a 3-pointer to tie it. 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. He was popular for being a Basketball Player. "He was on his way to being one of the best 2-guards in the league," said Brian Shaw, his friend and former teammate. Lewis, 27, was the Celtics captain and leading scorer when he collapsed during a playoff game against the Charlotte Hornets in Boston Garden on April 29, 1993. Kennedy McKinney (26-0-1) of Memphis, Tenn., knocked out Jose Rincones (19-2-2) of Venezuela in the fifth round at Johannesburg, South Africa, and retained the International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight title. Each athlete will receive a cardiac ultrasound, or echocardiogram, to measure heart size and its pumping function, including blood volume, and to check for faulty valves. The newspaper said Dr. Kessler's office is under investigation by the Massachusetts Office of Public Safety, which oversees the medical examiner's office. "I have many, many examples of patients like that who had a relatively sudden onset of a viral inflammation of the heart and went on to have either sudden death or sudden heart trouble," said Dr. Baughman. Hookailo said defense attorneys have rejected Northeastern's compromise. 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. It also seemed an object lesson in the relativity of medical truth, and in . Risk reduction strategies to prevent cardiac arrest include avoiding rigorous sports; taking drugs called beta-blockers that temper the heartbeat, preventing it from beating too fast; or implanting defibrillators that can shock the heart back into normal electrical rhythm. . Remembering Reggie Lewis, 20 years after his tragic death - ESPN That's because cocaine kicks into gear the sympathetic nervous system, which produces excess adrenalin. He was evolving into a superstar before our eyes. Mr. Lewis, whose $1 billion acquisition in 1987 of the Beatrice . At the age of 27, Lewis died while still a member of the Celtics, and his number was posthumously retired by the team. The NBA's drug policy, however, does not allow its veteran players to be tested for drugs without probable cause. In a single dose or over years, cocaine will damage the heart. [13][14][15] The Wall Street Journal reported that physicians "suspected that cocaine killed Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewisbut they were thwarted by actions by his family and a 'dismissive' policy toward drugs by the NBA." [4], Lewis was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Boston Celtics in the 1987 NBA draft. "He was a model citizen. Johnny Miller will return to Augusta National as a player in April, gaining an invitation to play in the Masters after winning in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. December 29, 1998 / 10:15 PM / AP. Explore our state-of-the-art patient care facilities in the Sheikh Zayed Tower. It was considered career-ending. As many as 300 young athletes from 18 teams, ranging from 14 to 18 years of age, will be examined for HCM. After he finally got up, he looked perplexed and dazed as he headed to the Celtics bench. As he so often did with young players, Jordan tried to verbally engage Lewis, yet Reggie wouldn't participate. [21], After Lewis' death, the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center was opened in Roxbury, Boston. In a long report, the Journal said part of the answer as to why a treatable heart ailment ended in tragedy could lie in "the willingness of family members, lawyers, Celtics officials and some doctors to sidestep the possible cause of Mr. Lewis collapse.". 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. . The other five -- Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Chris Mullin -- are all Hall of Famers. Printouts from a test that illuminates how blood moves through the heart prominently showed three black patches - dead spots - on the left ventricle. At a Boston news conference yesterday, the team's majority stockholder, Paul Gaston, criticized the Journal for suggesting in the Page 1 article that the team sought, for financial reasons, to cover up suspicions that drug use lay behind Mr. Lewis' illness, thereby undermining his care. reggie lewis death - YouTube Autopsy results found Lewis had a large, extensively scarred heart, and the cause of that scar tissue is still not known. 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. Doctors at Boston's New England Baptist Hospital, where the 27-year-old Celtics captain was taken first for tests, saw three black patches, indicating dead tissue, on Mr. Lewis' left ventricle -- the main pumping chamber of the heart. Mike Tyson, his boxing future the subject of great speculation, will read a statement, but not answer questions, at a news conference tomorrow in Cleveland. 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 heart rhythm that killed him last July, according to his death certificate. Baptist Hospital, meanwhile, gathered a team of a dozen cardiologists from New England hospitals to review the case. Doctor Knew Lewis Used Cocaine - CBS News The 198384 Huskies advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, falling one point shy of the Sweet 16 when Rolando Lamb scored at the buzzer to lift VCU over the Huskies. "This was not subtle.". There was the 1984 NCAA tournament game against VCU, when he was close to unstoppable. Reggie Lewis's death shocked Boston and the Celtics A $15 million insurance policy on his contract would not pay off if his disability was linked to drugs. 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. Lawyers for the doctors could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. "This was something any third-year resident could have seen," said Dr. Charles Munn, the hospital's staff radiologist. One of the world's leading experts on heart viruses, however, Dr. Jangu Banatvala, told the Journal that most people carry the common cold virus dormant in their bodies, making its presence in Mr. Lewis' body meaningless. Young people are not supposed to die, especially when they are in what we believe to be peak physical form, says Wade, current coordinator of athletics for the Baltimore City Public School System. Reggie Lewis Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2 Twenty years later, we still ponder what might have been. They agreed that Mr. Lewis had a life-threatening condition called focal cardiomyopathy, caused by scarring of the heart muscle. All rights reserved. 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. 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. "Reggie knew what we meant. It wasn't until the second overtime that the old master, Bird, came to life and ripped off nine points to enable the Celtics to hang on for a 135-132 win. Here's this talented guy who had never done anything wrong, who did so much for the city of Boston, and the next thing you know, he's gone.". [10] One of the officers was James Crowley. "[19][20] Also, Lewis's heart tissue tested positive for adenovirus during his autopsy. This speculation, combined with the fact that Lewis was . From 1988-1993, Lewis managed to block Michael Jordan four times in a single game and served as only the sixth player at the time to score 7,500 points, 1,500 rebounds, 1,000 assists, and 500 steals. Dr. Mudge told the Journal that he later had come to agree that Mr. Lewis' heart was damaged. 2 Jim Courier, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, in the semifinals of the U.S. Indoor tournament at Philadelphia. 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. If you started yapping at either of those guys, they just smiled at you. Indeed, Lewis had fainted during a game a few months before, prompting a much-publicized debate on his heart health and foreshadowing his death. Selanne slashed Dmitri Mironov of the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday. However, the league permits testing when there is "reasonable cause" to suspect drug abuse. With young people, experts say, scarring of the heart is more often associated with cocaine abuse. A drug scandal - especially coming after the death of Len Bias of a cocaine overdose in 1986, a day after being drafted by the Celtics - would be potentially damaging to the NBA and the Celtics. His cause of death was cited as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common athletic ailment where the heart thickens, eventually causing heart attacks and cardiac arrest. Mr. Lewis denied using drugs, but refused to allow his blood or urine to be tested. He was 27. Hookailo said that the university has already handed over hundreds of pages of documents, including Lewis' medical records, to lawyers on both sides of the case. He was just 27. "If there were suspicions, it was from discussions outside of the autopsy.". "Reggie and I were really close friends," Derrick Lewis said. He took himself away from dealers, or people who used drugs. "The purpose of the review was to establish the cause of death, not to establish whether Reggie Lewis ever used cocaine," state Public Safety Secretary Kathleen M. O'Toole said. Lewis death shocked the world. His relative youth, his dedication, and his clear potential made his death all the more poignant. Shaw left the Celtics in 1994. A Boston Celtics dynasty came to a close. What Killed Reggie Lewis? He never relinquished his own aggressiveness. display: block; The Big Three dominated throughout the 1980s, but age and injuries took their toll, forcing the three out of Boston. 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. 1998 The Associated Press. 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. His shocking death triggered unprecedented spasms of grief throughout Boston, where he left an indelible imprint on the inner-city kids he mentored, kids whose dreams were not unlike his own. He reached forward to stretch his legs. He later went on to win three rings with the Los Angeles Lakers. "So it comes down to detective work, depending on age of person and what else you see, you would make that determination. As a rookie, Lewis played sporadically, averaging 8.3 minutes per game under coach K. C. Jones. But as we know now, even top-flight athletes can have hidden heart disease.. title by defeating Walter Ray Williams Jr., 276-238, in a tournament at Richmond Heights, Mo. To those who knew Reggie Lewis best, fond memories are always front and Following Lewis' death, questions were raised about whether he had used cocaine, and whether cocaine use had contributed to his death. He made his way back onto the court later in the game but quickly came back to the bench after experiencing dizziness. But two top heart experts in Baltimore disagreed. He was 50 and lived in Manhattan and Paris. Among the most notable fatalities to date was Lewis, a graduate of Dunbar High School who was also African-American. Mr. Lewis died from a cerebral hemorrhage related to the cancer, his company said. "He kept you off balance all the time. Had Reggie Lewis lived, would there have been additional battles with Jordan to add to the highlight reel? The newspaper said Lewis' death couldn't have come at a worse time for the publicly traded company that owns the NBA team, the Celtics Limited Partnership. The autopsy found the heart "abnormal, enlarged and extensively scarred," but there was no trace of drugs. Lewis got another, more satisfying opinion and was diagnosed with a non-fatal condition called neurocardiogenic syncope. He then began working out later that summer, preparing for the 1993-94 season. I got clearance to shoot again. Lewis was diagnosed with "focal cardiomyopathy", a disease of the heart muscle that can cause irregular heartbeat and heart failure. He didn't do it.". A heart arrhythmia . The news of 27-year-old Reggie Lewis's fatal heart attack on Tuesday, July 27, hit the citizens of Boston and the basketball community as a whole like a blow to the solar plexussome kind of sudden pain that, in the . Selanne was suspended for two games and Lemieux for three. Lewis attended Northeastern University in Boston. That clause was never invoked in Mr. Lewis' case, despite the mounting medical evidence, the Journal said. Martina Navratilova made the final of the Paris womens open with a 6-1, 6-3, victory over Leila Meshki. "Reggie was on his way to being something really special. Autopsy confirms Lewis had serious heart defects Specific ailment still -- Utah football coach Ron McBride, who last fall led the Utes to their best season in school history, has agreed to a new five-year contract. Lewis sat, dazed, on the court. Reggie Lewis's death still hurts, 20 years later. Then, there were the financial interests. "When Reggie first came into the league, he really didn't know how to play the game. 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). 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?