Reggie Lewis & Dražen Petrović

[L.Kizzle]

It's 1993, the league is getting ready for the Finals and NBA All-Star Reggie Lewis passes away at a work out.
The next month during the off-season, tragedy would strike again. Dražen Petrović was killed in a car accident in his hometown.

Reggie averaged about 19/5/3 every season besides his rookie season when he only played 8 minutes a game
Dražen averaged 21/3/3 his final 2 seasons in New Jersey.
Reggie was an All-Star in 1992 and Dražen, All-NBA in 1993.

These guy were both top 20 players at the times of their deaths. I did not start to watch NBA until the next season.

How were these deaths handled by the league and the sports world? I don't know if the league has ever had top players die in the primes of their careers. And two happen back to back.

[Round Mound]

Drazen one of the goat shooters and Reggie a two way all around player. Sad for them and for us since we could have watched their peaks some years later.

[TheGoatest]

Two players who were yet to reach their peaks and who would've elevated the pathetic state of the 90s' shooting guard position had they eventually gone to better teams.

[hateraid]

Reggie Lewis had the best mid range game I've ever seen. He would have created a rivalry with the Pistons/ Bulls had the Celtics chosen to build around him. He was star in the making. A third player who can be said to have rivaled the position was Hank Gahters. Another player who had a stellar jump shot.

Bo Kimble as well had it not been for the emotional trauma of Gather's death.

[Patrick Chewing]

The Drazen death was more of a shock, especially the way he died. He was about to blow up too cause I remember ESPN really starting to cover him more often.