History

Reggie Lewis - Celtics Legend

Reggie Lewis - #35 - Boston Celtics

Forward | 6'7" | 195 lbs. | Born: November 21, 1965

  • One-time NBA All-Star
  • Consecutive seasons of 20.8 PPG
  • All six NBA seasons played with Celtics
  • No. 35 Jersey Retired by Celtics

First round draft choice (the 22nd pick overall) in 1987...passed away on July 27, 1993.

Jo Jo White

Reggie Lewis - Biography

#35

By Marc D'Amico
Celtics.com

Reggie Lewis was destined for basketball success at a very young age. He and three of his high school teammates at Dunbar High School, Muggsy Bogues, David Wingate and Reggie Williams, dominated the high school scene en route to a 31-0 season during Lewis’ senior year.

That high school success then translated to the collegiate level, where Lewis showcased his talents for four years at Northeastern University. Lewis’ dominance at Northeastern included three seasons of at least 23.3 PPG. His average collegiate numbers were 22.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 1.7 APG.

After performing at such a high level at a university right around the corner from the Boston Garden, it seemed like a match made in heaven when the Celtics snagged Lewis with the 22nd overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. That marriage was a quiet one during Lewis’ rookie season, but it blossomed during the 1988-89 campaign.

The Celtics witnessed a breakout season from Lewis, as he filled up the box scores with 18.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.5 STPG. His scoring output spiked a full 14.0 PPG from his rookie season, and it continued at that level for the next five seasons. Lewis scored a career-high 20.8 PPG during both his fifth and sixth seasons with the Celtics. His only All-Star appearance came during the 1991-92 season, which was his second-to-last season with Boston.

But while the promising forward’s presence in Boston was growing exponentially, tragedy was on the horizon. Lewis collapsed to the floor during a playoff series with the Charlotte Hornets in 1993 after just 13 minutes of action. He did not play for the remainder of that series, which lasted only four games. Shortly thereafter, while practicing on July 27 at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., Lewis collapsed for a second time and went into cardiac arrest. His life tragically ended on that day, robbing the Celtics of a budding star.

The Celtics honored Lewis’ legacy on March 22, 1995, when they retired his No. 35 jersey. He is one of 22 members of Boston’s organization to be honored at such a capacity.

Regular Season Record
Year G MIN FGM FGA PCT FTM FTA PCT OFF DEF TOT AST PF-DQ ST BL PTS AVG
87-88 49 405 90 193 .466 40 57 .702 28 35 63 26 54-0 16 15 220 4.5
88-89 81 2657 604 1242 .486 284 361 .787 116 261 377 218 258-5 124 72 1495 18.5
89-90 79 2522 540 1089 .496 256 317 .808 109 238 347 225 216-2 88 63 1340 17.0
90-91 79 2878 598 1219 .491 281 340 .826 119 291 410 201 234-1 98 85 1478 18.7
91-92 82 3070 703 1397 .503 292 343 .851 117 277 394 185 258-4 125 105 1703 20.8
92-93 80 3144 663 1410 .470 326 376 .867 88 259 347 298 248-1 118 77 1666 20.8
TOTALS 450 14674 3198 6550 .488 1479 1794 .824 577 1361 1938 1153 1268-13 569 417 7902 17.6
Three-Point Field Goals: 1987-88, 0-for-4 (.000); 1988-89, 3-for-22 (.136); 1989-90, 4-for-15 (.267); 1990-91, 1-for-13 (.077); 1991-92, 5-for-21 (.238); 1992-93, 14-for-60 (.233). Totals: 27-for-135 (.200).
Playoff Record
87-88 12 70 13 34 .382 3 5 .600 9 7 16 4 13-0 3 2 29 2.4
88-89 3 125 26 55 .473 9 13 .692 5 16 21 11 11-0 5 0 61 20.3
89-90 5 200 37 62 .597 27 35 .771 9 16 25 22 14-0 7 2 101 20.2
90-91 11 462 95 195 .487 56 68 .824 18 50 68 32 33-1 12 6 246 22.4
91-92 10 408 115 218 .528 48 63 .762 11 32 43 39 38-2 24 8 280 28.0
92-93 1 13 7 11 .636 3 4 .750 2 0 2 1 1-0 0 1 17 17.0
TOTALS: 42 1278 293 575 .510 146 188 .777 54 121 175 109 110-3 51 19 734 17.5
Three-Point Field Goals: 1987-88, 0-for-1 (.000); 1988-89, 0-for-2 (.000); 1989-90, 0-for-1 (.000); 1990-91, 0-for-4 (.000); 1991-92, 2-for-6 (.333); 1992- 93, 0-for-1 (.000). Totals: 2-for-15 (.133).