Patrick Ewing
Basketball great
Born:  August 5, 1962, in Kingston, Jamaica
Lived in: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
New Jersey Hall of Fame, Class of 2014:  Sports

In a sport dominated by talented big men, the 7-foot-tall Patrick Ewing towered above most in terms of talent and determination.

Growing up on the island of Jamaica, Ewing excelled in soccer and cricket as a youth. At 13, he moved with his family to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he learned to play basketball. His size and athleticism made him an immediate force in high school. Heavily recruited by several college programs, Ewing chose to attend Georgetown University, where he would play for the famed coach John Thompson.

During his four years at Georgetown, Ewing was named a first-team All-American three times. Starting at center from his freshman year onward, he led the Hoyas to three National Championship games. When Georgetown won it all in the 1983-1984 season, Ewing, then a junior, was named the NCAA tournament’s most valuable player. In 1985, the Associated Press named him college player of the year.

Following Ewing’s impressive college career, the New York Knicks made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft. He would go on to win rookie-of-the-year honors, emerging as one of the top centers in the league. A superpower on defense, Ewing was a stellar rebounder and shot-blocker. He also was an accurate shooter, finishing in the top 10 in field-goal percentage eight times during his NBA career.

Ewing spent 15 of his 17 NBA seasons with the Knicks. An 11-time NBA All-Star, he led the Knicks to the NBA finals twice (in 1994 and 1999). By the time he left the Knicks after the 2000 season, Ewing had played in a team record 1,039 games and held the franchise records for points scored (23,665); rebounds (10,759), steals (1,061); and blocked shots (an astounding 2,758).

After two final seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics and the Orlando Magic, Ewing turned to coaching. From 2002-2017, he was an assistant coach for NBA teams in Washington, Houston, Orlando and Charlotte, before returning to Georgetown as head coach from 2017-2023.

In addition to his professional career, Ewing made his mark at the Olympics, winning gold medals as a member of the 1984 and 1992 U.S. men’s basketball teams. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and again in 2010 as a member of the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team.” In 1996, he was selected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

Intro/Acceptance Video

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