Raymond Lewis 2001 Deaths

Raymond Lewis

Los Angeles basketball legend, who left college early for the NBA but never played a minute of pro basketball due to a career path that took one tragic turn after another; a schoolyard and high school phenom, he averaged more than 30 points-per-game his first two years at Cal State-Los Angeles (played varsity as a sophomore); drafted by Philadelphia at the end of the first round in 1973, outplayed the 76ers first overall pick Doug Collins in practice and as a result held out over a contract dispute; lawsuits and frequent disappearances later kept him from playing professional basketball with Utah of the ABA, Philadelphia again and the San Diego Clippers. He died from complications following the amputation of a leg.