Patrick Ewing hired by Knicks as basketball ambassador

Posted by author October 4, 2024 Basketball

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Patrick Ewing during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, March 31, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing is returning to the organization where he began his Hall of Fame basketball career.

The Knicks announced Friday that Ewing will become a basketball ambassador for the franchise, assisting with basketball and business operations.

“As I said the day my number 33 jersey lifted into the rafters at MSG, I will always be a Knick and I will always be a New Yorker. I can’t wait to get started in this new position and to officially be back with the organization that I love so much,” Ewing said in a statement. “The Garden has always been my home and I’m looking forward to working with [team president] Leon Rose, Coach [Tom] Thibodeau, the team and everyone else that makes this place so special.”

Ewing played 15 of his 17 NBA seasons with the Knicks, helping them become title contenders in the Eastern Conference and guiding the team to Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals.

The Knicks retired Ewing’s No. 33 in February 2003 and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

After playing his final two seasons in Seattle and Orlando, Ewing moved into coaching. He was first an assistant with the Washington Wizards before moving on to a similar role with the Houston Rockets. After taking a season off, he joined Stan Van Gundy’s staff in Orlando.

Ewing then spent four years as an assistant with the Charlotte Bobcats before landing his first head coaching job at his alma mater, Georgetown University. He coached the Hoyas for six seasons and led them to one NCAA tournament berth before being fired in March 2023.

Ewing rejoins the Knicks at an exciting time in the organization’s history. They are coming off a 2023-24 season where they finished second in the Atlantic Division and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals under Thibodeau.

Madison Square Garden was lively again, much like in the days when Ewing played, thanks to the play of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart, among others. Ready to go even further in their hunt for a third NBA title in franchise history, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns were among the names the Knicks added in the offseason.