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Milwaukee family devastated after 21-year-old collapsed and died playing basketball

Posted at 3:56 PM, Oct 25, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-25 21:28:08-04

MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee family is devastated by the sudden loss of a young man. 

21-year-old Nasir Matthews collapsed and died Tuesday while playing pick-up basketball. Terrell Matthews was there as his cousin and best friend fell to the ground after a game.

"The second game ended, he went over to the fan, leaned over for a second and he just went out," Matthews said. "Everything started happening so fast."

Matthews said at first, everyone thought he was joking around. 

"After about 30 seconds they all started to see his eyes were just a blank stare," Matthews said.

Matthews called 911 as others tried to revive him with a defibrillator at the school. Despite their efforts, Matthews was pronounced dead a short time later.

"At this point, we don't know why he fell out," said Matthews' aunt Camille Rose. "He didn't have any known medical condition other than an enlarged heart." 

Rose said this brings another round of grieving for Matthews' younger siblings who can't seem to catch a break. 

"The kids were all trying to deal with the loss of their mother, their grandmother and basically their father," Rose said.  

Through the tears, Matthews looks back at the memories he shared with his cousin. 

"He was always happy, even through what he's been through," Matthews said.  

The tragedy serves as a painful reminder to never take a loved one for granted, no matter their age. 

Matthews' family is still waiting on autopsy results to find out exactly why he died.