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BOSTON — To say he was the greatest to ever "play" at Northeastern would be an injustice.
Certainly the statistics, accolades and records Reggie Lewis accumulated and broke in his four-year career on Huntington Avenue cement his legacy as the most prolific basketball player in the school's history. But Lewis was far more than just a student-athlete – he was a true gentleman, and one of the most world-class sportsmen and ambassadors New England has ever, and likely will ever, see.
Today, the 20th anniversary of his sudden death, the Northeastern community celebrates and remembers Lewis' once-in-a-generation reputation both on and off the court.
On July 27, 1993, Lewis fatally collapsed during an off-season workout at Brandeis University while he was a member of the Boston Celtics. The cause of death was later determined to be hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the walls of the heart to stiffen and leads to impeded blood flow from the heart. He was just 27.
His funeral was among the largest ever attended in Boston, with 7,000 paying tribute to one of the city's favorite sons. The humble and famous came to Matthews Arena to pay their respects, including senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry; Governor Michael Dukakis; Celtic teammates, including Larry Bird and Robert Parish; and Lewis' college coach, Jim Calhoun.
Current Northeastern Director of Athletics Peter Roby remembers the day vividly. "It was one of the saddest days of my adult life, standing in line with my wife and hundreds of other people on St. Botolph Street waiting to get into Matthews Arena for his memorial service. I'll never forget it."
His death stunned the city of Boston and the entire NBA community as Lewis, a native of Baltimore, Md., had already blossomed into one of the most endearing athletes in the country after just six years as a pro. Much of that affection was attributable to his commitment to the cities of Baltimore and Boston, both on the basketball court and in the community.
Boston first took notice of Lewis when he propelled Northeastern into the national spotlight after being recruited by Calhoun in 1983.
Lewis' impact was instantaneous, averaging 18 points per game as a freshman and leading the Huskies to a 14-0 America East record and 27-5 mark overall, still the highest single-season win total in program history. Northeastern won the 1984 conference tournament and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, where it beat Long Island in the first round before being knocked out by VCU. Lewis was named the 1984 America East Rookie of the Year.
"I knew Reggie when I was coaching at Harvard and he was a student-athlete at Northeastern," Roby said. "As a person involved in sport, you could not help but to notice what kind of player he was and what he was accomplishing at Northeastern. It was phenomenal."
The Huskies reached the Big Dance in each of Lewis' four years on campus, never losing a conference tournament game and going 102-26 overall and 72-6 in America East play. Lewis was named the conference's Player of the Year in each of his final three seasons after averaging 24.1 points per game as a sophomore, still a program record, and 23.3 as a senior.
Lewis singlehandedly rewrote the Northeastern record books, ranking first in career points (2,709), scoring average (22.2 points per game), field goals (1,043) and free throws (592). He is also third on the all-time list in rebounds (964), steals (226) and blocks (155). He was inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame in 1995, and his number 35 is the only basketball number in school history to be retired.
He proved himself to be a big-time performer in the professional ranks as well. Drafted by the Boston Celtics in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1987 NBA Draft, Lewis paid his dues as a bench player early in his career before breaking into the starting rotation during his second season. After six years in the NBA, Lewis had already helped lead the Celtics to three division titles and minimized the fallout from Larry Bird's retirement in 1992.
Lewis, who also served as the Celtics' captain, started every game in his final three seasons from 1990 to 1993, averaging 17.6 points per game, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists for his career. He was named an All-Star in 1992, and he is the only player in Celtics history to record 100 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks in a single season. His number 35 was retired in 1995.
As extraordinary as Lewis' efforts were on the basketball court, so too was his value to the community.
"He was superman on the basketball court and Clark Kent off of it," said then Northeastern president John Curry. "Reggie Lewis was a genuine hero."
Roby recalled an event in Lewis' native Baltimore that exhibited his ties to the community there. "I was working with him as a marketing manager at Reebok, and we were in Baltimore for a court renewal project that Reggie helped lead. More than 1,000 people came out, surrounding the court on a 100-degree day. The people wanted to be there with him, and with his family, to celebrate Reggie and to name the court in his honor."
In Boston, the best example, among many, of Lewis' motto to give back was his Thanksgiving Day giveaway. Arranged by Reggie and his wife, Donna, the Lewis family provided hundreds of turkeys with all the trimmings to the needy in celebratory ceremonies at Matthews Arena.
"I remember well a young boy lugging a turkey gazing way up at Reggie, who was sporting a Christmas cap, saying 'are you Santa Claus?'" said Jack Grinold, associate athletic director emeritus. "Reggie broke into that great smile and said, 'no, just Reggie.' And that was the way he was with everyone. Rich, famous or otherwise, he was just Reggie, and for this he was loved."
Two decades after his untimely death, Lewis' presence can still be felt in every corner of the Northeastern campus. His retired number hangs in both Matthews Arena and Cabot Center. Photos, punctuated by his unmistakable smile, adorn office and meeting room walls. And his legacy — a growing legacy — takes hold of another generation of students. "What Reggie did at Northeastern created legitimacy for us and the belief that we can be great," Roby said. "His legacy, because of what he accomplished at Northeastern, allows us to aspire to be great."
