Knicks legend Ewing has fine homecoming
Ken Berger | NBA =
BASKETBALL=20
- 11:36 PM EST, November 9, 2007
The ovation was as big as the man, bigger and louder =
than=20
anything Isiah Thomas will hear at the Garden. And the smile on Patrick =
Ewing=20
blew away anything Thomas has been able to muster lately.
The =
only person=20
in the building happier than Ewing was his new pupil, Dwight Howard, who =
stuck=20
out his tongue and let out a roar as he slapped hands with his=20
teacher.
There was 2:24 remaining in the third quarter between =
the Knicks=20
and the Orlando Magic on Friday night when the scoreboard showed Ewing's =
face=20
above center court. The No. 33 hanging from the rafters said time was=20
frozen.
"I played here for 15 years," Ewing said before the =
game. "I=20
still live in the area. I wouldn't be human after being somewhere for =
that long=20
not to have a feeling when you walk in the place."
And the place =
for=20
him.
Except that once again, Ewing walked onto the Garden court =
as an=20
assistant coach with the opposing team.
A day after Thomas said =
of Ewing,=20
"He's always been welcome here," Ewing clearly was uncomfortable =
answering=20
questions about why he never got a call from the Knicks this past summer =
when he=20
was looking for a job.
"I'm not going to lose sleep over it," =
Ewing said.=20
"I figure when the day comes for them to offer me a job, they'll offer =
me one.=20
And that's it. That's all I want to say about it. I don't want to answer =
any=20
more questions about that."
Oh, but Magic coach Stan Van Gundy=20
did.
"I'm just glad they didn't offer him a position," Van Gundy =
said.=20
"Very glad."
When Van Gundy was putting together his coaching =
staff last=20
offseason, he heard Ewing was going to sit out another year. But Van =
Gundy=20
decided to put in one last call. "And when I called," Van Gundy said, =
"he was=20
interested."
Interested, because Ewing was still waiting for a =
call from=20
the Knicks that never came.
"That's life, you know?" Ewing said. =
"Things=20
happen."
No disrespect at all to Herb Williams and Mark Aguirre, =
both=20
fine coaches. But it must have been hard for Knicks fans to watch =
Ewing's big=20
man, Howard, devour the Knicks' big man, Eddy Curry, to the tune of 22 =
points=20
and 20 rebounds Friday night. Curry had 19 points and three rebounds in =
the=20
112-102 loss.
The Knicks say they didn't have an opening for =
Ewing, which=20
would be like Charles Barkley not having an opening in his Fave Five for =
Beyonce. But to be fair, they also didn't have the same need for Ewing =
that the=20
Magic did. At this point in their careers, Curry is the more polished =
offensive=20
player.
But what Curry couldve gotten from Ewing was everything =
else:=20
defensive tricks, work ethic, how to handle pressure and foul trouble, =
how to=20
work the referees. How to turn doubts into ovations.
"Everything =
that=20
goes on, Patrick's been through it all," Van Gundy said. "He's carried =
the=20
expectations of a franchise. Everything that Dwight's going to go =
through,=20
Patrick's been through."
Ditto for Curry.
"I think he's a =
fine=20
player," Ewing said. "I wish him the best, but right now I'm working =
with Dwight=20
and Orlando."
The way Ewing was honored Friday night only =
underscored one=20
possible reason Thomas wouldn't hire him: He didn't want anyone on the =
bench to=20
overshadow him.
"Patrick can have all the glory, and he should =
have had=20
it every day he walked in here for all he did with this franchise," Van =
Gundy=20
said. "I was clapping myself, because that's a guy that should be =
honored in=20
this city every time he comes in."
For now, all Curry gets from =
Ewing is=20
the chance to stare at his number hanging from the ceiling. Howard gets =
that,=20
and a lot more.
"Every year I come in here, I do the same thing," =
Howard=20
said. "Look at his jersey."
So does Ewing, though not as often as =
he'd=20
like. As he shook hands and posed for pictures in the tunnel after the =
game,=20
Ewing was asked what he thought of the ovation.
"It's home," he =
said, the=20
big smile coming back. "It's home, it's home."
more in=20
/sports/basketball/knicks
Copyright =C2=A9 2007, Newsday Inc.