Remembering Reggie Lewis

It's peripherally a Celtics note but I bring it up not because of any. And of good news on my part but it is an anniversary today and those of us who lived here in fact we're doing sports talk radio here back in that they will remember. Seventeen years ago today Reggie Lewis passed away. Rock collapsed. On the practice court com. The team's practice facility at Brandeis. Shooting baskets getting ready for a pick up game at Brandeis on a Tuesday afternoon. Collapsed. Died later on or was declared dead later on that -- I'm not really sure what point right during the proceedings you know he's the expired but it was. Seventeen years ago today that Reggie Lewis. Died while just get ready for basketball season apprentice. Once and one of the officers on the scene. Crowley he was the first responder yup he was working as as part of the Brandeis security for up security police that time. He was the first responder is I read the story. He was the guy performing CPR. On Reggie Lewis on the court at Brandeis trying to trying to save his life. Right and at that that was seventeen years ago that means Reggie has at least to a seventeen or eighteen year old daughter because he had a I'm -- remember was that was a baby. What the weeks old at the time or was it was on a pregnant. You know I it was I don't know the -- and she was very very young. Little girl very young -- she's at least 1718 years old now. And that means his son is. If not it is not known nineteen but probably about twenty years -- He was admitted at Waltham -- hospital at 541. On doctors worked on and they said for the next hour and fifteen minutes he was announced dead at 730 and and I can remember what it was like he year and you know WEEI existed sports talk radio existed. Jimmy Myers was working. Came into work -- show that night as well and I remember how hard it was for Celtics fans to even fathom. What it was like him and what it happened and everybody thinks back to that playoff game against Charlotte on April 20 ninth. This was in the old Boston Garden I mean that TD Banknorth Garden didn't exist or. What was then the Shawmut center in the Fleetcenter that didn't exist yet it was the old Boston Garden -- When Reggie collapsed on the floor and happen to be at the game just as up a fan watching the game had no idea what was going on. Mean -- you looked on the court he was just on the on the floor do you even know you'd be you'd didn't have a clue. Everybody remembers side the dream team and doctor Gilbert mudge and Brigham and women's and all the stuff that was involved. And I'm looking at it and an old eight -- story from seventeen years ago today. The AP story says his death raised several questions. Was Louis cleared to play basketball of any kind was he taking medication. How often navy band Medicare had his medication -- been checked. And this was all things that in the immediate aftermath of his passing people were trying to figure out. But it was seventeen years ago today there's another piece written by -- and I'm WEEI dot com it is many hands contention that had Reggie Lewis. Been with -- the first fully be 44 years old right now. His NBA career roll over and according to Manningham he probably would have been headed for the -- thing. I'm not sure problem. Intelligent enough basketball wise to make that. That kind of decision you know better than I would whether he was a Hall of Fame performer on the track that he was on but there is no doubt that the the Celtics history would probably be a lot different than it ended up being. That big gap in between there. Yeah I mean think about draft picks and in consecutive years and what happened to whom you know you have Reggie Lewis. In 1987. And we have Len Bias in 1986. And and both of them died tragically so yeah you would think the fortune as -- fortune to the organization especially in the in the mid ninety's that's from those guys really would have really start to come enter into into their own. Though the fortunes of the organization would have been a lot different when you have to player's life that. A leading your franchise -- to believe that it would have been a lot different right. Seventeen years ago today unfortunately.