NBA Rumors: Patrick Ewing feels entitled to becoming a NBA coach
Although it looks like Derek Fisher is the front-runner to be the next head coach of the New York Knicks, former Knicks’ center and currently Charlotte Hornets’ assistant coach Patrick Ewing has made it clear he wants a shot at the job.
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Although Ewing has been an assistant since 2002, it doesn’t seem as though he has ever been seriously considered for a head coaching job.
According to Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders, Ewing “feels entitled to becoming a NBA coach.”
"I think it’s because Patrick feels entitled to becoming a NBA coach. I’ll give him that it’s unfair that he hasn’t gotten his chance while other former players like Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr (who wasn’t half the player that Patrick was) have gotten head coaching gigs, while he hasn’t despite his assistant coaching experience. Publicly the coaches he worked for speak highly of him, but I don’t think the same sentiments are being passed along privately. If they were, he’d have a job already. It said a lot to me that he wasn’t willing to take the D-League head coaching job he was offered. If he was that confident about his ability to coach, he would go there, kill it and show what he can do. Is he in it just for the esteem that comes with being a head coach, or because he truly feels like he can coach? I’m not sure, but passing on the D-League coaching gig really left a bad taste in my mouth in regards to his head coaching chances."
Ewing has been an assistant for the Washington Wizards (2002-2003), Houston Rockets (2003-2006), Orlando Magic (2007-20012) and the Hornets/Bobcats (2013-).