Patrick Ewing: Standing Tall!

About Patrick Ewing

-Full name is Patrick Aloysius Ewing

-Was born on August 5, 1962 in Kingston, Jamaica

-Won the NCAA championship in the 1983-1984 season

-Drafted 1985 by the New York Knicks 1^st Overall

-Played with the New York Knicks, Seattle Supersonics and Orlando Magic

Career Achievements

-Has 24,815 points

-Has compiled 11,607 rebounds

-Has accumulated 2,894 blocks

-11 Time NBA All Star

-1 Time All NBA First Team

-6 Time All NBA Second Team

-3 time All-Defensive Second Team

-1986 Rookie of the Year

-1986 All Rookie Team

-Named as one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time

-Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008

About the Video

The video starts with Patrick Ewing's early years. Life wasn't easy for Patrick as they were immigrants. Patrick worked hard in school and got involved in organized basketball at age 14. At the 10^th grade, Patrick was seven feet tall and soon dominated basketball. However, Boston was hostile towards black people at that time and Patrick felt it and reacted towards the animosity.

Patrick got national attention and was highly recruited by colleges. He chose to play for the Georgetown Hoyas. They lost to the trio of Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins in the NCAA finals. They however recovered and captured the NCAA title and beat the tandem of Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon of the University of Houston.

Patrick Ewing was chosen as the first pick of the 1985 draft and was heralded as the savior of the New York franchise. However this was not to be immediate. The level of competition was much higher in the NBA and Ewing struggled with injuries.

Later, Patrick Ewing along with some new acquisitions powered their way past the 76ers and won their first playoff series since 1983. He capped this off with a brilliant performance at Boston in front of friends and family. The next season however, the Knicks struggled and got decimated by the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls.

May 31, 1991 was an important day as Pat Riley was hired as the head coach. Patrick Ewing didn't look at him that highly as he was just another coach. The Knicks were then transformed into a defensive powerhouse. The Knicks had reached deep into the post season but didn't capture the ultimate prize.

Next on the agenda was Patrick Ewing's selection to the fabled Dream Team. This was the original Dream Team that played in Barcelona and decimated opponents by more than 50 points per game. They ran roughshod on their way to a gold medal.

The video also shows that Patrick also gives back to the community. He teaches kids the value of finishing school. He had done so after all despite the lure of big money from the NBA.

The last part shows Patrick Ewing as a person. He overcame challenges and obstacles and became a big star. He may not have completed his quest for NBA supremacy. But there is more to life than NBA championships.

The Verdict

It was inspiring to see Patrick Ewing's humble beginnings as an immigrant to his success in the NBA. He truly earned it. He was one of the hardest working players ever. It was sad that he never won an NBA Championship. He came close in the finals. He lost one to Houston and one to San Antonio.

It is also sad to see once a once proud New York sink to these levels. Back in the day New York had a lot of good players who played hard - Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Xavier McDaniel, Charles Oakley, Charles Smith, Derek Harper and Mark Jackson. Yes they were a bit too physical but they were a perennial powerhouse in the East. Now they get stuck with lazy people like Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury. Not only that but they are a laughingstock with the media.

I was also surprised the Knicks cut Patrick Ewing Jr. from the lineup. He was a good player and should have been used as respect to his dad who is the most famous Knick to ever live. Patrick should have been named as a coach as well. I'm sure he won't do any worse than Isaiah Thomas. After all Ewing has a lot of assistant coaching experience.

Overall, this is an excellent video especially for basketball, NBA and Knick fans. This would remind people about the glory years of New York that someday will come back.

© TheChosen1. Review is published in other sites under the same name

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-Patrick Ewing's profile is sourced from wikipedia