30 players who define each NBA franchise
By Adam McGee
player. 27. . C. New York Knicks 1985-00. Patrick Ewing. #33
Honorable Mentions: Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Bernard King
The New York Knicks haven’t won a title since 1973, but that wasn’t for a lack of trying on the part of Patrick Ewing. The former Georgetown Hoya came to the NBA as one of the most gifted two way big men that the NBA had seen in a long time, and having been drafted only one year after Olajuwon, he had a yardstick to set himself against throughout his career.
Ewing may not have ever matched up to that mark in terms of championship success, but then you could argue that he never had players quite as good as Clyde Drexler or Sam Cassell to come in and help him to seal the deal.
The Jamaican had a winning pedigree dating back to his college days though, and that insatiable will allowed him to score points that he had no right to score, and make the Knicks more competitive than they arguably had the right to be during his era.
He has a heart of a champion. When you thought about New York, you thought of Patrick Ewing. He came and gave life back into the city. – Michael Jordan
The Knicks missed the playoffs in Ewing’s first two seasons in the league, but after that the picture shifted and they only twice failed to pass the first round for the remainder of Big Pat’s time in the Big Apple. Nobody has played more games, scored more points, grabbed more rebounds or blocked more shots for one of the NBA’s most iconic teams.
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