Patrick Ewing, one of the greatest players in New York Knicks history, is going to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame today in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was drafted with the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, the first draft lottery in league history.
Ewing was a three-time All-American at Georgetown and reached the championship game of the NCAA tournament three out of four years he was there. Georgetown defeated the Houston Cougars led by Hall of Fame classmate Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984. The former Hoya was named the AP National Player of the Year in his senior season.
Ewing began his illustrious career with the Knicks winning the 1986 NBA Rookie of the Year award. The seven-footer made an immediate impact, averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game.
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He averaged over 20 points in a season 13 times and at least 10 rebounds nine times while he controlled the paint for the Knicks. He averaged a career best 28.6 points per game in the 1989-1990 season, and was a first team All-NBA selection.
Ewing played 15 seasons for the Knicks and is the all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocked shots, and steals. The Jamaican born center finished his career with 24,815 points with 11,607 rebounds and 2,894 blocked shots.
In NBA history he ranks 20th all-time in points and seventh in defensive rebounds and blocks. He was also an 11 NBA All-Star, including 10 straight appearances from 1988-97.
His number, 33, was retired by the franchise in February of 2003. Ewing retired from the game after the 2001-2002 season. Now 46 years old, he is an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic.
He is a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner ('84, '92). Even though Ewing never captured that elusive NBA title, he led the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999.
Olajuwon got his revenge as the Houston Rockets beat New York in the '94 finals in seven games. Ewing closed out his career playing for the Seattle Supersonics and Orlando Magic, but will enter the Hall as a New York Knick.
Patrick Ewing will join players Adrian Dantley and Hakeem Olajuwon, coaches Pat Riley and Cathy Rush, broadcaster Dick Vitale, and owner Bill Davidson to make up the class of 2008.
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2 months ago
Ewing played 15 seasons for the Knicks and is the all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocked shots, and steals."
There is no way that I believe Patrick Eweing is the all-time Knicks leader is STEALS??!?!?!?! Fact-checking and editting probably wouldn't hurt.
from 2 months ago
ewing is the knicks all time leader in steals
http://www.nba.com/history/ewing_030228.html
2 months ago
i like the article. He is such a great player and now they have his son on the team.
2 months ago
Single biggest mistake the NYK ever made was firing Earnie Grunfeld as GM during Ewings last season..l Earnie would have signed Patrick to a fair final contract instead of Layden making the monstorous Ewing trade that killed their cap for years, and tarnished Ewings finish in the NBA. He was ready to pass the torch to Camby with integrity, despite the press's houndings. He would have started, but Camby would have played more and more minutes.. and the last 8 years of dissaster would have been avoided!
Despite his faluts, you can't criticize Ewing a bit.. he did his best, maximized his talents, and beat everyone less than him. Only thing he could have done was be a better, smarter position defender against a guy like smits, or even a guy like shaq, who was the better player, but didn't have Ewings experience. That also reminds me that Ewing never played the press the way Shqaq does so well. I blame John Thompson for protecting him so much as a Hoya.
But that is like.. PE will always be a favorite.
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