Reggie Lewis – Age 27
Reggie Lewis is the lone NBA player on the list of 10 athletes that died young that actually got to play in the NBA. He was a small forward for the Boston Celtics before collapsing during an off-season practice due to a heart defect. He averaged 20.8 points per game in each of his last two seasons with the Celtics, and finished with a career average of 17.6 points per contest.