Happy 63rd Birthday to New York Knicks’ Legend Patrick Ewing
- Jake C
- Aug 5
- 12 min read
Cover photo: New York Knicks’ center Patrick Ewing soars for a rebound against the Indiana Pacers. Photo credit: Manny Millan.
One of the greatest centers in NBA history celebrates a birthday on August 5 as Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing turns 63.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Ewing first began playing football (soccer) and cricket. It was at the age of 12 that he moved to Cambridge, Mass., and then attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School for high school. There, he learned the game of basketball from John Fountain and Mike Jarvis, the latter who was Ewing’s coach at the school.
As a senior, Ewing averaged 22.7 points on 72% shooting from the field along with 15 rebounds and led his school to a perfect 25-0 record. In his final three seasons at Cambridge, the team went 77-1. From 1979-1981, the Falcons, behind Ewing’s stellar play, won three consecutive MIAA Division 1 state titles. In 2012, Ewing was ranked by ESPNHS’ Ronnie Flores as the eighth-best McDonald’s All-American in history. In 1980, Ewing received a tryout opportunity with the US Senior National team. He is the youngest player ever to try out for the team. Ewing of course went on to win Gold with the USA men’s team in 1984, and again in 1992 as part of the Dream Team.
Ewing on February 2, 1981 announced that he would play collegiately for the legendary John Thompson at Georgetown University. In his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, Ewing was a 1st team All-American. In 1984, the Hoyas went 34-3 (14-2 in the Big East), and Thompson’s squad defeated the Houston Cougars 84-75 in the National title game. Ewing tallied 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks in the game, and was the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. His eventual Basketball Hall of Fame counterpart Hakeem Olajuwon scored 15 points with 9 rebounds in the game. In 1985, the Hoyas made the title game but lost to Villanova University by two points, 66-64.
As a sophomore, Ewing’s 10.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game led the nation. He also averaged 17.7 points per game. He averaged 16.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks (1st in the nation) as a junior. His 9.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks (14.6 points) as a senior were also first in the NCAA. Ewing’s success at Georgetown earned him the nickname “The Hoya Destroya”.
The 1984-85 New York Knicks won 24 games under head coach Hubie Brown. On March 30, 1985 in a game against the Kansas City Kings, the team’s superstar forward, Bernard King, went up to block the Kings’ Reggie Theus and planted wrong on his leg. The result was a tear of his ACL. King in his 55 games played that season led the NBA in scoring (32.9 points per game) and was 1st team All-NBA. Still, all hope for the future seemed lost with his injury.
Enter Ewing.
The Knicks won the Draft Lottery, and subsequently the right to select the Georgetown center with the first overall choice in ‘85.
In ‘85-‘86, the Knicks won one less game than the year before, but Ewing quickly established himself. His rookie averages were 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks, numbers that resulted in him winning Rookie of the Year honors and being named to his first of eleven all-star games. The young center played in 50 games as a rook, averaging 35.4 minutes and 16.3 shot attempts, both of which led the team. He made 47.4% of his shot attempts and 73.9% of his attempts from the charity stripe.
After a 4-12 start in ‘86-‘87, Brown was let go, and Bob Hill took over on an interim basis and went 20-46 as head coach of the team for the remainder of that season. Ewing as an NBA sophomore averaged 21.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks on 50.3% from the field (16.7 attempts) in 35 minutes per night. He started 63 games. Gerald Wilkins, brother of Dominique and like Ewing a second year player, made a significant jump in his rookie output to his second year - 12.5 points as a rookie to 19.1 in his second season.
The Knicks hired Rick Pitino ahead of the ‘87-‘88 season, and in that campaign improved on their win total from the previous season to 38 wins and a playoff berth. Newcomer point guard Mark Jackson won Rookie of the Year, and Ewing had his best season yet - 20.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2nd team All-NBA, 2nd team All-Defense, and fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. His ‘88 All-Star nod was his first of ten consecutive. In the four games against the Boston Celtics in the first round (3-1 Boston), Ewing averaged 18.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game. Going up against Hall of Famers Kevin McHale and Robert Parish inside, the 26-year-old had himself a series.
Patrick Ewing Stats - 1988 First Round vs. BOS
Game 1: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, 7-of-15 FG, 35 mins
Game 2: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 steals, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 8-of-14 FG, 41 mins
Game 3: 31 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 10-of-16 FG, 11-of-12 FT, 39 mins
Game 4: 10 points, 20 rebounds (15 defensive), 3 assists,
1 block, 3-of-12 FG, 38 mins
Fifty-two wins was the Knicks’ total in ‘88-‘89, and Pitino’s team had the third highest scoring output in the league (116.7 points per game). The third-year Ewing played 80 games and averaged 22.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game (56.7% shooting on 16.0 attempts in 36.2 minutes per game). He finished fourth in MVP voting and was 2nd team All-NBA and 2nd team All-Defense. The Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers 3-0 in the first round and lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games in the second round. Ewing averaged 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in the opening round and 21.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks on 50% shooting against the Bulls. He led all scorers in Game 2 of the Bulls’ series with 23 points (9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block) in the Knicks’ 114-97 victory, and in Game 6 posted a game-high 13 rebounds. He also scored 22 points and had 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals in that sixth game.
Under Stu Jackson in ‘89-‘90, the Knicks won 45 games, and Ewing had his best season yet, finishing fifth in both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year voting and being named 1st team All-NBA. He posted 28.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per contest in 38.6 minutes on average in all 82 games and made 55.1% from the field (20.4 attempts). Ten times during the regular season, Ewing scored 40 points or more. On November 29, 1989 against the Golden State Warriors, he posted 44 points and 24 rebounds on 17-of-27 shooting, and had consecutive games of 41 points on February 17 (11 rebounds, 6 blocks) and February 22 (14 rebounds, 5 blocks). On March 24 against the Celtics, Ewing made 20-of-29 shots and 11-of-13 from the line for a career-high 51 points, and pulled down 18 rebounds. On April 6 against the 76ers, Ewing posted a near monstrous triple-double, going for 37 points, 19 rebounds, and 9 blocks. He also had a dominant playoff run against the Celtics (first round) and Detroit Pistons (second round).
Patrick Ewing Playoff Game Log - 1990
1st Round Game 1 at BOS
22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 9-of-14 FG, 42 mins
1st Round Game 2 at BOS
28 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 11-of-18 FG, 6-of-6 FT, 40 mins
1st Round Game 3 vs BOS
33 points, 19 rebounds, 14-of-34 FG, 5-of-10 FT, 40 mins
1st Round Game 4 vs BOS
44 points, 13 rebounds, 7 steals, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 18-of-24 FG, 8-of-9 FT, 40 mins
1st Round Game 5 at BOS
31 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 14-of-26 FG, 1-of-1 3PT, 2-of-2 FT, 47 mins
2nd Round Game 1 at DET
19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, 9-of-18 FG, 30 mins
2nd Round Game 2 at DET
20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 9-of-20 FG, 2-of-2 FT, 35 mins
2nd Round Game 3 vs DET
45 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, 14-of-24 FG, 17-of-18 FT, 45 mins
2nd Round Game 4 vs DET
30 points, 7 rebounds, 9-of-18 FG, 12-of-12 FT, 30 mins
2nd Round Game 5 vs DET
22 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, 7-of-23 FG, 8-of-8 FT, 46 mins
For the next five seasons, Ewing averaged at least 23 points and 11 rebounds per game, with four consecutive top five MVP finishes. For three of those seasons, he made 2nd team All-NBA.
Patrick Ewing’s Stats from 1990-91 through 1994-95
1990-91: 26.6 points, 51.4% FG (20.3 FGA), 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 3.0 assists, 38.3 mins, 81 games, 2nd team All-NBA
The Knicks won 43 games in ‘90-‘91 and lost to the Bulls 3-0 in the first round. Ewing in the series averaged 16.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 36.7 minutes per game.
1991-92: 24.0 points, 52.2% FG (18.6 FGA), 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 38.4 minutes, 82 games, 2nd team All-NBA, 2nd team All-Defense, 5th in MVP voting
In 1991, Pat Riley was brought on as head coach and ushered in a physical brand of basketball while placing a premium on physical conditioning. The Knicks won 51 games that season and lost to the Bulls in seven games in the ‘92 Conference Finals. Ewing in Game 1 of the series posted 34 points (14-of-25, 6-of-7 from the line), 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 5 steals in 44 minutes, which was a game that the Knicks won 94-89. For the series, Ewing averaged 22.1 points on 48.8% shooting with 11.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Ewing played a stellar opening round against the Pistons, too, going for 32 points and 13 rebounds in Game 3 and 31 points and 19 rebounds in Game 5.
1992-93: 24.2 points, 50.3% FG (19.1 FGA), 12.1 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 37.1 minutes, 81 games, 2nd team All-NBA, 4th in MVP voting, 5th in DPOY voting
The 1992-93 Knicks won 60 games, three more than the Bulls, who won 57. New York’s 95.4 points per game given up was tops in the league, and they rode Ewing and the defense to the Eastern Conference Finals, a series that turned out to be a six-game loss to the Bulls. Despite the loss, Ewing was great in the playoffs once again. He averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks (50.6%) in the Knicks 3-1 first round win against the Indiana Pacers. Then, he averaged 26.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks (50%) in the second round in the Knicks’ 4-1 series win against the Charlotte Hornets. Against the Bulls, the 30-year-old put up 25.8 points (53%), 11.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks.
Ewing posted 25 points and 9 rebounds in games one and two against the Pacers, and 28 points and 13 rebounds in Game 4 of that series. Against the Hornets, he put up 33 points and 10 rebounds, 34 points and 11 rebounds, 26 points and 14 rebounds, and 28 points and 10 rebounds. He registered 25 points and 17 rebounds in Game 1 against the Bulls, 26 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2, 33 points and 9 rebounds in Game 5, and 26 points and 13 rebounds in Game 6.
1993-94: 24.5 points, 49.6% FG (19 FGA), 11.2 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 37.6 minutes, 79 games, 5th in MVP voting
Once again, the Knicks had the league’s stingiest defense (91.5 points allowed per game). The team defeated the New Jersey Nets in four games in round one, the Bulls 4-3 in the Conference Semifinals, and the Pacers in seven games in the Conference Finals. In the NBA Finals, Ewing and the Knicks faced Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. Ewing averaged 18.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks in the seven-game defeat. His eight blocks in Game 5 (25 points, 12 rebounds) set an NBA Finals record at the time. In the Eastern Conference Finals, he averaged 22.3 points (45.9%), 10.7 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks. In the seven-game series win over the Bulls in the Conference Semis, he posted 22.9 points (53.0%), 12.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks, and in the first round against the Nets averaged 24.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game.
1994-95: 23.9 points, 50.3% FG (18.4 FGA), 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 37.0 minutes, 79 games, 4th in MVP voting
The Knicks won 55 games, and allowed the second fewest points per game at 95.1. New York defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games in the first round before losing to the Pacers in seven games in the second round. Ewing posted 18.5 points (55.1%), 11.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in the first round, and put up 19.3 points (49.5%), 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game against the Pacers.
On June 15, 1995, Riley resigned as head coach, and Don Nelson took over for the first 59 games of ‘95-‘96 (34-25), while Jeff Van Gundy finished out the season, going 13-10. Ewing averaged 22.5 points (46.6% on 19.2 FGA), 10.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 36.6 minutes per game in 76 games for the 47-win Knicks. The squad swept the Cavaliers 3-0 in the first round (18.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.7 blocks for Ewing), before losing to the Bulls in five games in the second round (23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 blocks).
Ewing finished eighth in MVP voting in 1996-97, as he posted 22.4 points (48.8% on 17.2 FGA), 10.7 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 37.0 minutes per game on average in 78 games for the 57-25 Knicks. The team swept the Hornets in the first round and lost to the Heat in seven games in the second round. Ewing’s averages in the opening round were 20.3 points (63.6% FG), 8.7 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks, while he in the second round against his fellow Hoya Alonzo Mourning put up 23.7 points (48.8%), 11.5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.
The 1997-98 season saw the Knicks lose in five games to the Pacers in the second round, but it was a lost season for Ewing as the 35-year-old played just 26 games, the limited games the result of a dislocated wrist suffered at Milwaukee’s Bradley Center in December of 1997. Still, he was productive in those 26 games as he shot 50.4% from the field on average (15.5 shots) and registered 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. The injury prevented what would have been his 11th consecutive all-star appearance.
A torn Achilles suffered in the 1998-99 season limited Ewing to just 38 games at the age of 36, but he still averaged a near double-double of 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds with 2.6 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game, his minutes up from 32.6 the previous season. The ‘98-‘99 Knicks won 27 games in the lockout-shortened campaign, and made the Finals where they lost in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.
Ewing’s final season as a Knick in ‘99-‘00 saw his shots decreased to 12.5, but he was still productive at 15.0 points (46.6%), 9.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 62 games in 32.8 minutes per contest.
In September of 2000, the Knicks traded their superstar to the Seattle SuperSonics in a four-team deal that yielded the Knicks sharpshooter Glen Rice and former Chicago Bulls center Luc Longley.
Speaking with Mad Dog Sports Radio’s Chris Russo in 2020, Van Gundy, who was a Knicks’ assistant from 1989-1996 before taking over as head coach from 1996-2001, gave some perspective on Ewing’s career and due praise for the man who carried the Knicks and the city of New York on his shoulders for 15 seasons.
“I think we have amnesia, sometimes, as Knick people, just to how good Ewing was and how well he played,” said Van Gundy five years ago.
Said head coach Riley in a 2017 interview with Andscape:
“The New York Knicks came after Showtime, but it was one of my all-time favorite teams. Those four years with those guys led by Patrick, I loved that.”
In 79 games in Seattle, Ewing in 26.7 minutes per game played admirably. The 38-year-old averaged 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. To this day, Ewing in a Sonic uniform is a strange visual. One of those guys that deserved to finish his career with the team that drafted him. For his final season, Ewing played in 65 games (four starts) in 13.9 minutes per game for the Orlando Magic.
In 1,183 career games (1,122 starts), the 7-footer averaged 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 34.3 minutes per game, shooting an average of 16.3 attempts per and making 50.4% of his shots. He was also a career 74.0% free-throw shooter. Ewing started every game of the 1,039 he suited up in as a Knick, and averaged 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in 36.2 minutes per game. He shot 50.8% percent from the field and 74.2% from the line as a Knick on 17.5 shot attempts on average. For eight consecutive seasons (at least 75 games in each season), he averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. It is the longest such streak in league history.
Ewing served as a longtime NBA assistant coach from 2002-2017 with the Washington Wizards, Rockets, Magic, and Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets. He was the head coach at his Alma mater Georgetown from 2017-2023. In 2021, he led the Hoyas to the Big East title.
Georgetown starter jackets became popular in the ‘90s. Ewing and his college head coach Thompson’s success no doubt was a catalyst for such popularity. Think Georgetown hoops’ players and you think of Ewing and Allen Iverson.
On February 28, 2003, the Knicks retired Ewing’s No. 33. In 2008, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Two years later, he was inducted as part of the Dream Team. He was also a 2014 inductee into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
In an era where big men were still a focal point of offenses and there were plenty of great ones to compete against - Shaquille O’Neal, Olajuwon, Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, and David Robinson in the ‘90s and Parish, Moses Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar early in his career - Ewing was one of the premier pivots. The Hall of Famer possessed an aptitude for making jump shots with a strong face-up game at a time when the game had not shifted to centers spending most of their time on the perimeter. He also was a physical player who protected the rim. When New York was looking for its next superstar after Reed and Frazier, Ewing was called upon, and he answered the bell.
Happy 63rd birthday, Patrick Ewing.
Patrick Ewing's New York Knicks Franchise Records (Career)
Points - 23,665 (24,815 total career points, 28th in NBA history)
Games - 1,039
Minutes - 37,586
Field-Goals - 9,260
Field-Goal Attempts - 18,224
2-Point Field-Goals - 9,241
Free-Throws Made - 5,126
Free-Throws Attempted - 6,904
Rebounds - 10,759
Defensive Rebounds - 8,191
Steals - 1,061
Blocks - 2,758
Blocks per game - 2.7
Patrick Ewing's Single-Season New York Knicks Franchise Records
Points - 2,347 (1989-90)
Field-Goals - 922 (1989-90)
2-Point Field-Goals - 921 (1989-90)
Defensive Rebounds - 789 (1992-93)
Blocks - 327 (1989-90)
Blocks per game - 4.0 (1989-90)
Player Efficiency Rating - 25.8 (1989-90)
Comments