"He kept you off balance all the time. Lewis denied using drugs. 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. Mudge's lawyer declined to comment to the Herald on the case. McBride's 1994 Utes tied the school record with eight straight wins, finishing 10-2. Lemieux punched Brett Lindros on Sunday while the New York Islander right wing was pinned against the boards. 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. A viral infection severely damaged the heart of Reggie Lewis, the Boston Celtics' captain, leaving him vulnerable to the abnormal heart rhythm that killed him on July 27, according to his death . Lewis blocked Jordan four times in that game and harassed him into a 12-for-36 shooting performance. The Celtics selected Lewis with the 22nd overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. 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. All Rights Reserved. He just came to play. "Reggie was on his way to being something really special. It would be virtually impossible to prove it was cocaine that killed him.". All rights reserved. MEDICAL EXAMINER REPEATS 1ST FINDING OF CAUSE OF DEATH, Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, 'Horrible': Oakland rapper dumps on Chase Center Warriors fans, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis. 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. Midway through his first season in the NBA, I asked him how he was holding up. Thats because they understood who I was up against. 1998 The Associated Press. "I was trying to be aggressive with him. The Johns Hopkins team of more than 70 includes cardiologists, medical residents, nurses, ultrasound technicians, administrative assistants and community volunteers. 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. [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. B/W PHOTO: [excerpt of story printed in The Wall Street Journal]COLOR PHOTO:EVAN RICHMAN/THE BOSTON GLOBEAfter the Lewises left Baptist (top), Mudge gave Reggie an optimistic prognosis, but two months after he and the doctor hugged, Reggie died in the gym (opposite) of causes that the death certificate (far right) may or may not have pinpointed. A doctor defending himself against a malpractice suit in the death of Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis said Lewis told him he had used cocaine, according to court . Here's where we pause for a moment to understand the magnitude of what Jordan is saying. He took himself away from dealers, or people who used drugs. Recent media reports have raised questions about whether drug use weakened his heart. 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 failed physical means that center Olden Polynice and forward David Wood return to Detroit. News articles at the time described cardiac specialists as stunned by the diagnosis of a benign fainting condition by Dr. Gilbert Mudge of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. They've found nothing, because there is nothing to find. On July 27, 1993, while shooting baskets at Brandeis University, Lewis collapsed and died. A bad back forced Bird into early retirement in 1992. He never relinquished his own aggressiveness. The NBA's drug policy, however, does not allow its veteran players to be tested for drugs without probable cause. He played 15 minutes, scoring 7 points and grabbing 4 rebounds. They agreed that Mr. Lewis had a life-threatening condition called focal cardiomyopathy, caused by scarring of the heart muscle. Vaccines & Boosters | Testing | Visitor Guidelines | Coronavirus. "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. 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. The preliminary autopsy found that Lewis' heart was "abnormal, enlarged and extensively scarred" and that "preliminary drug screenings show no evidence of drug abuse.". 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. Yet, Shaw said, Lewis was neither awed nor intimidated by competing against MJ. That's because cocaine kicks into gear the sympathetic nervous system, which produces excess adrenalin. 'It's going to be epic': Stephen Curry and LeBron James face off -- again, Curry sets G7 record with 50 as Dubs move on, Hobbled Butler serves as 'decoy' late in Heat win, Grizz's Brooks doesn't regret verbal jab at LeBron, 'This one's on me': Brunson self-critical after loss, Jokic on Murray's playoffs: 'We are following him', Rivers: Embiid likely doubtful for G1 vs. Celtics, How do Stephen Curry and the Warriors keep doing this?! 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. Yesterday, the Boston Globe reported that, according to the autopsy report, Lewis died of myocarditis, an inflammation of heart muscle tissue. He denied it. Authorities wouldn't say if there was evidence that Lewis ever used cocaine, and his widow declined Tuesday to allow them to release the autopsy report. [citation needed], On March 22, 1995, the Boston Celtics retired Lewis' jersey. "The question of drug use is not new," said John A. Curry, president of Northeastern University, alma mater of Mr. Lewis and Ms. Harris-Lewis. "He was a model citizen. 2 seed, routed Elena Makarova, 6-0, 6-2, in the opening round at the Family Circle Magazine Cup in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Italy's Silvia Farina ousted No. Lewis died at age 27 after he collapsed while shooting baskets. ", Asked if anyone else had ever blocked four of his shots in one game, Jordan answered, "No one had ever done it before, and no one has done it since.". MJ dismissed Reggie's initial block as an anomaly. Doctor Knew Lewis Used Cocaine. In the final game of his life, in the 1993 playoffs against the Charlotte Hornets and his childhood friend Muggsy Bogues, Lewis was electric in the opening minutes. display: block; Reggie did not do drugs, period. He shot the ball. He shocked me a little bit.. 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. I had the privilege of watching Reggie accomplish some astounding things on the basketball court. The autopsy did not reveal evidence of cocaine, which would be difficult to detect after more than three days, and without other evidence of drug use it could not be listed as a cause of death, the doctors said. 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.". Lewis, an athletic swingman from nearby Northeastern University, was considered the next big Celtics star after Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish moved on. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? "He had success against Jordan in other games, too," Shaw said. Such scarring also might be caused by poison, medications, alcohol or infection. The next time, he became concerned. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He was pronounced dead two hours later, leaving his family, his friends, his city, his team and his NBA peers completely numb. "We used to talk all the time about how we wanted to be the breakout tandem, the Celtics backcourt to be reckoned with for a long, long time.". "From a medical perspective, looking at a heart, you can't tell what was going on," Dr. Gold said. Unfortunately, that path was cut tragically short. [16], The Boston Celtics responded by expressing sadness about the "vicious attack on Reggie Lewis and his family" and threatening "to file a $100 million lawsuit against the reporter, The Wall Street Journal and its parent company, Dow Jones and Co. Inc."[17] Dr. Gilbert Mudge, a doctor who treated Lewis, was sued for malpractice in connection with Lewis' death; in written responses to questions from the attorneys for Donna Harris-Lewis, Mudge said that "16 days before Lewis collapsed from a heart attack in 1993, he acknowledged having used cocaine, but said he had stopped. "We wish to try the case on the facts of Reggie Lewis' medical treatment," Harley told the Boston Herald. She also denied the Journal's report, attributed to his doctors, that her husband refused drug tests while hospitalized. The Celtics were looking to add some youth to the team, especially for the aging "Big 3" of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. "Reggie knew what we meant. "When we got on the court, Reggie treated him like everyone else," Shaw said. He was kind and caring, and this is the way I'll remember him and I encourage everybody to do the same," she said at a news conference at the Celtics' offices. When Reggie Lewis collapsed and died on July 27, 1993, at the age of 27, he was already a husband, a father, a community leader, an NBA All-Star and a Celtics captain. In Game 3, with Bird unable to play because of back woes, he torched the Cavs for 36 points and seven assists. A Boston Celtics dynasty came to a close. Because of the differing views, Lewis had a team of L.A. specialists review the data. "We felt it was our duty to abide by our pledge of confidentiality," Janet Hookailo, the spokeswoman, said Tuesday. Lewis was 27 when he died in the Celtics practice gym at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., on July 27, 1993. Autopsy results found Lewis had a large, extensively scarred heart, and the cause of that scar tissue is still not known. The block surprised Jordan, whose otherworldly elevation usually negated any chance of a rejected shot. He had received conflicting diagnoses regarding his condition and was advised not to exercise strenuously. During a 1993 playoff game against the Charlotte Hornets, Lewis fell to the floor with nobody around him. 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 years event sponsor is Philips Healthcare, based in Andover, Mass. From 1988-93, he was 1 of 6 players to post 7.5K PTS, 1.5K REBS, 1K ASTS & 500 STLS. "The Celtics are saddened by the vicious attack on Reggie Lewis and his family.". In recent times, Reggie Lewis's death was surfed by many individuals. "Furthermore, there is no conceivable way that the NBA's anti-drug program had anything to do with the issue of whether Reggie Lewis was tested or could have been tested upon his admission to the hospital," Granik said. He was 50 and lived in Manhattan and Paris. He also assured doctors, from his own experience with Mr. Lewis, that he was not a drug user. But after listening to the tape he made in his 1995 testimony before the Northeastern Commission, Fuchs said he reported tat Lewis did not test positive. reggie lewis diedreggie lewis death videodonna harris-lewisreggie lewis death videoreggie lewis death on court The other five -- Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Chris Mullin -- are all Hall of Famers. 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. His uniform number was retired and hangs in tribute in Matthews Arena (the home of Northeastern University's men's basketball team and the Celtics' original home arena in 1946). "But he was a worker. On July 27, 1993, during off-season practice at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, Lewis suffered sudden cardiac death on the basketball court at the age of 27 years old. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { If there had been better understanding and appreciation for the risks involved with these heart abnormalities, Abraham says, it may have saved the life of Lewis, whos death was likely triggered by an overly enlarged and thickened heart. As a result, Lewis began working out in preparation for returning for the 1994 season. "He was on his way," Bird noted. "There's simply no hard science, no evidence," linking the virus to the condition that killed Lewis. He had my number that particular night. Lewis was one of the exceptions. Their vulnerable condition precluded them from any highly strenuous activity, and the rising number of occurrences is what compelled him to organize the weekend screening. "I don't give a damn what people say. By all accounts, Lewis was primed to make the leap to the team's go-to scorer for the rest of the 90s. These players have a higher than normal risk of sudden, potentially fatal heart rhythm disturbances or cardiac arrest, he says. Dr. Jeffrey Isner, a Boston cardiologist who assisted with Mr. Lewis' autopsy, called the conclusion of the Massachusetts state medical examiner's office "wildly improbable.". In 2004, the International Olympic Committee recommended that all athletes be EKG-tested every two years for potential heart abnormalities. He also told him that "cocaine is the only thing that would explain what we are seeing." The center was funded partially by Lewis and has hosted major indoor track and field competitions, the Boston Indoor Games, home basketball games for Roxbury Community College, and Northeastern University track and field events. There are several thousand such sudden deaths per year in younger adults in the United States by some estimates. "Reggie was a model citizen and an intelligent and wise man. As many as 300 young athletes from 18 teams, ranging from 14 to 18 years of age, will be examined for HCM. As ESPN reports, on July 27, 1993, Lewis collapsed on the basketball court during a practice at Brandeis University, just outside Boston.The All-Star was pronounced dead two hours later. After he collapsed last April in a playoff game against the Charlotte Hornets, his condition became a highly publicized medical dispute among Boston doctors. Volunteers will test student athletes during the third annual Hopkins Heart Hype screening slated to take place at the 14th annual Basketball Academy Competition. I called Jordan earlier this week to see if he had any recollections of a young Lewis blocking him four times. The most dynamic scorer in NBA history is now admitting two decades later that he was shocked by what Reggie Lewis did to him, confused by his length and made tentative offensively. 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. I was trying to be aggressive with him. He died when several different problems caused his enlarged heart to beat irregularly, said Evans, repeating the finding on the athlete's death certificate.
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