Patrick Ewing Jr., the son of New York Knicks legend and Hall of Famer, will wear No. 6 for the Knicks. His father’s 33 jersey was retired by the Knicks in February 2003. The younger Ewing chose No. 6 because it was his father’s Olympic number. The elder Ewing also wore the number when he played his last season with the Orlando Magic. Another reason for picking the number was his favorite player, Bill Russell, also wore No. 6
Ewing Jr. was allowed to wear 33 at Georgetown since they do not retire numbers. As a junior, he helped contribute to the teams run to the final four. In his senior year, he won the Big East Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year. He was drafted by the Sacramento Kings 43rd overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was dealt to the Houston Rockets on August 14th as part of a multi-team deal. Two weeks later, the Knicks acquired for the draft rights to center Frederic Weis.
Knicks executive Donnie Walsh believes he can compete for a roster spot and previously tried to acquire Ewing Jr. on draft night. The Knicks are currently one player over the current roster maximum. However, Ewing’s chances will improve if team brass decides to move Zach Randolph, Stephon Marbury, or Jerome James.
If those players do not get moved, he still has a good chance to make the roster because of his athletic and physical ability. The 6’8” 240 pound forward recorded a 42-inch vertical at the pre-draft combine in May. He has a 7-foot wingspan and received one of two perfect scores at the 2008 College Slam Dunk championship.
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