隱市軒的胡思亂想

勇士是最常用來形容Patrick Ewing的字眼。儘管年復一年的失望，他仍然不屈不饒，勇往直前的追求NBA總冠軍。他那勇氣十足的預言從未能實現。有些人認為那是空頭支票，而有些人則認為他最終能成功。身為史上投籃最準的中鋒之一，他離開紐約尼克隊(New York Knicks)時幾乎是所有的隊史紀錄保持人，並以24815分在史上總得分排名第十三。

在經過了被媒體大肆吹捧的NCAA生涯—3次NCAA冠軍賽，一次冠軍—之後，他來到了紐約。Georgetown兇猛的球風(fierce in your face)讓媒體暱稱他們為”Hoya Paranoia”。而其中的防守中樞Ewing更被封為”Hoya Destroya”。從在學校時就是媒體寵兒，而媒體也預期他加入NBA將是史無前例的。

從未能拿到那神聖的冠軍，Ewing痛苦的結束他的NBA生涯。他一直領導著尼克隊終於在1994年打入總冠軍賽，可惜在7場激戰後輸給了Hakeem Olajuwon所領軍的火箭。而後者則成功的報了1984年NCAA冠軍賽輸給Georgetown的一箭之仇。

在他待在尼克隊的尾聲，他因為阿基里斯腱受傷，結果在1999年的NBA冠軍賽中只能作壁上觀，看著尼克隊輸給馬刺隊(San Antonio Spurs)。

有些人認為Ewing最大的失敗是生涯中始終未能贏得一枚冠軍戒指來證明自己。但是時間是不等人的：他只比Olajuwon和Michael Jordan晚出生五個月。Jordan的公牛隊5次在季後賽淘汰尼克隊。事實上，從1990-1998球季期間，NBA總冠軍都被這兩人所領軍的球隊包辦。

毫無疑問地，Ewing的生涯表現是令人印象深刻的。生涯平均每場21分、9.8籃板，11次入選明星賽，1次年度第一隊和6次年度第二隊。1986年新人王，NBA五十大巨星，並在1984年和1992年兩度拿下奧運金牌。

牙買加出生的Ewing在11歲時來到美國，這個巨大的年輕人在國中時就已有6呎10吋高。而當他開始打籃球時，他顯得非常笨拙。但當他在高三時，全世界都知道他將有著不凡的成就。

“他將會是攻擊加強版的Bill Russell”，他在Rindge&Latin School(Cambridge, Massachusetts)高中的教練Mike Jarvis如此評論他。許多擁有同樣想法的人也都把他當成招生的重點對象。而整個籃球生涯裡他也一直是媒體上的焦點人物。

他也了解到他所求的不僅僅是領獎學金打球而已。而這就是他選擇Georgetown的原因。在那裡，他在兼具人生導師和籃球教練兩種角色的John Thompson的教導下逐漸茁壯。6呎10吋的Thompson在1960年代中期是Celtics隊的傳奇中鋒Bill Russell的替補。Ewing的職業生涯可由他4個亮眼的大學球季看出端倪。除了球隊的成就，他在大二大三都是Final Four的MOP(Most Outstanding Player) 。而其他一連串的榮譽還包括Naismith Award 和Sporting News 的年度大學最佳球員(College Player of The Year)。

雖然許多同時代的球員-包括Olajuwon、Jordan 和Charles Barkley都棄學而提早加入NBA。Ewing卻選擇花了4年唸完大學並得到了Fine Arts的學位。他的耐心獲得了回報。1985年的樂透選秀是史上第一次，同時也是不可磨滅的一次。Sports Illustrated 記述著當時LA Clippers 的總裁Alan Rothenberg 和GM Carl Scheer開玩笑地說要招募33位法師(33是Ewing的背號)一致誦唸著Ewing的名字以增加球隊選中Ewing的機率。

新版的樂透選秀目的在制止球隊放棄戰績以獲取選秀狀元。現在所有沒打進季後賽的球隊都有機會參與選秀順位排名的抽籤。而過去是只有東西區戰績最差的隊伍靠猜銅板來決定狀元籤屬於誰。然而，這種方式卻使樂透選秀逐漸變成一場秀。而這第一次的選秀也被電視更廣泛地宣傳。母親節當天在New York Waldorf Astoria Hotel的樂透現場媒體更是做了實況轉撥。

尼克隊在當時未晉級季後賽的7隻球隊中戰績是第三差的。他們靠著這次樂透選秀選來一個隊史上的靈魂人物並使球隊獲得了重生。

就和其他的樂透區球隊一樣，尼克也非常想要Ewing這位有成為明星中鋒潛力的新秀。然而對尼克的球迷而言，這樣的期待和其他球隊有那麼些許的不一樣。球隊位在紐約，是全世界的傳謀中心和籃球的聖地。許多人仍記得1970年和1973年Willis Reed 和Walt Frazier帶領尼克隊奪下冠軍的那兩年的光榮日子。

事實上，這支球隊值得更多的尊敬。由7呎1吋中鋒Bill Cartwright 和攻擊發動機Bernard King所帶領的尼克隊在之前的5年裡有3次打入季後賽。即使在Ewing加盟的前1季，Cartwright 缺席一整季而Bernard King也整季飽受膝傷所苦。而這兩人的缺陣也使得球隊戰績急速下滑，同而也使球隊有機會選中Ewing。

Ewing從一開始就被認定是就世主。由於King 仍飽受膝傷所擾而Cartwright只打了2場比賽。Ewing在新人球季時肩膀上的重擔就比預期的多了很多。重建球隊需要時間，但Ewing本身卻立刻獲得成功。他平均每場可得20分和9籃板，同時也成為自1964-65球季的Willis Reed之後第一個拿下新人王的尼克隊球員，即使他因膝傷錯過了32場比賽和全明星賽。

Ewing在大學時代並不以攻擊聞名。Georgetown 的教練John Thompson把重心放在防守上並要求大個子待在禁區。但是一進入到職業層級中，離開了那些大學對手為了壓制他而做出的約束，Ewing的得分能力讓許多人驚艷，最後甚至練就出準確的中距離。

King 在Ewing的第二個球季只打了6場比賽，並在隔年轉至Washington Bullets(華盛頓子彈)。Ewing還打過大前鋒甚至也和Cartwright在某些情況下組成雙塔陣容。而當尼克隊慢慢地聚集一批堅強的卡司時，Ewing本身的成績也就越來越耀眼。

在他的第三個球季，得分聯盟第二十(20.2分/每場)、投籃命中率第九(0.555)、火鍋第三(2.99次/每場)。Rick Pitino在球季開始前成為球隊的總教練並帶領尼克隊4年首度打進季後賽。他們在第一輪被塞爾提克隊以3-1淘汰。Ewing在第一輪每場可貢獻18.8分和12.8籃板。那一年他第二度入選明星賽，同時在季後獲選為年度第二隊和年度防守第二隊。

在1988-1989球季，Cartwright 被交易到公牛隊，而換來的不是別人，正是往後10年間成為Ewing左右手的大前鋒Charles Oakley。33號球員第三度入選明星賽，同時也連續第二次入選年度第二隊和年度防守第二隊。在 Pitino當總教練的第二個球季同時也是最後一季，尼克以52勝30敗拿下大西洋組的冠軍 (Atlantic Division)。

在那一季Ewing以22.7分排在聯盟第十二，火鍋第三(3.51次/每場)，投籃命中率第四(0.567)，籃板第二十(9.3個/每場)。尼克在東區準決賽上以2-4輸給了公牛。在那個系列賽中Ewing平均可拿下21.3分，抓下10.0個籃板。在第五戰更掌控全場攻下32分，抓下11記籃板並搧出5記火鍋。

1989-90球季是Ewing生涯中輝煌的一季。火鍋排在聯盟第二(3.99次/每場)，拿下生涯平均最高的28.6分排在第三，籃板第五(10.9個/每場)，投籃命中率第六(0.551)。他首度獲選為明星賽先發同時也是在明星賽第四度出場。球季末他也獲選生涯為一一次年度第一隊。

到了季後賽，Ewing仍控制著場上的局面。在第一輪面對塞爾提克0-2落後的情況下，Ewing在第四戰狂取44分，抓下13個籃板。然後在第五戰拿下31分帶領尼克隊從第一輪出線。然而尼克卻在東區準決賽輸給了活塞。Ewing在10場季後賽中均可得29.4分，其中在對活塞的第三場的勝利中，他拿下45分。

在1991-92球季開季前，Pat Riley成為紐約的新教練。在接下來的4個球季中，Ewing使尼克成為全聯盟最好的球隊之一。他們每年都至少贏得50勝並在1994年打入總冠軍戰。在那段期間他有著優異且穩定的成績，他的平均得分介於23.9-24.5分之間，平均每場都至少能抓下11個籃板。

1991-92球季結束時，紐約和波士頓並列大西洋組第一。尼克在東區準決賽上力戰公牛7場但不幸遭到淘汰。Ewing在季後賽平均每場可得22.7分和11.1個籃板。

在1992-93球季，Ewing帶領尼克拿下東區最佳的60勝22敗的戰績，他在MVP票選上名列第四，第七次入選明星賽。平均24.2分聯盟第六，生涯最高的12.1個籃板聯盟第七。

Ewing在1993年的季後賽平均可攻下25.5分，抓下10.9個籃板。但是他們連續第三年被公牛隊淘汰。在東區冠軍戰中，他們一度以2-0領先，最後卻連輸4場。最關鍵的時刻發生在麥迪生花園廣場(Madison Square Garden)的第五戰，尼克的前鋒Charles Smith在讀秒階段的空檔出手最後居然被搧掉。

在1994年，Jordan第一次退休期間，Ewing帶領尼克隊打進總冠軍賽。Ewing在東區冠軍戰第七場拿下24分，抓下22個籃板，帶領尼克隊擊敗溜馬，晉級總冠軍賽。

那一年的總冠軍戰成為一個偉大中鋒對決的經典系列。在Pat Riley打落牙和血吞，強調肢體碰撞的籃球哲學下，2隊在7場比賽中沒有一場比賽任一球隊得分能破百。火箭在Madison Square Garden偷走了第六場的勝利。尼克的射手John Starks在第七戰中投18只中2，火箭以90-86拿下第七戰並成為當年的總冠軍。

對Ewing來說，那堪稱是一個完美的球季，只除了一個殘酷的結果。他連續第七季得分領先全隊(24.5分)，第八度入選明星賽。身為尼克的隊長，他也超越Walt Frazier成為尼克隊史的得分王。此外，他每場還能抓下11.2個籃板，祭出2.75次阻攻。

接下來的4個球季，Ewing的平均得分都沒超過20.8分。尼克在東區準決賽先後敗給溜馬、公牛、熱火(當時已由Riley執教)和溜馬。

在第一次輸給溜馬的系列賽中，許多人都只記得Ewing在罰球線附近的最後一擊失手，而使得尼克失去打延長賽的機會。但他們都忘了在第五戰，尼克當時在系列賽以1-3落後，他在時間剩下不到2秒的時候得分使尼克以1分之差拿下第五戰的勝利而免於被淘汰。被熱火淘汰的主因則是第五戰的大亂鬥—有多位球員從板凳區衝入場中而被禁賽所造成的。Ewing缺席了第六場而另一部分球員則在第七場執行禁賽，熱火後來居上贏得了那次系列賽。

因為右腕的韌帶撕裂使得Ewing在1997-98球季缺席了大部分的比賽。在Ewing缺席的這段期間，尼克前鋒Larry Johnson說”我認為我是一個相當勤奮的人，或者我以為我是。但每當我在練習前來到時，Ewing看起來似乎他已經在這裡待了超過一個小時。所以如果有任何人能東山再起，那就是他。”

他做到了。他粉碎了那個醫生說他無法再回到場上的預言。然而在他之後的生涯中，那柔順的投籃手感與姿勢已不復從前了。而重新回到場上也並未讓他感到舒服，尼克在東區準決賽上1-4輸給了溜馬隊。

到了1998-99球季，Ewing在勞資談判中擔任工會代表。那一季延遲到2月才開打，而每一隊的賽程也縮減到50場。在球季開打前，球隊將Starks交易到金州勇士(Golden State Warriors)換取Latrell Sprewell，將Oakley交易到多倫多暴龍(Toronto Raptors)換取 Marcus Camby。

尼克在季中問題不斷，但在季後賽卻出奇的順利。他們成為史上第一支以第八種子身份打進總冠軍賽的球隊。Ewing平均可得17.3分，但在東區決賽對上溜馬隊時傷到了阿基里斯腱。缺少了Ewing，Tim Duncan 和David Robinson所領軍的聖安東尼奧馬刺輕鬆的以4-1拿下1999球季的NBA冠軍。


在1999-2000的季後賽中，尼克連續第三年淘汰了Riley和熱火。但是他們在東區決賽上輸給了溜馬。球季結束後，Ewing和尼克多年的賓主關係也宣告結束。

由於無法在Ewing的2000-01球季的延長合約上達成共識，尼克隊—帶著老兵的祝福—將他交易到西雅圖超音速(Seattle Supersonics)。球迷們對於Ewing的離去帶著很複雜的情緒：有些人無法原諒他始終未能替這座城市帶來冠軍，有些則對他對球迷的冷淡態度不以為然。而另一些人則珍惜著他的付出和他為這座球場所帶來的激情。

他只在超音速打了一季，接著以替補中鋒的身份轉戰奧蘭多魔術(Orlando Magic)。在宣布退休之後，他被華盛頓巫師(Washington Wizards)延攬，在Jordan復出的最後一季擔任助理教練。

Ewing的33號球衣在2003年2月28日(在Madison Square Garden)被舉行退休儀式。這項消息在之前已被公佈在尼克隊的官方網站上。那一天球場裡擠進爆滿的觀眾。整個球場裡” P-a-a-at-t-tri-i-i-ck E-e-e-wi-i-ing!!! Pa-a-a-tr-i-i-ck E-e-e-wi-i-ingggg!"的叫聲不絕於耳。那為了Ewing退休而唱的歌聲甚至一路飆到不可到達的高音域。

回憶起在Ewing的生涯中，那無數場在Madison所舉行的季後賽血戰。Jordan說的最好”他有一顆冠軍的心。當人們提到紐約，你不由自主地想到Patrick Ewing，他來到這座城市，並將整個籃球生命交給這城市。”

後記：之後還會陸續貼出的50大巨星是大概從兩年前我幫超級運動場翻譯的，原文出自nba.com。在超運那邊我是以綠灣為署名，不過到目前為止大概還不到10篇。希望以後能繼續增加。
原文：

Warrior. That is the one-word description often applied to Patrick Ewing. He was indefatigable and relentless in pursuit of an NBA championship despite being denied on an annual basis. Bold predictions did not always materialize and some took them as empty promises, while others as a will to succeed. One of the finest shooting centers to play, he left the game as the New York Knicks' all-time leader in nearly every significant category and the game's 13th all-time scorer with 24,815 points.

He arrived in New York after a ballyhooed college career with the Georgetown Hoyas that included one NCAA title and appearances in two other championship games. The team's fierce in-your-face style of basketball created a phenomenon known as "Hoya Paranoia" and as the key intimidating defensive presence, Ewing was tagged the "Hoya Destroya." A media star since his schoolboy days, his anticipated arrival to the NBA was unprecedented.

Never achieving the Holy Grail of the NBA, Ewing came painfully close. He led the Knicks all the way to the NBA Finals in 1994 but lost to the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets in seven games, which avenged a loss by Olajuwon's Houston Cougars to Georgetown in the 1984 NCAA championship game.

Also, at the tail end of Ewing's career with the Knicks, he was sidelined with a partially torn Achilles tendon when the San Antonio Spurs defeated New York in the 1999 NBA Finals.

Some hold that Ewing's failure to win a ring is the litmus test defining his career. But timing is everything and Ewing just happened to be born within five months of both Olajuwon and Michael Jordan, whose Chicago Bulls defeated Ewing's Knicks in five playoff series. In fact, from 1990 through 1998, the NBA championship went to teams that featured either Jordan or Olajuwon.

Nonetheless, Ewing's career highlights and production are impressive. They include averages of 21 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, 11 All-Star berths, an All-NBA First Team bid and six Second Team selections. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1986, was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and played on two gold medal-winning Olympic basketball teams, in 1984 and 1992.

The Jamaica-born Ewing arrived in the United States at age 11, and the gangly youth who had reached the height of 6-10 by junior high school was initially awkward on the court when introduced to the game. But by the time he was a senior in high school, the world knew he would be something special.

"He will be the next Bill Russell, only better offensively," high school coach Mike Jarvis said of Ewing while the budding giant played at Cambridge (Mass.) Rindge & Latin School. Many had similar thoughts as he was heavily recruited and was the focal point of media attention throughout his basketball career.

He understood the hoopla that came with his stardom but always reserved his right to just play basketball. Perhaps that is why he chose to attend Georgetown, where he blossomed under the mentor-like guidance of coach John Thompson, a 6-10 former NBA backup center to Bill Russell on the Boston Celtics in the mid-1960s. Ewing's pro career was presaged by four superb years at Georgetown. Besides his team accomplishments, he was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a junior and as a senior, and his long list of honors included The Sporting News College Player of the Year Award and the Naismith Award.

Although many of his contemporaries -- including Olajuwon, Jordan and Charles Barkley -- were leaving college early to join the NBA, Ewing stayed all four years and earned a degree in Fine Arts. His patience paid off as the yearning for his services reached almost epic proportions with the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery in 1985. As recounted in Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Clippers president Alan Rothenberg and GM Carl Scheer joked about enlisting 33 (Ewing's jersey number) Hasidic rabbis to chant Ewing's name in unison to enhance the teams chance of winning his draft rights.

This new lottery system was devised to discourage teams from tanking games to get the chance to pick first in the draft. All non-playoff teams would participate in a lottery to determine the order of selection. However, in its introduction, the side effect was similar to a sideshow. Rather than just two teams with high hopes of winning a coin flip, the additional teams multiplied the hype. This first lottery, more television friendly than a coin toss, was broadcasted from New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Mother's Day.

The Knicks, with the third-worst record of the seven teams involved, won the lottery and the rebirth of a venerable old franchise was delivered.

The Knicks obviously wanted Ewing, a potential franchise center, as much as the other lottery teams. However, the expectations for the Knicks were slightly different. The team played in New York, the media capital of the world and to many the Mecca of basketball. Many fans still remembered the halcyon days when Willis Reed and Walt "Clyde" Frazier led the Knicks' championship teams of 1970 and 1973.

In reality, the team was more than respectable. New York had been a playoff team three of the preceding five years, led by 7-1 center Bill Cartwright and the electrifying Bernard King, although Cartwright missed the entire season and King suffered a serious knee injury the year prior to Ewing's arrival. With Cartwright and King sidelined, the team's progress was short-circuited as the record dropped dramatically, putting the team in a position to draft Ewing.

Ewing was still touted as the franchise’s savior. His burden was even heavier than expected in his rookie season without King, who was still out with that knee injury, and Cartwright, who played just two games. Rebuilding the team took a while, but Ewing was an instant success. He averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game and became the first Knicks player to capture the NBA Rookie of the Year award since Willis Reed in 1964-65, although Ewing missed 32 games because of a knee injury which also caused him to miss the All-Star Game.

Ewing wasn't known for offensive prowess while in college, where Georgetown coach John Thompson placed emphasis on defense and keeping big men in the pivot. But once in the pro ranks, away from the restraints of college opponents sagging on him, Ewing surprised many with his scoring ability, eventually developing an unstoppable baseline jumper.

King played just six games in Ewing's second year and was playing with the Washington Bullets by the third. Ewing was also playing a variety of power forwards and he sometimes teamed with Cartwright in a two-center lineup. Ewing did, however, turn in strong numbers as the Knicks slowly gathered a credible supporting cast.

In his third year, Ewing finished 20th in the NBA in scoring (20.2 ppg), ninth in field-goal percentage (.555) and third in blocked shots (2.99 per game). Rick Pitino took over as head coach prior to the season guided the Knicks to their first playoff berth in four seasons, where the Boston Celtics defeated New York 3-1 in the first-round. Ewing contributed 18.8 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in the series. Ewing also made his second All-Star Game appearance in 1988 and was named to both the All-Defensive Second Team and the All-NBA Second Team at season’s end.

In 1988-89, with Cartwright having been traded to the Bulls for Ewing's eventual right-hand man for the next decade, power forward Charles Oakley, No. 33 became an All-Star for the third time and he earned his second straight berth on both the All-NBA Second Team and the All-Defensive Second Team. The Knicks won the Atlantic Division with a 52-30 record in Rick Pitino’s second and final season as head coach.

Ewing ranked 12th in the NBA in scoring (22.7 ppg), third in blocked shots (3.51 per game), fourth in field-goal percentage (.567) and 20th in rebounding (9.3 rpg). New York advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals before losing to the Chicago Bulls in six games. Ewing averaged 21.3 points and 10.0 rebounds against the Bulls, dominating Game 5 with 32 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Ewing put together a spectacular year in 1989-90, ranking second in the league in blocked shots (3.99 per game), third in scoring (a career-high 28.6 ppg), fifth in rebounding (10.9 rpg) and sixth in field-goal percentage (.551). He made his fourth appearance in the NBA All-Star Game and was voted a starter for the first time. At season’s end he earned his only selection to the All-NBA First Team.

Ewing continued to dominate in the playoffs. Down 0-2 to the Celtics in the first-round, Ewing led the Knicks to a series victory after posting 44 points and 13 rebounds in Game 4 and then 31 points in an emotional Game 5 triumph. However, the Knicks were ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He averaged 29.4 points in 10 postseason games, highlighted by a 45-point effort in the Knicks’ Game 3 victory against Detroit.

Prior to the 1991-92 season, Pat Riley took over as head coach of New York. For the next four seasons, Ewing anchored one of the best teams in the league as the Knicks won at least 50 games each year and advanced to the NBA Finals in 1994. He was remarkably consistent during that span, averaging between 23.9 and 24.5 points while pulling down at least 11 rebounds per game each year.

New York ended the 1991-92 regular season tied with Boston atop the Atlantic Division. The Knicks then advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, losing to Chicago in a grueling seven-game series. Ewing averaged 22.7 points and 11.1 rebounds during the postseason.

In 1992-93, Ewing finished fourth in the balloting for the NBA Most Valuable Player award after leading the Knicks to the best record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22. An All-Star for the seventh time, Ewing finished sixth in the NBA in scoring (24.2 ppg) and seventh in rebounding with a career-high 12.1 per game.

Ewing averaged 25.5 points and 10.9 rebounds in the 1993 postseason, but for a third straight year the Knicks could not unseat the Bulls. The Knicks lost the Eastern Conference Finals to Chicago in six games after going up 2-0. Momentum swayed to the Bulls after winning Game 5 at Madison Square Garden when point-blank-range shots by Knicks forward Charles Smith were blocked with seconds left.

Ewing led New York to the 1994 NBA Finals, during Jordan's first retirement hiatus. Ewing posted 24 points and 22 boards in a Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Finals was a referendum of which of the great centers would be remembered as a champion. A tooth-and-nail battle premised on Riley's physical style of play, no team scored a 100 points in any of the seven games. The Rockets stole Game 6 at the Garden and in the decisive game, Knicks shooting guard John Starks shot 2-for-18 from the field and the Rockets won 90-86.

For Ewing it was a crushing end to another fine season. He led the Knicks in scoring (24.5 ppg) for a seventh consecutive year and participated in his eighth NBA All-Star Game. The Knicks co-captain also averaged 11.2 rebounds and 2.75 blocks while becoming New York’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Walt Frazier.

For the next four seasons, Ewing averaged no less than 20.8 ppg, but the Knicks endured Eastern Conference Semifinal losses in succession to the Pacers, Bulls, Miami Heat (now coached by Riley) and finally the Pacers again.

The first Pacers series loss is remembered by many for Ewing's failure to sink a finger-roll in the waning moments of Game 7, which would have forced overtime. But many also forget that in Game 5, with the Knicks down 3-1, he scored with less than two seconds left to lift the Knicks to a one-point win and save them from elimination. The Heat defeat is noteworthy for the suspension of several players for leaving the bench during a Game 5 scuffle. Without Ewing in Game 6 and other suspended Knicks in Game 7, the Heat came back to win the series.

Ewing missed much of the 1997-98 season with a lunate dislocation and torn ligaments of the right wrist. During Ewing’s rehab, Knicks forward Larry Johnson said, “I thought I was a hard worker, or claimed to be a hard worker, but I’m in there before practice and he looks like he’s already been there an hour. So if anyone can come back, he will.”

He did, defying the doctors' prognosis that he would not be able to return that season. Although Ewing may have lost some of the snap in his shooting motion for the remainder of his career, he returned and played through any discomfort, only to lose in five games to the Pacers in the Conference Finals.

As the 1998-99 season approached, Ewing was consumed with labor negotiations as the Player's Union representative. The season was delayed until February and shortened to a 50-game schedule. Before the start of the season, the team acquired Latrell Sprewell in a deal that sent Starks to the Golden State Warriors, and Marcus Camby arrived from Toronto in exchange for Oakley.

The team had trouble coming together but jelled during the postseason, becoming the first team to ever reach the NBA Finals from the eighth seed. Ewing averaged 17.3 ppg but suffered an injured Achilles tendon in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers. Without Ewing, San Antonio's Tim Duncan and David Robinson were too much for the Knicks as the Spurs won the championship in five games.

Ewing and the Knicks enjoyed one last hurrah in 1999-2000 by eliminating Riley and the Heat from the playoffs for the third consecutive season. But the Pacers defeated New York in the Conference Finals and Ewing's career as a Knick was over.

Unable to agree on a contract extension with Ewing before the 2000-01 season, the Knicks -- with the veteran center's blessing -- traded him to the Seattle SuperSonics. Knicks fans had mixed emotions about Ewing's departure. Some could never forgive him for not bringing the title back to New York, or for his sense of privacy that limited a personal connection with the fans. Others appreciated his productive work ethic, the excitement he brought to the Garden and his commitment to the franchise.

He played just one season as a Sonic and another as a backup with the Orlando Magic. After announcing his retirement, he was hired as an assistant coach by the Washington Wizards, joining Jordan in his old nemesis' final season as a player.

Ewing's No. 33 was retired before a Madison Square Garden crowd on February 28, 2003. As reported on the Knicks' official Web site, as the moment approached prior to halftime, the Garden was buzzing with a chant of "P-a-a-at-t-tri-i-i-ck E-e-e-wi-i-ing!!! Pa-a-a-tr-i-i-ck E-e-e-wi-i-ingggg!" Louder and louder the chant grew to an almost unreachable crescendo.

The scene was reminiscent of the many spring playoff dates the Garden hosted during Ewing's career. Jordan may have said it best, "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."