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 started his Hall of Fame basketball career.
The Knicks announced Friday that Ewing will be the team’s basketball ambassador and assist with basketball and business operations.
“As I said the day my No. 33 jersey was hung in the rafters at MSG, I will always be a Knick and a New Yorker. I take on this new role and officially join the organization I love. I can’t wait to get back,” Ewing said in a statement. “This garden has always been my home. I loved working with (team president) Leon Rose, coach (Tom) Thibodeau, the team and everyone else who made this place special. looking forward to it.”
Ewing played 15 of his 17 NBA seasons with the Knicks, leading them to an Eastern Conference title contender and leading the team to Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals.
The Knicks retired Ewing’s number 33 in February 2003, and Ewing 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 first served as an assistant with the Washington Wizards, then took a similar position with the Houston Rockets. After taking the off-season, he joined Stan Van Gundy’s staff in Orlando.
Ewing then spent four years as an assistant with the Charlotte Bobcats before taking his first head coaching job at his alma mater, Georgetown University. He coached the Hoyas for six seasons, leading them to one NCAA Tournament berth before being fired in March 2023.
Ewing returns to the Knicks at an exciting time in the organization’s history. They are coming off a 2023-24 season in which they finished second in the Atlantic Division under Thibodeau and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Madison Square Garden is back to life like it was when Ewing was playing, thanks to the play of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and others. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns were among the names that joined the Knicks in the offseason, as they look to take another step toward winning their third NBA title in franchise history.
