Wow! What a bittersweet walk down memory lane. Thank you very much for posting those videos. I own many Celtics DVDs but none with much Reggie Lewis era footage, so keep this stuff coming. If anybody has any Reggie era games on tape, do whatever you can to post those.
I was pretty young during the Big 3 glory days (born in 1978), so Reggie Lewis was the first Celtics player that I really identified with. He was my favorite player and I had all of the shirts, hats, jerseys and posters that I could afford with his name/image on them. I even held onto the 'Changing of the Guard' poster featuring Reggie and Brian Shaw, even though I hated Brian Shaw! I wore my #35 Lewis jersey whenever I stepped on the court and fought for that number each year in basketball leagues.
Does anyone remember the Reggie Lewis 'Reverse Jam' commercials that they would run when the C's were broadcasted on channel 56? "Catch the Celtics... on 56!".
Those Celtics years were particualarly special to me. My father was a horribly abusive alcoholic and the Celtics were the only thing that we saw eye-to-eye on. Most of my memories of my father revolve around watching the Celtics with him. He would always school me on Red, Cowens, Hondo and then the Bird era guys. I think that I partially started liking Reggie just to cheese him off because he couldn't believe that I could favor anyone over Bird, McHale and Chief. Even still, my dad, younger brother and I would watch these games together way past our bed times and that was enough to make me feel special. Reggie kept improving and came into his own and that somehow gave me some credibility with my father, sadly enough.
Between all of the bad memories that I have of my relationship with my father stands one shining moment. Randomly, my father had seen that Reggie Lewis and Ed Pinkney were going to be at a car dealership in the small town of Dudley, MA. Instead of going out and partaking in his normal un-work-related shifts at the bar, he decided to take my brother out to meet Reggie Lewis. Reggie was so friendly and took the time to actually talk with us. He signed my ball and basketball card. I was in heaven on earth and my dad was a hero for that one day.
Ironically enough, I lost touch with my father shortly after Reggie passed away. I know where he is and see him every couple years at family gatherings but do not have a relationship to speak of with him. However, these videos almost feel like enough of a shot in the arm for me to pull out the old polaroid of my brother, Lunch Pail Eddie, Reggie and I and make a phone call to him.
I often feel as if my memories of Reggie Lewis and that time in my life are fading. I am so glad you posted these videos because so many memories, feelings and emotions rushed back. I still can't listen to the song 'Lately' that Jodeci covered from Stevie Wonder because that song was on the radio when my mom came down to my bedroom to tell us that Reggie Lewis had died. That memory and feeling has been burnt into my brain but had faded. This, once again, has brought it right back.
Thanks for that,
DRJMAN
Topic: Remembering Reggie Lewis (youtube tribute) (Read 20281 times)