Patrick Ewing delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2008. To learn more about Patrick Ewing take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.co...
Exactly. Patrick was a 'Batman' who never had his 'Robin' in his prime [i.e. Jordan had Pippen; in Milwaukee, Jabbar had Oscar, etc]. It was all set; if it wasn't for Hubie Brown's stupidity, Ewing would have had a healthy Bernard King to play with. Can U imagine those 2 with a decent supporting cast in the playoffs?!?!....smh. That's why I could never listen to Brown on NBA telecasts....
Alfredo Di Stéfano Laulhé willis Reed 7.2 ppg 14.3 rebounds. I mind u played in 60s and 70s where players were only 6'6. While Reed was 6'10 Earl pearl 18.8 ppg 3 assists 3 rebounds while only shooting 39% for career. So no Ewing and Frazier r 10x better.
I wanted Ewing to win a title so much. 1994 they finally got to the Finals, but lost in 7. The Ewing era was just that, an entire era, and a great one at that.
I met Patrick Ewing in a Las Vegas airport. I recognized him walking through the terminal with his family and carrying his own luggage. It's hard to mistake him for someone else. I walked up to him just to shake his hand, asked him if he was Patrick Ewing, to which he replied yes he was and what could he do for me? I told him I was a long time Knicks fan and to me he was the greatest player I had ever watched. He thanked me, replies what a pleasure it was to meet me, extended his hand, we shook and he went about his way. I wasn't actually able to grasp his entire hand - due to its size , so I shook his two fingers. There's nothing bad I can listen to anyone say about him.
EnhanceTuition Great story! Better than the ones I would hear about him in Beckett Basketball Card Monthly back in the day. He was probably annoyed about rude adults shoving memorabilia in his face just to sell on eBay an hour later. Your story and approach is more refreshing.
I get pissed off when people mention 'the greatests' without mentioning pat. he definately is one of the greatest centers of all time. just because he didnt win any rings doesnt justify the fact that he was an amazing talented player...
Back in '94 I was mad that the Knicks knocked out Chicago, so I rooted for them to lose against Houston in the Finals. I wish I hadn't. My support wouldn't have changed a thing but I wish Ewing had gotten himself at least one ring. Great guy, great player.
Cool comment. I can tell u as a 35yr+ Knick fan, a lot of people in NY did not appreciate all he did. I sure did. Esp watching this mess of an org the last 20 yrs! ;)
TheKosh123 I wish. Never liked him. Never shud have gotten him in the first place. Makes no one better. Lost a lot of respect 4 phil giving him that 5yr deal. He's un-tradeable now.....
TheKosh123 In merchandise I guess, but MSG sells out if you and I were in the starting line up :) They always do. Midtown NYC. Maybe that's why the owner seems to not care all that much.
But so did many other players who were more overated and didnt win rings because of MJ and the Bulls. Stockton,Kemp, Payton, Malone and Barkley didnt win rings in the 90s.
If anyone deserved to win a title, it was this man. He represented the Knicks honorably. That Knick team created the most exciting times to be a fan in the history of the franchise. Always remember Ewing, Starks, Oakley, Jackson, McDaniel, and the rest of the crew.
Patrick Ewing--my favorite college player of all time. Man I loved Patrick and them Hoyas!!!! There was nothing like Big East basketball back then. Let's go Hoyas!!!
Same here, Patrick Ewing has always been one of my favorite superstars when I was growing up. One of the biggest reasons why I started watching him more and more was mainly because of that famous turnaround jump shot that he would normally hit over his opponents. His relentless determination at both ends of the floor really inspired me so much and I give him all the credit in the world. There will always be a place in my heart for Patrick Ewing and the NY Knicks. I'm so proud of him.
@@hectorlopez1069honestly not getting a title shouldn't diminish his standing as a player. Patrick was an outstanding player and force. It takes a team to win a championship and he got close but gave a good account of himself.
+Jaymzofsteel very true. While Ewing played during what I consider to the be Golden Era of the NBA, it was also a curse in the sense that he had to go up against MJ and Olajuwon during their primes.
YE$. Class act. Kingston proud. Did it the old school way instead of like today's ring-chasing players who couldn't spell loyalty. Simply the greatest.
A fierce warrior for his team, but always a gentleman and a class act. Always faithful to his team and his principles, WIN OR LOSE. Thank you Patrick from an ex New Yorker now back home in Puerto Rico, but always a Knicks fan.
BULLSHIT. THE ROCKETS STOLE THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN '94 BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CALL GOALTENDING ON HAKEEM AGAINST JOHN STARKS 3 POINTER THAT WOULD HAVE WON THE TITLE OF THE KNICKS IN GAME 6.
Rockets fan here. Patrick Ewing was an excellent center. If the Knicks had one more solid scorer they would've beaten Houston. I think they outscored them in that series. Nothing against Starks, Harper, Oakley, or Mason, they just didn't have that x factor that Ewing had.
I have never made a comment on social media before I feel like I need to when it comes to this man. he gave 110% and I have never watched a basketball game since his retirement. I was a New York Knick and Patrick Ewing fan. The time has come and gone.
As a Bulls fan, I must admit that New York should've won back to back NBA titles in 1993 and 1994, they played extremely well those 2 years. I truly feel sorry for Patrick Ewing and the Knicks for not accomplishing their goal of winning an NBA championship. As much as I like Michael Jordan and the Bulls, Patrick Ewing deserve to win at least 1 or 2 titles. But championship or not, Patrick played hard every night and gave it his all. I’m very proud of him.
As a Knicks fan, I respect very much your take on Patrick and the Knicks during that period. But, the Bulls just simply had that "one more" factor or "two" that the Knicks could not match back in 1993, 1994. It was simply an extremely tough period and era for an contending team to beat the Bulls throughout the 1990s. The fact that they had to go through the "Bad-Boys" Pistons simply made the Bulls nearly practically unbeatable in any series. All-in-All, I will always admire Patrick Ewing.
Ewing never had a healthy hall of fame caliber teammate in their prime. Example of how great Ewing was: when asked about Ewing; Isiah, Magic, Bird, & many other superstars all said the same thing: "If I had played with Patrick, he'd have a ring; maybe two".
A lot of people today talk about 1994 being the year, but in all honesty, at the time it felt like '93 was the year. After getting the #1 seed, I thought it would finally happen. If only Smith had made that shot!
Patrick Ewing is one of the 3 best college players in history. Along with Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor (Kareem) If not for rotten luck Ewing would have 3 NCAA titles.
I was a fan of his when he played in High School and when he played in Georgetown. What a Great Man and Human Being. He honored his parents, thanked his family and friends, and talked about his children with true love. He is a True Champion in life. Larry Bird has shared that his time on the Dream Team was an amazing time because of the relations built with guys he competed against, but he singled out Patrick Ewing and I can see why. I wish and hope the athlete today (especially NBA players) would view Patrick Ewing as a true example of sportsmanship, heart, and someone who put his team above himself. Well done Mr, Ewing, your speech never get old. Best wishes to you and your family.
The Knicks are to blame for Ewing never getting a title. They never surrounded him with another star. He's had great role players, guys like oakley, mark Jackson, Charles smith, Derek Harper, mason.. but never played with another legit star. A perennial allstar. That's on upper management. Couldn't expect him to beat Jordan and pippen without firepower.
Sexy Pat you have spoken up as he was the highest paid basketball player @1 time. he should have had them keep Rod and got players early and not so late with all the gas outta their tanks. he takes some the blame as well!!!
Pat Ewing had no control over the front office. It's not like today where players have way more say so. Then players didn't even speak up on roster changes and who they wanted to play with
+S E2333 you ever heard of Magic, Bird, Dr J??? all of them had system .. again pat was getting 3 per year which was unheard of of course he could have spoken up. any team would have took him.. original pat fan even watched him in Georgetown with Mark Jackson Reggie williams and them cats
You, not just won gold, but dominated the court on the best amateur team and the Dream Team during the Olympics. You don’t need a ring, Sir. You’re already a GOAT.
Patrick was a warrior. Night after night, Patrick left all he had out on that floor. As a NY fan, I owe Patrick Ewing my gratitude for playing like that.
Ewing , Olajawon , MJ , Charles , Malone , magic , Bird and alot more ...those type of players i really miss coz the nba is not what it was these days...
Knicks never gave him his chance to coach them, I hope one day it'll happen but I don't think it will until we'll change the president. He's going to coach Georgetown university next year.
you are a true legend. Always working toward victory..Never being daunted by anything...From the bottom of my heart i express sincere respect to you. New York Knicks forever !!!
Tony Dir .... Tony you are so right ! He didn't have the best supporting cast. Without Patrick the Knicks were a sub .500 team. They would have never made the playoffs without him. I'm a Celtics fan and I had only respect for how hard Ewing played. Knick fans didn't give Patrick the respect, support, and love he deserved. Kust my opinions ....
Life long Celtics fan here. Ewing was a great competitor! He carried the load "every night" for the Knicks. He was a warrior. And in my opinion is one of the "5 greatest Centers of All Time " .......................... 1.) Bill Russell 2.) Wilt Chamberlain 3.) Hakeem Olajuwon 4.) Kareem Abdul Jabbar 5.) Patrick Ewing
Celtics fan here too :-) I think Ewing's problem was that he didn't have that #2 scorer to take the scoring load off of him. The Knicks in the 90's should have at least won one ring.
i miss 90's basketball, the guys then played with so much heart and toughness. The physical play, professionalism, class and charisma. Hakeem, Kemp, Dikembe, Ewing, Rodman, Barkley, Robinson, Shaq, Drexler, Mourning, Reggie Miller, Gary Payton, Penny Hardaway etc. Not to mention the 90's rivalries were way more intense, especially in the east. Guys today just aren't the same, they are awesome to watch, but they are cut from a different fabric.
I am a die hard knicks fan who is proud of the the accomplishments of Patrick Ewing. Yes he is one of the greatest centers in the history of the game, but he did something no else other Basketball player did. He help create one of the most powerful and influential conferences in the history of the College Basketball the Big East.
Comes from Kingston, Jamaica, as a black man, goes to a great university and succeeded in a sport, that Jamaica isn't known for, to become one of the greatest players ever in the NBA. America is a great country and gives opportunities to minorities that would normally never have a chance. Love it. Congrats to Ewing
Patrick was my favorite player growing up. Despite not winning a title, his toughness, skill and determination left a lasting impact on me. Being from NYC and the era I'm from, it was never cool to get too excited about celebrities or bother them unnecessarily, but Pat Ewing is one of two (along with Daryl Strawberry) where I wouldn't be able to hide my excitement and emotion upon meeting them. A New York City legend.
Patrick Ewing made NYC a basketball powerhouse. Thank you Patrick for your wonderful workman approach to winning basketball. You fought every minute of every game to make the Knicks the winner it was. And along the way you inspired many people to become basketball fans. 33 is Legendary.
That Brilliant. You. GOT. TO. The..HALL of fame. You. Dessert..It's. Patrick. WITH. MUCH. APPRECIATE. TO you and your family. And. Love. GOD bless you. THANKYOU
Jordan needed Pippen, Ewing made the finals, and almost won, pretty much all by himself. Jordan was never gonna sniff even one trip to the finals on his own.
I don't know about you guys but I feel honored, and or proud if you will as if I played with these fellas in the 80's and 90's. I think it's because I got to experience the forefront of greatness they all projected. We will never get these times again, I'm just happy I was able to learn the game from watching the best and was be able to scream who I wanted to be first on the playground out of the best class in NBA history. Thanks guys.
I loved this man, this player, and all the players of that generation. They , all together made me love this game and wake up in the middle of the night to watch the games (I'm european). Thanks "Pat", in your eyes i can see all your humanity and kindness!!!
The most intimidating college player EVER!!!! People were SCARED to play Georgetown because of their suffocating defense and with Patrick in the back to protect the rim ..when paired with Michael Graham in '84 they were a TERROR!
***** So TRUE...Thats why Villanova was able to beat Georgetown in '85....any NON Big East school wouldve got TOASTED by the Hoyas...Those guys played against each other for 4 yrs so they didnt have the same fear as other schools would have
@patrick y Excellent assessment. Unlike the media, I did not consider Georgetown losing to Villanova an upset due to the fact that both teams were so familiar of each other. The Big East during the 1980's were without a doubt, the toughest conference in college basketball.
Me and 1 of my friends argued about Ewing getting dunked on all the time. That's because he played defense and contested shots. Ewing was 1 of the best, ever.
Patrick was one of my favourite players during the 90's. Good speech. I hoped to visit the Hall of Fame one day and see Patrick there. The late 80's and 90's were the golden era of basketball.
Aging Baby Boomer here and lifelong Boston Celtics fan. Patrick Ewing was a warrior every night. The Knicks wouldn't have even been a. 500 team without Patrick. Congratulations Patrick ! 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀