July 27, 1993

Boston Celtics captain Reggie Lewis is doing some light shooting with a friend rebounding for him at Brandeis University when he suddenly collapses. Police arrive 10 minutes later and paramedics seven minutes after that. They administer advanced cardiac life support measures before they take him to a nearby hospital, where resuscitation efforts continue to be unsuccessful.

Lewis had collapsed with a heart ailment during a playoff game against the Charlotte Hornets three months ago. Since then, there was conflicting opinion among some of Boston's top cardiologists over whether Lewis should return to playing basketball.

Some doctors warned Lewis that he would risk his life if he ever played basketball again, while another group of doctors gave a second opinion, that he didn't have a life-threatening heart ailment.

The Celtics' first-round draft choice out of Northeastern in 1987, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17.6 points in his six seasons in the NBA.

Reggie Lewis was 27 years old.