July 27, 1993. That was the day that Reggie Lewis passed away due to cardiac arrest. Before his untimely passing, Lewis was showing the signs of a future NBA star. In six seasons for the Boston Celtics, Lewis averaged 17.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, shooting 48.8% from the field.
Lewis was also well-liked among the NBA community and had formed a close friendship with Sam Cassell – who recently joined the Celtics as an assistant coach. In a recent interview with Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, Cassell recalled the moment that he was informed of Lewis’ passing, noting how he ‘just fell’ to his knees.
“I’ll never forget that day ever,” Cassell told Bulpett. “I was with the Rockets at my first summer league as a rookie, and we were at the Rocky Mountain Revue. This was before social media and all that, and Rudy Tomjanovich (Houston coach) told me to come to his room at the Embassy Suites. He said, ‘I just want to tell you Reggie Lewis passed away. And before he could say anything else, I just fell to my knees. That was so hard, man.”
In April of 1993, Lewis collapsed during a postseason contest against the Charlotte Hornets, in the first sign of his heart condition. Unfortunately, differing opinions from physicians played a role in the tragedy. 30 years later, Celtics fans still mourn his passing.
Bronny James recently suffered a cardiac arrest
On Monday, July 24, Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest while attending an informal team workout with the USC Trojans. Fortunately, Bronny is described as stable in a statement from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
“We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information,” The statement Charania shared said. “LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.”
USC All-American Bronny James collapsed on the court Monday and had a cardiac arrest. He was taken to the hospital and is now in stable condition and no longer in the ICU. Statement: pic.twitter.com/5z9F2qAWP0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 25, 2023
Even in 2023, with all of the sports science available, there is no telling how the body will react to high-level physical exertion. The fact that Bronny’s cardiac arrest occurred so close to Lewis’ anniversary is nothing more than a coincidence. Yet, the fact won’t have been lost on long-time NBA fans.
Thankfully, Bronny is likely to make a full recovery and will have the support of his doctors, teammates, and family to help him through what will likely be a tough rehabilitation process.
Jeff Green also had a heart condition when with the Celtics
Shortly after the 2011 NBA lockout had ended, Jeff Green was diagnosed with a heart issue while undergoing a routine physical examination before the season began. Green’s heart issue was severe enough to warrant surgery, forcing him to miss the entire season.
Green’s condition is known as an aortic root aneurysm. According to a 2018 article by ESPN’S Baxter Holmes, Green was informed by his doctors that he could potentially continue to play with his condition but would run the risk of potentially dying on the court. Green elected to have the surgery.
“I had to really fight for my life,” Green told Holmes. “I almost died over this game.”
Following a successful surgery and rehabilitation program, Green returned to the NBA, where he has played in a further 11 seasons, even winning a championship with Denver Nuggets this past season.
Subscribe to the ‘AdamTaylorNBA Show’ on YouTube:
