In the offseason of 1993, rising Boston Celtics star small forward Reggie Lewis collapsed on a basketball court at Brandeis during offseason practice play and passed away after repeated attempts to revive the former Northeastern standout failed.
Seen by many fans as the heir apparent to Larry Bird and the bridge to a post-original “big three” era of Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, the Celtics instead found themselves reeling from the loss of a franchise cornerstone player for the second time in less than a decade. In honor of Lewis’ life and contributions to the team, the franchise retired his No. 35 jersey to the rafters in 1995.
To honor his passing on the day of that jersey retirement, watch the ceremony in its entirety held in the old Boston Garden to a packed house with Celtics alumni who were teammates, legends, or both in attendance.
Rest in Peace, Reggie.
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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire