New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing returns to the group the place he started his Corridor of Fame basketball profession.
The Knicks introduced Friday that Ewing will develop into the franchise’s basketball ambassadorserving to with basketball and enterprise operations.
“As I mentioned the day my quantity 33 jersey was raised into the rafters at MSG, I’ll at all times be a Knick and I’ll at all times be a New Yorker. I can’t wait to start this new function and formally be again within the group I really like a lot,” Ewing mentioned in an announcement. “The Backyard has at all times been my dwelling and I sit up for working with [team president] Léon Rose, coach [Tom] Thibodeau, the group and everybody who makes this place so particular.
Ewing performed 15 of his 17 NBA seasons with the Knicks, serving to them develop into title contenders within the Japanese Convention and guiding the group to Sport 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals.
The Knicks retired Ewing’s quantity 33 in February 2003 and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2008.
After enjoying his last two seasons in Seattle and Orlando, Ewing moved into teaching. He first served as an assistant with the Washington Wizards earlier than taking up an analogous function with the Houston Rockets. After taking a sabbatical, he joined Stan Van Gundy’s group in Orlando.
Ewing then spent 4 years as an assistant with the Charlotte Bobcats earlier than touchdown his first head teaching job at his alma mater, Georgetown College. He coached the Hoyas for six seasons and led them to an NCAA Match berth. earlier than being fired in March 2023.
Ewing joins the Knicks at an thrilling time within the group’s historical past. They’re coming off a 2023-24 season the place they completed second within the Atlantic Division and reached Japanese Convention semifinals below Thibodeau.
Madison Sq. Backyard was bustling once more, very like it did when Ewing performed, due to the play of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart, amongst others. Able to go even additional of their quest for a 3rd NBA title in franchise historical past, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Cities had been among the many names the Knicks added through the offseason.
