Knicks bring back Patrick Ewing as a basketball ambassador
Spike Lee, left, and Patrick Ewing attend a game between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jim McIsaac
CHARLESTON, S.C. — As the Knicks have assembled a team they believe can compete for the long-elusive championship, they reached into their past and brought back one of the legends into the fold — announcing that Patrick Ewing was joining the organization as a basketball ambassador, assisting in both 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,” said Ewing in a news release from the team. “The Garden has always been my home and I’m looking forward to working with Leon Rose, Coach Thibodeau, the team and everyone else that makes this place so special.”
Ewing was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, bringing on more than a decade of playoff appearances for the Knicks including two trips to the NBA Finals — a run that ended shortly after his departure.
When his playing days were over Ewing went on to a coaching career, working in Washington, Houston, Orlando and Charlotte as an assistant before taking over as head coach at his alma mater, Georgetown, in 2017. When he was fired in 2022, he joined the Hornets as a consultant for the last two seasons.
As other coaches were hired and former players joined the organization, it seemed as if a hole remained with Ewing on the outside until now.
“The New York Knicks and Patrick Ewing are synonymous with one another, and we are humbled and excited to bring Patrick back home,” said Knicks president Leon Rose. “A monumental figure in New York basketball lore, Patrick brings a wealth of knowledge from his time both on and off the court that is unmatched. We are ecstatic that Patrick will once again be back in the blue and orange.”
“As someone who grew up a huge Knicks fan during the Patrick Ewing era, the entire Knicks organization and I couldn’t be happier that Patrick is back with the team in an official capacity,” said Jamaal Lesane, Chief Operating Officer, MSG Sports.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
