On this day: Reggie Lewis dies; Brown, Rozier, Green, Crowder signed
On this day in Boston Celtics history, rising franchise star Reggie Lewis would die unexpectedly after collapsing on a basketball court at Brandeis University while working out in the offseason in 1993.
Lewis, who had previously been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat after another on-court collapse during the prior season, passed away after attempts by local police to resuscitate the Northeastern product were not successful. The 22nd overall pick of the 1987 NBA draft for the Celtics, Lewis was widely seen as a critical part of Boston’s future, and the bridge to a successful future after the Larry Bird – Kevin McHale – Robert Parish era.
Along with the loss of forward Len Bias in 1986, this was a major contributing cause to the team’s ‘wilderness era’ of mediocrity that would last more than a decade.
The Baltimore native played six seasons for the Celtics before his passing, owning a career average of 17.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, and an All-Star nod in 1993.
His No. 35 jersey was retired by the team in 1995.
On this day in 2016, current Celtic Jaylen Brown signed a four-year, $21,404,269 rookie contract, which he would follow by inking a four-year, $107 million extension in 2019.
The Georgia native had been drafted third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Cal-Berkeley and continues to improve each season, making his first All-Star game in 2021.
Ex-Celtic wing Gerald Green signed a one-year deal for $1,410,598 on the same day. It marked the start of his second stint with the team, the first being when he’d been drafted by the team directly out of high school in the 2005 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick.
Green put up 8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game over three seasons with the team and would leave the franchise in free agency the second time around.
Former Celtics center Tyler Zeller signed a deal on the same day after having been traded to the team from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a salary dump to make space for the contract of LeBron James in 2014.
Zeller recorded a career average of 7.1 points, 4 boards, and an assist per game with Boston.
Providence College product Ben Bentil signed a deal with the team that day as well but never suited up for the Celtics.
Instead, he would be waived by the team and would fail to latch on elsewhere. He is now playing overseas with Bahçeşehir Koleji of the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL).
Onetime Celtic forward Jae Crowder signed a deal today too, but it was inked a year earlier in 2015, a five-year deal for $35 million.
The Marquette product would play three seasons with Boston, averaging 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while with the team.
It was the same day ex-Celtic guard Terry Rozier inked a four-season, $8,769,710 rookie contract, drafted out of Louisville earlier that summer with the 16th overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft.
The Ohio native would put up 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while with Boston.
Celtic draftee RJ Hunter signed his rookie deal that day too — a two-year, $2,348,880 deal.
Hunter, drafted 28th overall in the 2015 NBA draft out of Georgia State, played 37 games with the Celtics over two stints. He averaged 3.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game over that stretch.
It is also the date of guard Zoran Dragic being traded from the Miami Heat to Boston for a heavily protected draft asset.
The brother of Miami guard Goran Dragic, Zoran never suited up for the Celtics, waived by the team instead.
Former Celtics shooting guard Allan Ray was waived on this date in 2007 after playing one season with the team.
Ray recorded 6.2 points and 1.5 boards per game with the team that season, his sole in the NBA.
Finally, ex-Celtic forward Marvin Barnes was born on this day in 1952 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Traded to the team from the Buffalo Braves as part of the exchange of players occurring after the team’s owners also exchanged franchises in 1978, he would play just 38 games for Boston before being waived the following February.
He averaged 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game as a Celtic.
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