One of the NBA's top players for more than a decade, Patrick Ewing has been the key to a New York Knicks resurgence that began in the 1980s and has carried into the 1990s. He holds virtually all of the franchise's career records including games and minutes played, points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots. One of the finest shooting centers ever to play the game, Ewing is also an intimidating defender and prolific rebounder. Above all, he is a warrior whose competitive fire carried the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1994. His career highlights include 11 All-Star berths, seven All-NBA First or Second Team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Second Team picks. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1986 and played on two gold-medal-winning Olympic basketball teams, in 1984 and 1992. Ewing's great pro career was presaged by four superb years at Georgetown. He carried the Hoyas to the NCAA Championship Game three times, and in 1983-84, his junior year, he led the team to an NCAA Championship and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. As a senior, his long list of honors included The Sporting News College Player of the Year Award and the Naismith Award. In four seasons with the Hoyas he averaged 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting .620 from the field. He left Georgetown as the school's top shotblocker and rebounder and No. 2 scorer. The New York Knicks won the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery in 1985, thereby earning the right to select Ewing with the first pick in the upcoming draft. New York had won only 24 games the previous season, and Ewing was touted as the franchise's savior. Although it took a while for the team to become competitive, Ewing was an instant success. The NBA Rookie of the Year in 1986, he averaged 20.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in his first tour of duty despite missing 32 games because of a knee injury. He was named an All-Star, but his injury kept him out of the game. As with the other great Georgetown centers who followed him into the NBA-Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning-Ewing was known more for his defense than for his offense coming out of college. Once in the pro ranks, Ewing surprised many with his scoring ability, eventually developing an unstoppable baseline jumper. Ewing turned in strong numbers in his second and third seasons as the Knicks slowly gathered a creditable supporting cast. In 1988-89 he bumped his scoring average up to 22.7 points per game, was named to the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second straight season, and helped the Knicks to their best record since the early 1970s. In 1989-90 Ewing put together a spectacular year, ranking second in the league in blocked shots (3.99 per game), third in scoring (a career-high 28.6 ppg), and fifth in rebounding (10.9 rpg). At season's end he earned his only selection to the All-NBA First Team. The Knicks slipped a notch in 1990-91, falling below .500, but Ewing continued his fine play, averaging 26.6 points and a career-best 3.0 assists. He was the only player in the league to finish in the top five in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots. He also played in his fourth consecutive All-Star Game. Prior to the 1991-92 season, Pat Riley took over as head coach at 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 all the way 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. Midway through the 1993-94 season he passed Walt Frazier to become the Knicks' all-time leading scorer. After Riley left the Knicks in 1995, Ewing became more of a bulwark than ever before as the team went through a season of transition under coaches Don Nelson and Jeff Van Gundy in 1995-96. With the arrival of Larry Johnson, Allan Houston and Chris Childs in the summer of 1996, Ewing helped the Knicks to 57 wins with another All-Star season in 1996-97, but the team was eliminated by Miami in an emotio

1998-99 NOTES

Ewing played in 38 games for the Knicks, but was dogged by left Achilles tendinitis, an injury that forced him to leave a game against Milwaukee after only one minute on March 9. He sat out the next six games as well as six of the last 12 games of the regular season. He played the first 11 playoff games for the Knicks but then was diagnosed with a tear in his Achilles and had to sit out the last four games of the Conference Finals against Indiana and all five games of the NBA Finals against San Antonio. Ewing averaged 17.3 points per game, the first time in his career he has been under 20 ppg, and 9.9 rebounds per game, the first time since 1988-89 he has been under 10 rpg. He shot a career-low .435 from the field and .706 from the free throw line, but ranked sixth in the NBA in shotblocking at 2.63 bpg. On March 26 at Phoenix he grabbed his 10,000th career rebounds and became only the 12th player in NBA history to amass 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. All are members of the Hall of Fame except for Robert Parish, who retired in 1997 and won't be eligible for the Hall until 2002, and active players Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon. Ewing led the Knicks in scoring 16 times and rebounding 27 times. He scored a season-high 37 points against Indiana on March 30, one of 14 games in which he scored 20 points and one of two 30 outings, the other being 31 points against Miami on March 2. He grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds, with a game-high 27 points, as the Knicks clinched a playoff berth by beating Boston 95-88 on May 3. He had seven games with at least five blocked shots, including a pair of seven-block outings. Ewing played through pain in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but after the second game against Indiana he was told by doctors that his Achilles was such that he could suffer a career-ending injury if he continued to play, so he sat out the last nine games of the postseason. He averaged 13.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 0.73 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game, shooting .430 from the field and .778 from the line. He led the Knicks with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 40 minutes in their dramatic 78-77 win over Miami in Game 5 of the First Round, as they became only the second No. 8 seed in playoff history to knock off a No. 1.

1997-98 NOTES

One of the NBA's top players for more than a decade, Patrick Ewing has been the key to a New York Knicks resurgence that began in the 1980s and has carried into the 1990s. He holds virtually all of the franchise's career records including games and minutes played, points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots. Voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, Ewing missed most of the 1997-98 season with torn and dislocated ligaments in his right wrist. One of the finest shooting centers ever to play the game, Ewing is also an intimidating defender and prolific rebounder. Above all, he is a warrior whose competitive fire carried the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1994. His career highlights include 11 All-Star berths in 13 NBA seasons, seven All-NBA First or Second Team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Second Team picks. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1986 and played on two gold-medal-winning Olympic basketball teams, in 1984 and 1992. Ewing's great pro career was presaged by four superb years at Georgetown. He carried the Hoyas to the NCAA Championship Game three times, and in 1983-84, his junior year, he led the team to an NCAA Championship and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. As a senior, his long list of honors included The Sporting News College Player of the Year Award and the Naismith Award. In four seasons with the Hoyas he averaged 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting .620 from the field. He left Georgetown as the school's top shotblocker and rebounder and No. 2 scorer. The New York Knicks won the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery in 1985, thereby earning the right to select Ewing with the first pick in the upcoming draft. New York had won only 24 games the previous season, and Ewing was touted as the franchise's savior. Although it took awhile for the team to become competitive, Ewing was an instant success. The NBA Rookie of the Year in 1986, he averaged 20.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in his first tour of duty despite missing 32 games because of a knee injury. He was named an All-Star, but his injury kept him out of the game. As with the other great Georgetown centers who followed him into the NBA-Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning-Ewing was known more for his defense than for his offense coming out of college. Once in the pro ranks, Ewing surprised many with his scoring ability, eventually developing an unstoppable baseline jumper. Ewing turned in strong numbers in his second and third seasons as the Knicks slowly gathered a creditable supporting cast. In 1988-89 he bumped his scoring average up to 22.7 points per game, was named to the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second straight season, and helped the Knicks to their best record since the early 1970s. In 1989-90 Ewing put together a spectacular year, ranking second in the league in blocked shots (3.99 per game), third in scoring (a career-high 28.6 ppg), and fifth in rebounding (10.9 rpg). At season's end he earned his only selection to the All-NBA First Team. The Knicks slipped a notch in 1990-91, falling below .500, but Ewing continued his fine play, averaging 26.6 points and a career-best 3.0 assists. He was the only player in the league to finish in the top five in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots. He also played in his fourth consecutive All-Star Game. Prior to the 1991-92 season, Pat Riley took over as head coach at 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 all the way 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. Midway through the 1993-94 season he passed Walt Frazier to become the Knicks' all-time leading scorer. After Riley left the Knicks in 1995, Ewing became more of a bulwark than ever before as the team went through a season of transition under coaches Don Nelson and Jeff Van Gundy in 1995-96. With the arrival of Larry Johnson, Allan Houston

1996-97 NOTES

Ewing again ranked among the NBA's top 10 in scoring (eighth at 22.4 ppg), rebounding (fifth at 10.7 rpg) and shotblocking (sixth at 2.42 bpg) as he led the Knicks to a 57-win season. He was voted the starting center for the East in the All-Star Game, his 11th selection in 12 seasons, but was unable to play due to a strained left groin. Ewing played and started 78 games for the Knicks. On Nov. 19 against Orlando he became the 23rd player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points, and on April 8 against Cleveland he recorded his 2,500th career blocked shot. Ewing was selected to the All-NBA Second Team and was among those honored by the league as the 50 Greatest Players of All Time. Ewing scored 30 or more points 14 times, with the Knicks winning 13 of those games. He posted a season-high 39 points in a 113-102 win at Boston on March 7, part week in which he averaged 31.0 ppg and 9.8 rpg and shot .623 and gained Player of the Week honors. He grabbed at least 10 rebounds 47 times and twice had 20 or more, including a season-high 25 (plus 34 points) in a 127-171 double overtime win at the Lakers on Feb. 23. He blocked a season-high seven shots on four separate occasions. Ewing averaged 22.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.44 blocks in nine playoff games for the Knicks. He was suspended for one game after leaving the bench during a fight in Game 5 of the Conference Semifinals against Miami. After sitting out Game 6 he came back with 37 points and 17 rebounds in Game 7, but it wasn't enough as the Knicks were beaten by the Heat 101-90.

1995-96 NOTES

In his 11th pro season, Ewing once again was the Knicks' mainstay, ranking ninth in the NBA in scoring at 22.5 points per game, seventh in rebounding at 10.6 rebounds per game and seventh in shotblocking at 2.42 blocks per game. He shot .466 from the field on 678-for-1,456, averaging 36.6 minutes for 76 games. He missed three games with a sprained left ankle and three more with a sprained right ankle, and the Knicks were just 1-5 in his absence. Already the Knicks' career leader in scoring, Ewing assumed the top spot in games and minutes played as well as rebounds during the season. He was named to the All-Star team for a club-record 10th time and the ninth time in a row. Ewing is one of just 22 players in NBA history to be named an All-Star 10 times or more. Ewing led the Knicks in scoring 50 times and had 12 games of 30 points or more, including a season-high 41 points at Seattle on Jan. 19. He also led the team in rebounding 44 times, posting a season-high 23 rebounds at Vancouver on Jan. 20. Ewing posted 43 double-doubles for the season and one triple-double, getting 28 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists against Charlotte on April 19. It was the first triple-double by a New York player since Mark Jackson on Nov. 22, 1991. In eight playoff games Ewing averaged 21.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.13 blocks in 41.0 minutes per game. He scored over 20 points in each of the five games against the eventual champion Chicago Bulls, nailing two key free throws late in overtime of the Knicks' only victory in Game 3 and then notching a playoff-high 29 points in Game 4.

1994-95 NOTES

After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in July, Ewing got off to a slow start in 1994-95 as he worked his way back into shape. By season's end, however, he had put together another stellar year. He led the New York Knicks and ranked sixth in the NBA in scoring with an average of 23.9 points per game, and he finished fourth in the league in rebounding (11.0 rpg). Ewing was the NBA's Player of the Month for January, when he averaged 24.1 points and 12.6 rebounds and led the Knicks to a 13-2 record. At the end of the season he stood as the Knicks' all-time leader in points, blocked shots, and steals. He also shared the No. 1 spot for games played with Walt Frazier and was second in rebounding behind Willis Reed. Ewing set a club record when he earned his ninth All-Star selection. During the course of the season Ewing turned in some awesome performances. He grabbed a season-best 22 rebounds on February 8 against the Indiana Pacers, and on March 7 he scored a season-high 46 points against the Boston Celtics. Among a slew of standout games were a 27-point, 18-rebound outing against the Sacramento Kings on December 15 and a 32-point, 15-rebound effort against the New Jersey Nets on January 16. He scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 3 and then came back two days later and poured in 38 points while collecting 13 rebounds in an overtime contest against the Orlando Magic. In late February he put together a five-game stretch in which he averaged 33.6 points. That string climaxed with a 32-point, 15-rebound game against the Magic. The Knicks rode Ewing to a 55-27 record and second place in the Atlantic Division. In the playoffs, New York got by the Cleveland Cavaliers before falling in seven games to the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals. Ewing led the Knicks in scoring in three of four games against the Cavs and averaged 18.5 points. He struggled in the first three games of the Pacers series, averaging 12.3 points, but he broke out in Game 4 with 25 points. In Game 5, with the Knicks down three games to one, he saved the club from elimination when his basket with under 2 seconds left lifted the team to a 1-point win. But the season ended in heartbreaking fashion for Ewing and the Knicks. In Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, Ewing's layup attempt at the buzzer glanced off the back of the rim, giving Indiana a 97-95 victory. Ewing averaged 27.0 points and 14.5 rebounds in Games 6 and 7 against the Pacers. He finished the postseason as the franchise's all-time leader in points and blocked shots in the playoffs.

1993-94 NOTES

Ewing almost realized a lifelong dream in his ninth professional season. The veteran center carried his New York Knicks all the way to the NBA Finals, then all the way to Game 7, but Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets proved to be too much, winning the game and the NBA Championship. 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. On December 16 he became New York's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Walt Frazier (14,617 points) and eventually finishing the year with 16,191 career points. The Knicks' cocaptain also averaged 11.2 rebounds, 2.75 blocks, and 2.3 assists. He ranked sixth in the league in scoring, 10th in rebounding, and seventh in blocked shots. In addition, he anchored a defense that yielded an NBA-low 91.5 points per game. In fact, New York allowed its opponents the lowest scoring average since 1954-55, when the Minneapolis Lakers allowed only 89.7 points per contest. In the postseason the Knicks were even stingier, yielding only 87.7 points per game. In 25 playoff contests Ewing led the New York charge, averaging 21.9 points and hauling down 11.7 boards per game.

1992-93 NOTES

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. The eight-year veteran was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the third straight season. He was bumped from the starting lineup at the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in four years (Shaquille O'Neal won the fan balloting), but he made major contributions in a thrilling midseason classic in Salt Lake City. Ewing hit a 15-foot baseline jumper with 8.1 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, then scored 6 of the East's 13 points in the extra period. Despite his efforts, the West won the game, 135-132. Ewing established a new single-game rebounding high when he grabbed 26 boards against the Miami Heat on December 19. He also scored a season-high 43 points against the Hornets at Charlotte on February 17. He missed only one game during the year, sitting out a February 4 contest against the Golden State Warriors with a hyperextended right knee. It snapped a string of 175 consecutive games played. The Knicks were on a mission entering the 1993 NBA Playoffs, but for a third straight year they could not unseat the Chicago Bulls. After advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks lost to the Bulls in six games. Ewing averaged 25.5 points and 10.9 rebounds in the postseason.

1991-92 NOTES

The Knicks hired their sixth head coach in Ewing's seven seasons, but this one would stay a while. Pat Riley arrived in New York for the 1991-92 campaign and proceeded to guide the Knicks to a 51-31 record and a share of the Atlantic Division championship. Ewing responded to Riley's arrival with another season of superlatives. He finished fifth in the NBA in scoring (24.0 ppg), eighth in rebounding (11.2 rpg), and fourth in blocked shots (2.99 per game). He was voted a starter for the East squad in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game and was named to both the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team at season's end. New York ended the regular season tied with the Boston Celtics atop the Atlantic Division. The Knicks then advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals before losing to the Chicago Bulls in a grueling seven-game series. Ewing averaged 22.7 points and 11.1 rebounds during the postseason.

1990-91 NOTES

Ewing had become the premier center in the Eastern Conference, as evidenced by his second straight starting nod in the NBA All-Star Game. He followed his 1989-90 career year with another spectacular campaign in 1990-91, ranking fifth in the league in scoring (26.6 ppg), fifth in rebounding (11.2 rpg), and third in blocked shots (3.19 per game). He was named to the All-NBA Second Team at season's end. The six-year veteran scored 20 or more points 70 times during the season, including a 50-point outing against the Charlotte Hornets on December 1, the second 50-point game of his career. In a 37-point effort against the San Antonio Spurs on March 26, Ewing became the fifth player in Knicks history to reach 10,000 career points. New York ended the regular season at 39-43 and advanced to the NBA Playoffs for the fourth straight year. It was a short visit, however, as the Knicks lost to the Chicago Bulls in a first-round sweep. Ewing averaged 16.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in three postseason games.

1989-90 NOTES

Ewing had his finest individual season in 1989-90, establishing Knicks single-season records for both scoring and blocked shots. His 2,347 total points broke Richie Guerin's team mark of 2,303 set in 1962, and his 28.6 scoring average ranked third in the NBA and third in Knicks history. He also finished fifth in the league in rebounding (10.9 rpg), second in blocked shots (3.99 per game), and sixth in field-goal percentage (.551). Honors and awards poured in for Ewing throughout the season. He made his fourth appearance in the NBA All-Star Game but was voted a starter for the first time. At season's end, the five-year veteran earned his first career berth on the All-NBA First Team. Ewing paced the Knicks in scoring in 64 of 82 games. He had a monster night against the Boston Celtics on March 24, scoring a career-high 51 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. He also had 44 points and 24 rebounds versus the Golden State Warriors on November 29 and 44 points and 22 boards against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 7. Ewing continued to dominate in the playoffs, but 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.

1988-89 NOTES

An All-Star for the third time, Ewing earned his second straight berths on both the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team while leading the Knicks to a 52-30 record in Rick Pitino's final season as head coach. The Knicks' scoring leader for the fourth time in his four seasons, 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). He poured in 45 points twice during the season-against the Washington Bullets on February 24 and versus the Charlotte Hornets on March 27. He also scored the 5,000th point of his career in a February 4 game against the Indiana Pacers. 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 5 blocked shots. Ewing had missed the final two games of the regular season with soreness in his right knee. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on the knee after the playoffs ended.

1987-88 NOTES

Ewing started all 82 games in his first injury-free season and responded by finishing 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 1987-88 season and proceeded to guide the Knicks to their first playoff berth since 1984. Ewing made his second All-Star Game appearance in 1988 and was named to both the NBA All-Defensive Second Team and the All-NBA Second Team at season's end. He poured in a season-high 42 points against the Chicago Bulls on April 8, then scored 41 points in only 26 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on April 13. The third-year center blocked 8 shots on two occasions and broke his own club record with 245 rejections for the season. The Knicks met the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 1988 NBA Playoffs and lost in four games. Ewing contributed 18.8 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in the series, including a then playoff career high of 20 rebounds in Game 4.

1986-87 NOTES

Despite suffering a sprained left knee that forced him to miss the season's final 17 games, Ewing averaged 21.5 points and 8.8 rebounds during his second NBA campaign. He recorded 147 blocked shots for the year, setting a New York Knicks record he would break several times during his career. Ewing had a tremendous outing against the Atlanta Hawks on December 13, scoring 43 points while shooting 16-of-20 from the field and 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. He also won a memorable Christmas Day game with a buzzer-beating shot against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden. Under head coaches Hubie Brown and then Bob Hill, the Knicks struggled to a 24-58 record and tied the New Jersey Nets for last place in the Atlantic Division.

1985-86 NOTES

During his four-year career at Georgetown University, Patrick Ewing led the Hoyas to three NCAA title games and the 1984 NCAA Championship. He also helped lead the United States Olympic Team to a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Nicknamed "the Hoya Destroya" for his defensive prowess, Ewing still ranks as Georgetown's all-time leader in rebounds (1,316) and blocked shots (493), and his 2,184 career points place him second in school history behind Sleepy Floyd (2,304). The NBA Draft Lottery made its debut in 1985, and Ewing was the jackpot. After the Knicks won the lottery to earn the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, there was little doubt that they would select the 7-foot center from Georgetown-and they did. Ewing began his NBA career by posting a higher scoring average (20.0 ppg) in his rookie season than he had in any of his college campaigns. He surprised many in the NBA with his production on the offensive end, leading all rookies in scoring en route to becoming the first Knicks player to capture the NBA Rookie of the Year Award since Willis Reed in 1964-65. Ewing also averaged 9.0 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game, both highs among NBA rookies, but he missed 32 games during the season because of a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in March. He was the only rookie selected to play in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game, although he missed the game because of the knee injury.