Lewis’ Ailment Could Be Life-Threatening : Heart problem: Celtics’ top scorer will probably have to give up NBA, team doctor says.

Boston Celtic star Reggie Lewis was diagnosed with potentially life-threatening heart problems Monday that in all likelihood will end his career.

Arnold Scheller, the Celtics’ team physician, said it was a “strong probability” Lewis will have to give up basketball. Lewis, against the team’s wishes, has sought a second opinion at another hospital.

Scheller did hold out some hope that Lewis’ condition could improve to the point where he could resume playing.

“I’m probably one of the most optimistic people you’ll ever meet,” he said. “With modern technology, there may be changes, but it would have to be controlled with medication and other things.”

Scheller said Lewis, 27, “dodged a bullet” when he collapsed during a game last week.

In an interview with broadcast stations Monday, Scheller said he told Lewis “this is serious. You can die from this.”

Scheller said Lewis apparently had the same ailment that killed Hank Gathers, a player for Loyola Marymount who collapsed during a game March 4, 1990, and died within two hours.

An autopsy determined Gathers died of cardiomyopathy, a condition that damages an area of heart tissue and can cause it to beat irregularly.

Peter Roisman, Lewis’ agent, said tests begun on Lewis on Monday at Brigham and Women’s Hospital will continue over the next several days. He said Lewis is “comfortable, in stable condition and in good spirits.”

The Celtics’ captain and leading scorer left New England Baptist Hospital, where his heart problems had been diagnosed, about 11:30 p.m. EDT Sunday.

“For whatever reason, he chose to seek a second opinion,” hospital spokesman Jim Rattray said Monday. He added that Lewis took such action against the advice of the Celtics, Scheller and other doctors who treated him.

Calls to Lewis at Brigham and Women’s were not forwarded.

“I’m just out to get some fresh air,” Lewis said as he was leaving New England Baptist, the Boston Globe reported. “The treatment’s great. The treatment’s just tremendous.”

Dave Gavitt, the Celtics’ senior executive vice president, spoke with Lewis by telephone shortly before he left New England Baptist. Gavitt said “the big thing is to really pin down what the problem is and get him well.”

Lewis collapsed midway through the first quarter of Boston’s playoff opener against the Charlotte Hornets. He left the game briefly, then played for 1 minute 4 seconds later in the period and for the first 6:15 of the third period. He didn’t return after suffering shortness of breath.

Boston won, 112-101, but lost a double overtime game, 99-98, Saturday without Lewis, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward. Game 3 of the best-of-five series was Monday night in Charlotte.

Discussing why Lewis and his wife might have decided to switch hospitals, Scheller said: “When you have a loss like this, you go through stages of grief.

“They are clearly in the anger and the denial stage right now. I think that probably interfaced with their decision to switch hospitals last night.”

Thomas Nessa, a New England Baptist cardiologist, and Scheller had been in charge of Lewis’ care. A spokeswoman for Nessa said he was busy Monday with medical procedures.

Lewis had undergone extensive testing, starting Friday morning and continuing into the weekend, that “covered everything from cardiology to blood flow to electrical response to brain wave,” Gavitt said Saturday. “We’ve brought in second opinions as we went along.”

Rattray said a group of 12 specialists from various medical disciplines attended the meeting Sunday with Scheller, Nessa, Gavitt and Celtics General Manager Jan Volk.