Celebrity New York Knicks fan and stand-up comedian Richard Lewis passed away at the age of 76 this week. Per Chris Koseluk of The Hollywood Reporter, Lewis suffered a heart attack on Tuesday and died peacefully in his sleep.
A Brooklyn native, Lewis was often on celebrity row at Madison Square Garden where he cheered on his beloved Knicks. New York Post reporter Stefan Bondy recalled seeing Lewis frequent the sidelines for the Knicks' most recent NBA Finals runs in 1994 and 1999.
"(Lewis) told me a couple years back that he wore his Knicks prayer pajamas in the preseason," Bondy said. "(He) traveled to Houston to see the ‘94 Finals, took Larry David to San Antonio for 99 Finals. (He) will catch the next Knicks championship from a higher place."
Lewis is perhaps best known to modern audiences for portraying an exaggerated version of himself on the ongoing HBO comedy series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," where he held a recurring role as the best friend of fellow Knicks fan David (also portraying himself), a role he frequently played in real life as well.
"Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he's been like a brother to me," David wrote in a statement. "He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob, and for that, I'll never forgive him."
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