The 1990s were one of the golden ages in Knicks history, even without a championship — and the story of that decade is driven by Patrick Ewing.
The 1985 No. 1 overall pick was drafted to become the face of the franchise after a difficult decade and didn't take long to become exactly what the Knicks hoped he would be, developing into a perennial All-Star after a stellar career at Georgetown.
Ewing is among the most decorated players in Knicks history, but is he the best?
Here's a look at where Ewing ranks among Sporting News' 11 greatest Knicks players of all time.
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Where does Patrick Ewing rank among Knicks legends?
Ewing ranks No. 2 on Sporting News' ranking of the all time greatest Knicks players.
There's little doubt Ewing is the most recognizable player in Knicks history, as he spent 15 years in New York and holds a series of franchise records. Ewing also took the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1994 and was part of New York's run to the finals in 1999, though he missed the series.
Not winning a championship, however, is a major sticking point in the debate over the best player in Knicks history. A handful of stars — including Walt Frazier, who stuffed the stat sheet for a decade — were central figures in both of the franchise's two championships in the 1970s. Ewing's longevity is also a notable factor to consider in him holding so many team records.
Here's a complete breakdown of Ewing's Knicks career.
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Patrick Ewing career milestones and achievements
All-Star appearances with Knicks
- 1985-86 NBA All-Star
- 1987-88 NBA All-Star
- 1988-89 NBA All-Star
- 1989-90 NBA All-Star
- 1990-91 NBA All-Star
- 1991-92 NBA All-Star
- 1992-93 NBA All-Star
- 1993-94 NBA All-Star
- 1994-95 NBA All-Star
- 1995-96 NBA All-Star
- 1996-97 NBA All-Star
Ewing was an 11-time All-Star, making each appearance during his time with the Knicks. An All-Star as a rookie, Ewing fell short in his second season but proceeded to earn 10 consecutive selections from that point on.
Ewing's durability was a driving force behind his All-Star level consistency, as he played at least 76 games each season during his stretch of 10 consecutive All-Star selections.
All-NBA selections
- 1987-88: Second-Team All-NBA
- 1988-89: Second-Team All-NBA
- 1989-90: First-Team All-NBA
- 1990-91: Second-Team All-NBA
- 1991-92: Second-Team All-NBA
- 1992-93: Second-Team All-NBA
- 1996-97: Second-Team All-NBA
- Second-Team All-Defense (1987-88, 1988-89, 1991-92)
Ewing earned seven All-NBA selections during his career, all with the Knicks. He only earned a spot on the first team once, but that's a product of how tough the competition was at the center position at the time. With only one spot awarded to centers, Ewing had to compete with Olajuwon and David Robinson.
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Award Voting
- Rookie of the Year (1985-86)
- 4th in MVP voting (1988-89)
- 5th in MVP voting (1989-90)
- 5th in MVP voting (1991-92)
- 4th in MVP voting (1992-93)
- 5th in MVP voting (1993-94)
- 4th in MVP voting (1994-95)
Ewing earned six top-five finishes in MVP voting despite never cracking the top three, including fourth-place finishes in 1988-89, 1992-93 and 1994-95. Before he became an MVP contender, Ewing earned Rookie of the Year honors for his 1985-86 season.
Playoff appearances
- 13 playoff appearances with Knicks
- 10 conference semifinals appearances
- 4 Eastern Conference Finals appearances
- 2 NBA Finals appearances
Ewing led the Knicks to 13 consecutive playoff appearances, though New York only reached the Eastern Conference Finals four times in an era dominated by Michael Jordan and the Bulls. The Knicks broke through during Jordan's first retirement and eliminated the Bulls before reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in the Ewing era, only to fall short in seven games against the Rockets.
New York returned to the Finals at the end of a lockout-shortened season in 1999, but an older Ewing saw his season end in the conference finals due to injury.
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Milestones
- 24,815 career points
- 11,607 career rebounds
- 2,894 career blocks (7th all-time)
- Knicks' all-time points leader
- Knicks' all-time rebounds leader
- Knicks' all-time steals leader
- Knicks' all-time blocks leader
- Knicks' all-time games played leader
Ewing is the Knicks' franchise leader in points, rebounds, steals, blocks and games played.
While playing more games than any player in Knicks history certainly plays a role in Ewing holding so many franchise records, it takes skill just to last that long with one team. Ewing averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his first 13 NBA seasons, also averaging more than two blocks per game in each of his first 14 campaigns.
Ewing ranks top-30 in NBA history in points, rebounds and blocks.
Hall of Fame
- Elected in 2008
Ewing was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, his first year of eligibility. He and fellow star big man Hakeem Olajuwon headlined the class.
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Patrick Ewing career stats
Ewing spent 15 of his 17 NBA seasons with the Knicks, playing a smaller role between stints with the Sonics and Magic at the tail end of his career.
The 1985 No. 1 pick averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his first 13 seasons in the NBA and averaged a double-double for nine consecutive seasons from 1989-90 through 1997-98.
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% |
| 1985-86 | Knicks | 50 | 20.0 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 47.4% |
| 1986-87 | Knicks | 63 | 21.5 | 8.8 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 50.3% |
| 1987-88 | Knicks | 82 | 20.2 | 8.2 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 55.5% |
| 1988-89 | Knicks | 80 | 22.7 | 9.3 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 56.7% |
| 1989-90 | Knicks | 82 | 28.6 | 10.9 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 55.1% |
| 1990-91 | Knicks | 81 | 26.6 | 11.2 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 51.4% |
| 1991-92 | Knicks | 82 | 24.0 | 11.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 52.2% |
| 1992-93 | Knicks | 81 | 24.2 | 12.1 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 50.3% |
| 1993-94 | Knicks | 79 | 24.5 | 11.2 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 49.6% |
| 1994-95 | Knicks | 79 | 23.9 | 11.0 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 50.3% |
| 1995-96 | Knicks | 76 | 22.5 | 10.6 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 46.6% |
| 1996-97 | Knicks | 78 | 22.4 | 10.7 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 48.8% |
| 1997-98 | Knicks | 26 | 20.8 | 10.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 50.4% |
| 1998-99 | Knicks | 38 | 17.3 | 9.9 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 43.5% |
| 1999-00 | Knicks | 62 | 15.0 | 9.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 46.6% |
| 2000-01 | Sonics | 79 | 9.6 | 7.4 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 43.0% |
| 2001-02 | Magic | 65 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 44.4% |
| Career | 1,183 | 21.0 | 9.8 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 50.4% |
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Is Patrick Ewing in the Hall of Fame?
Ewing was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, his first year of eligibility. He and former Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon headlined the class.
Patrick Ewing best highlights
Ewing's playoff career-high was 45 points, but his 24-point, 22-rebound performance against the Pacers in Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals stands as perhaps the most special playoff game of his career.
Here's a look at some of the best overall plays of Ewing's career.
Ewing used his size to his advantage throughout his prime and came through with some monstrous dunks: