Examining Reggie Lewis’ rising stardom through a modern lens

Regardless of the generation you come from, every Celtics fan knows the feeling of a “what-if.”

For me, it’s Gordon Hayward, it’s an NBA Finals scoring drought before a Steph Curry takeover, it’s a Jayson Tatum rolled ankle in a Game 7.

For the fans that followed the Celtics through the early 1980s and ‘90s, there are many to choose from, but the tragic story of Reggie Lewis is likely high among them. Earlier this week, I texted my father-in-law (a diehard Celtics fan who intently followed this era) and asked what his memories were of Lewis and the early-90s Celtics. What I got in response was a 1,755-word email detailing the period between 1990-1993. He called the day of Lewis’ passing, “easily the saddest sports day of my life.”

With the most recent episode of Celtics City highlighting this period, I was inspired to explore the legacy that Lewis left behind. I’d never truthfully watched a full game from this era of Celtics basketball, and with the help of the good people on the r/BostonCeltics subreddit, I was given a compass to follow, tracking down three of Lewis’ most iconic performances in their entirety.

Side Note: It’s a bit baffling how difficult it can be to find classic NBA games with the league itself holding a tight lid over its pre-2012 archives, but it’s comforting to know how many good people out there upload their old broadcast recordings over to YouTube. It’s an archive made by the people. This blog is dedicated to them.

The conclusions won’t be profound, and there’s no new ground to be covered, but it’s an opportunity to see what hope looked like to the fans of the ‘90s, and how Lewis embodied that for them.

Celtics/Bulls (March 31, 1991)

The story entering this game was a familiar one for the Celtics throughout the early ‘90s: the team, though still supremely talented, was beat up. Larry Bird entered the contest with the lingering back concerns that followed him throughout his final days as a Celtic, Kevin McHale was returning from a six-game absence due to an ankle injury and even Lewis himself was banged up, heading into the contest listed as questionable with his own back ailment.

In a moment that really embodied this injury-marred era of Boston basketball, NBC’s Ahmad Rashad noted that McHale’s ankle brace wouldn’t allow him to move left or right, and commented that “his injury is such that it’s not going to get better, so he’s just going to have to go out and play on it.”

That was the story going in, but the dominant narrative about this game today belongs to Lewis’ exceptional four-block performance on Michael Jordan. It’s undeniably the most eye-popping aspect of what is a pretty phenomenal game, but Lewis’ defense on MJ goes well beyond just four blocked shots. He, along with an aggressive double-heavy defense, had Jordan in a prison for about three quarters.

This was also a productive offensive outing from Lewis, who had nice touch in the mid-range in a 25-point game (10/20 FG), but it’s his defense that grabs your attention.

His length, discipline, hyper-quick footwork, and ability to weave around screens kept a hand in MJ’s face and often forced him into contested jumpers. Jordan eventually got to the rim and found his scoring touch, but it was a rough game for a good portion of the night (12/36 FG, 13/13 FT) because of the pressure the Celtics and Lewis threw at him.

That pressure extended to a last-second sequence at the end of the first overtime when Lewis blanketed MJ as he hit a crazy corner 3-pointer just after time expired.

This is a classic game, and Lewis had a huge hand in making it one.

Celtics/Pacers (April 23, 1992), Game 1 of the First Round

The Bulls game was about Lewis as a defender. This one is all about the offense. Taking control of a hobbled team, Lewis led the Celtics in minutes, points, steals and blocks entering the postseason, helping them end the regular season on a hot streak despite Bird’s absence.

Lewis, in a game-high 43 minutes, was a scoring machine in Game 1, putting up 36 points (14/24 FG) through a constant stream of off-ball actions, dribble drives and mid-range jumpers. Taking the bulk of Boston’s offensive opportunities alongside Kevin Gamble (who shot 10/19 in a solid performance of his own), Lewis helped the Celtics pull away from the Pacers in the final minutes to win their first playoff game without Bird on the floor (0-6 record prior to this game).

What really stands out about Lewis in this one is the myriad of ways he could finish. He looked the most deadly flying off pindowns and springing open off screens to fire high-arching jumpers, but his on-ball creation was oftentimes dazzling as he’d drive past defenders like George McCloud, sending them off into the rearview mirror while he attacked the basket.

There’s also one of those retrospectively symbolic moments where you can see the gravity of Boston’s Big 3 still at work. Late in the game, a Pacers double-team on a McHale post-up meant room for Lewis to operate when he sprung into an open pocket of space, taking the pass from McHale and driving into a clutch finish to tie up the game in the fourth quarter.

Boston was heavily reliant on Lewis in this series overall (he took 20+ shots in all three games and was outstanding again in Game 3 with 32 points). As a top scoring option on a playoff stage, he delivered, and it’s easy to look ahead at what else he might’ve done for the rest of his career with that kind of responsibility. In his next season, we’d continue to see Lewis make a name for himself as a primary scoring option.

Celtics/Cavaliers (May 10, 1992), Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals

Bird and Brown were back on the floor for Boston in this one, which was part of a seven-game series, but it was once again Reggie’s show. Despite falling in a pivotal OT finish that could have given Boston a 3-1 series lead, Lewis gave it his all, burying 16 of his 28 attempts for 42 points, dishing out six assists and forcing turnovers with five steals. It was a complete two-way performance, one of the best you’ll ever see, even in a loss.

He also played a pivotal role in a 0-for-9 shooting dud from Craig Ehlo, who managed just a single point for the game.

Lewis was constantly on the floor, leading the team again with 48 minutes. This would be the sixth game of that postseason that Lewis would play 40+ minutes.

This was a scoring masterclass. Every inch of real estate inside the arc (and one time beyond the arc) belonged to Lewis.

This game also presents a “what-if” all in itself. A productive night from McHale off the bench along with Reggie’s scoring nearly got Boston over the finish line to a 3-1 lead, though Mark Price and Brad Daugherty had some big moments down the stretch to get Cleveland the road win. Lewis had the ball in his hands with a chance to extend the game in the final seconds, driving to the middle of the hoop, leaping with two defenders set to contest the shot, and laying off a perfect mid-air pass to Bird, whose layup rimmed out.

A 3-1 series lead possibly gets Boston to a series with Chicago, where Lewis would have again gotten an opportunity to match up with Jordan.

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I wasn’t there for any of it, yet this week’s episode of Celtics City really struck me, as I’m sure it did a lot of viewers. You can see what Lewis meant to this fanbase and to the people who cheered in the Garden. The chants went from “Larry” to “Reggie” for a reason. I’m just scratching the surface, but the message is obvious: Reggie Lewis was a hopeful symbol and a special talent.