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42-684: The Center was named after Reggie Lewis , a former college basketball player for Northeastern University and professional player for the Boston Celtics . On April 29, 1993, he collapsed on the floor of the Boston Garden while playing a game against the Charlotte Hornets . On July 27, 1993, he suffered sudden cardiac death during an off-season practice at Brandeis University . March 2014 centenarian masters track and field athlete, LeLand McPhie (age 100), won gold medals in

84-700: A basketball gymnasium that can seat up to 1,300 people. It also has provisions for volleyball and wrestling . Also in the Center is a dance studio, a weight and fitness room, shower/locker facilities, seminar rooms, and more. The field house and gymnasium can also both be used for meetings and seminars on a larger scale. The annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival has been held there for 15 of its 17 annual iterations , drawing tens of thousands of attendees. Lastly, The Reggie Lewis Center also houses Bay State Physical Therapy. One of Boston's best outpatient physical therapy clinics, where they provide services to residents of

126-717: A cocaine overdose . As a rookie, Lewis played sporadically, averaging 8.3 minutes per game under coach K. C. Jones . By his second season, thanks in part to a new coach (and an injury to Bird), Lewis averaged over 30 minutes and scored 18.5 points per game. In 1991, Lewis scored a career-high 42 points during a win against the Miami Heat . The following season, Lewis was selected to play in his first and only NBA All-Star Game , held in Orlando, Florida . He played 15 minutes, scoring 7 points and grabbing 4 rebounds. Lewis averaged 20.8 points in each of his last two seasons with

168-601: A 'dismissive' policy toward drugs by the NBA." The Journal added the following: Whether Mr. Lewis died from a heart damaged by cocaine -- as many doctors suspected then and now -- cannot be definitively shown. What is evident: The official cause of death, a heart damaged by a common-cold virus, is a medically nonsensical finding by a coroner who was under intense pressure from the Lewis family to exclude any implication of drug use. The Boston Celtics responded by expressing sadness about

210-426: A heart attack in 1993, he acknowledged having used cocaine, but said he had stopped." On the other hand, the doctor who performed the autopsy on Lewis testified that the scarring on his heart was inconsistent with cocaine use, and other doctors reached the same conclusion though they "stopped short of saying he never used drugs." Also, Lewis's heart tissue tested positive for adenovirus (a common virus that can cause

252-593: A member of the Oklahoma City Thunder in honor of Lewis. Lewis was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Boston Celtics in the 1987 NBA draft . The Celtics were looking to add some youth to the team, especially for the aging "Big 3" of Larry Bird , Kevin McHale , and Robert Parish . This need became more urgent after Len Bias , the 2nd overall pick in the 1986 NBA draft , died of

294-475: A performance by Irving Brokaw . The arena's first ice hockey game was won by the Harvard Freshmen hockey team, who defeated Newton High School , 4–0. The Harvard varsity squad played later that evening, losing to Crescent H. C. , 1–0. The Arena's original ice surface was larger than the current standard at 220-by-90-foot (67 m × 27 m). The first games of professional ice hockey at

336-609: A range of cold- or flu-like infections) during his autopsy. After Lewis' death, the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center was opened in Roxbury, Boston . The center was funded partially by Lewis and has hosted major indoor track and field competitions, the Boston Indoor Games , home basketball games for Roxbury Community College, and Northeastern University track and field events. On March 22, 1995,

378-688: Is more visible to all spectators. It seats 3,500 people. The Reggie Lewis Center track and field facility is generally regarded as one of the premier facilities in the Northeastern United States, and is also one of the premier facilities in the United States as a whole. The venue has hosted the Boston Indoor Games meeting every year since 1996. It played host to the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships on multiple occasions. The Reggie Lewis Center also features

420-528: Is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in use for ice hockey . There are current plans to demolish the historic arena and replace it with a new facility. It is the original home of the National Hockey League (NHL) Boston Bruins —the only team of the NHL's Original Six whose original home arena still exists for the sport of ice hockey;

462-480: The Boston Arena , groundbreaking took place on October 11, 1909. The 1896 United States skating champion Herbert S. Evans dug the first portion of earth. The arena was to have a capacity of 5,000 and was to be used for ice skating, curling, horse shows, and a variety of sporting events. The arena had its own power plant, which powered the two 100-ton ice machines and all of the arena's lighting. Charles C. Abbey

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504-653: The Boston Celtics played their first ever game in front of 4,329 fans at the Boston Arena. . The team split its home games between the Garden and the Arena until 1955. In 1952, the Arena served as the first home to the annual Beanpot tournament between Boston's four major college hockey programs. From 1953 to 1970, it hosted the Boston Arena Christmas Tournament . In April 16, 1953,

546-553: The Boston Celtics retired Lewis' jersey. Lewis had worn the number 35 for his entire career. During the ceremony, former teammate Dee Brown made a speech while two other former teammates, Sherman Douglas and Xavier McDaniel , held up Lewis' framed jersey. Lewis' contract remained on the Celtics' salary cap for two full seasons after his death because at the time the NBA did not have a provision to void contracts if an active player died; NBA Commissioner David Stern suggested that

588-658: The Mechanics Hall and then to the Mount Benedict Knights of Columbus Hall in Somerville, Massachusetts . In 1927, Homer Loring , chairman of the Boston & Maine Railroad , announced that the construction of a new sports arena at their North Station facility. The Madison Square Garden Corporation signed a 25-year lease for the arena. The Boston Garden opened in 1928 and replaced the Arena as

630-522: The age of 27 , Lewis died while still a member of the Celtics, and his number was posthumously retired by the team. Born in Baltimore, Maryland , Lewis attended high school at Dunbar High School , where he played basketball alongside future NBA players Muggsy Bogues , Reggie Williams and David Wingate . The 1981–82 Dunbar Poets finished the season at 29–0 during Lewis' junior season and finished 31–0 during his senior season, and were ranked first in

672-432: The "vicious attack on Reggie Lewis and his family" and threatening "to file a $ 100 million lawsuit against the reporter, The Wall Street Journal , and its parent company, Dow Jones and Co. Inc." Dr. Gilbert Mudge, a doctor who treated Lewis, was sued for malpractice in connection with Lewis' death; in written responses to questions from the attorneys for Donna Harris-Lewis, Mudge said that "16 days before Lewis collapsed from

714-409: The Arena and a non-fatal serious stabbing outside. Headlining the bill were Jerry Lee Lewis , Chuck Berry , and Buddy Holly & The Crickets. Alan Freed was arrested after police repeatedly had the house-lights turned on to stop teens jiving in the aisles, and Freed issued the now infamous line, "I guess the police don't want you to have fun." Other famous acts to grace the arena were The Doors in

756-675: The Arena on Monday, December 1, 1924. with the Bruins' most historic rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens being initiated only one week later. In 1925, professional basketball made is debut at the Arena when the Boston Whirlwinds of the American Basketball League played their inaugural home game on November 30, 1925. Unable to meet its financial obligations, the team moved its games first to

798-663: The Arena took place in March 1911 when a two-game $ 2,500 competition between two NHA teams, the Montreal Wanderers and the Ottawa Senators took place. The Arena was the home ice for a number of amateur and college hockey teams, including the Boston Athletic Association , Boston Arenas , Westminster Hockey Club , Boston College , Boston University , Harvard , and MIT . The Arena

840-697: The Boston Garden-Arena Corporation sold the Boston Arena to Samuel L. Pinsly for $ 240,000. He planned on doubling the size of the building and converting it into a garment manufacturing facility, as the purchase agreement included a five-year ban on sports or events at building unless it was acquired by a government entity. Three months later, the building was purchased by the Metropolitan District Commission for $ 280,000, which planned on using it for high school sports and other athletic events. Francis Ouimet

882-509: The Celtics, and finished with a career average of 17.6 points per contest. On April 29, 1993, in Game 1 of the Celtics' playoff series against the Charlotte Hornets , Lewis suddenly collapsed on the court and remained on the ground for several seconds. After he finally got up, he looked perplexed and dazed as he headed to the Celtics bench. Lewis returned briefly to the game but was eventually pulled due to dizziness and shortness of breath. He left

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924-753: The Roxbury community as well as the Metro Boston area. While there are many tenants of the Reggie Lewis Center, some include: The following are the top marks ever set at the Reggie Lewis track: Reggie Lewis Reginald C. Lewis (November 21, 1965 – July 27, 1993) was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association 's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993 . At

966-625: The Sweet 16 when Rolando Lamb scored at the buzzer to lift VCU over the Huskies. His uniform number was retired and hangs in tribute in Matthews Arena (the home of Northeastern University's men's basketball team and the Celtics' original home arena in 1946). As a Celtic, he and his family lived in Dedham, Massachusetts . He was a second cousin of PJ Dozier , who wore the jersey number 35 as

1008-520: The Varsity Club now sits, for his second bout with Sonny Liston . Professional wrestling events were also staged there. In the 1950s the arena also hosted the Rodeo led by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Matthews Arena also proved famous as a concert venue during much of its lifetime. On Saturday evening May 3, 1958 the 'Big Beat' Rock n Roll show hosted by Alan Freed was cut short due to riots inside

1050-637: The WHA New England Whalers (now the NHL Carolina Hurricanes ); and the NBA's Boston Celtics . Today is used by the Northeastern Huskies men's and women's ice hockey teams, and men's basketball team as well as various high school ice hockey programs in the city of Boston. The venue also hosts Northeastern's graduation ceremonies, its annual Springfest concert, and other events. Originally named

1092-485: The building from the MDC pending completion of the purchase. The sale never took place and in 1977, the MDC leased the Arena at no cost to Northeastern University. The Arena was purchased by Northeastern University on October 3, 1979. The arena was known as Northeastern Arena until November 14, 1982, when it was renamed Matthews Arena in honor of the university's chairman emeritus George Matthews. A 1995 renovation expanded

1134-494: The city's venue for premier boxing, wrestling, and track events. The Bruins broke their contract the Arena to move to the Garden, which to a legal battle between the two sides that ended in 1933, when Bruins owner Charles F. Adams agreed to pay the arena $ 54,000. Boston Arena general manager George V. Brown was able to keep the venue running with college hockey, figure skating, and professional wrestling cards promoted by Paul Bowser and Price and Dellamano Promotions. The Arena

1176-447: The game having scored 17 points in 13 minutes of action in what turned out to be his final NBA game. The following day, Lewis checked into New England Baptist Hospital , where he underwent a series of tests by more than a dozen heart specialists, whom the Celtics called their "dream team" of doctors. Lewis was diagnosed with "focal cardiomyopathy ", a disease of the heart muscle that can cause irregular heartbeat and heart failure. Lewis

1218-515: The ice surface from 200 by 80 to 200 by 90 feet (61 m × 24 m to 61 m × 27 m). In May 2024, Northeastern University filed a letter of intent to the Boston Planning & Development Agency to construct a new multi-purpose athletics facility designed that would tear down and replace the historic Matthews Arena. This came as concerns surrounding the structural integrity of Matthews Arena increased: scaffolding

1260-579: The nation by USA Today . Lewis attended Northeastern University in Boston . Over his four years at Northeastern, Lewis scored 2,708 points, still the all-time record at the university. His Northeastern teams won the ECAC North all four seasons and played in the NCAA men's basketball tournament every year. The 1983–84 Huskies advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament , falling one point shy of

1302-724: The officers was James Crowley . Lewis is buried in an unmarked grave in Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts . His death was attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy , a structural heart defect that is the most common cause of death in young athletes. Following Lewis' death, questions were raised about whether he had used cocaine, and whether cocaine use had contributed to his death. The Wall Street Journal reported that physicians "suspected that cocaine killed Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis...but they were thwarted by actions by his family and

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1344-444: The remaining NBA teams should approve an exemption for Lewis' contract, but the teams refused to do so. The rules have since been changed so that a similar case would result in a deceased player's contract being paid by league insurance. Matthews Arena Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena ) is a historic multi-purpose arena in Boston , Massachusetts currently owned by Northeastern University . At over 120 years old,

1386-458: The season. Matthews hosted every president from Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 to John F. Kennedy in 1946. Other dignitaries to hold events at the arena include Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart . Boxing was once a mainstay at the arena and hosted bouts with Jack Sharkey , Jack Dempsey , Gene Tunney , Joe Louis and Marvin Hagler . Muhammad Ali trained at what was called Santos Gym, where

1428-473: The weight throw, superweight throw and shot put. The Reggie Lewis Center has a 200-meter indoor Mondo Super X track, with areas for the high jump, long/triple jump, pole vault, and a 55/60 meter dash runway on the infield. There is a shot put cage in the corner of the stadium, however during professional meets (such as the Boston Indoor Games), the shot put is usually held on the infield where it

1470-775: Was also home to the American Basketball League's Boston Trojans during their only season. The Garden ran their shows at a loss in order to keep events away from the Arena. In 1934, the smaller Boston Arena Corporation, led by Henry G. Lapham , purchased a controlling interest in the Boston Garden. In 1936, the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation bought out the remaining stock owned by the Madison Square Garden Corporation. On November 5, 1946,

1512-528: Was destroyed by fire on December 18, 1918. It was rebuilt, and the new facility opened January 1, 1921, with an ice show. The NHL 's first US-based franchise, the Boston Bruins , made the Boston Arena their home from 1924 to 1928. Before the team began play, the Arena reduced its ice surface from 190 feet to 80 feet to conform to NHL regulations. This also allowed the Arena to add 1,000 seats. The Bruins played their first-ever NHL regular season game at

1554-481: Was erected to support the east end of the arena in 2024, part of the student section as well as the Varsity Club (home to the arena's only licensed bar) were closed, and the foundation, built on reclaimed land once part of a wharf, was found to be sinking. If the plans are approved by the Boston Planning & Development Agency, it will result in the loss of the oldest hockey arena in the United States, that

1596-586: Was named chairman of the MDC's Boston Arena Authority and Clark Hodder was named manager of the Arena. The Arena hosted the 1960 NCAA men's ice hockey tournament . In 1962, Tony Santos began promoting wrestling at the Arena. The venue was also home to the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1974. In 1975, the MDC offered to sell the Arena to the city of Boston for $ 450,000. The city leased

1638-573: Was retired by the Celtics, making him one of only two Celtics to have a retired number without winning a championship with the team, the other player being Ed Macauley . On July 27, 1993, during off-season practice at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts , Lewis suffered sudden cardiac death on the basketball court at the age of 27 years old. Two Brandeis University police officers found Lewis and attempted to revive him using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation , but they were unsuccessful. One of

1680-548: Was the first home of the Boston Bruins , Boston Celtics , Carolina Hurricanes (then the New England Whalers) and numerous college hockey teams. In addition to notable sporting events, the Matthews Arena has also host many notable figures and musical acts. Matthews Arena has played host to many notable figures and events during its lifetime. Babe Ruth would play hockey scrimmages while off-season in

1722-541: Was the first president and treasurer of the Boston Arena Company and William T. Richardson was the building's first general manager. The arena was scheduled to open on Christmas Day 1909, but construction delays pushed back the opening until April 25, 1910. The arena's inaugural event was an ice carnival to benefit the Sharon Sanatorium. Skating events were held throughout the day, including

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1764-465: Was told his condition was most likely career-ending. However, he later sought a second opinion from Dr. Gilbert Mudge at Brigham and Women's Hospital , who diagnosed Lewis with neurocardiogenic syncope, a less serious non-fatal condition instead. As a result, Lewis began working out in preparation for returning for the 1994 season. Mudge was later cleared of any wrongdoing, and he insisted he had never authorized Lewis to resume workouts. His no. 35 jersey

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