Goodbye, Mr. Ewing.

 

Remember Patrick Ewing? It would be hard to forget him. 

Ewing put in 15 years for the Knicks, averaging nearly 23 points a game, with over 10 rebounds and nearly 3 blocked shots in every contest. The NBA, celebrating its 50th anniversary, named him one of the league's 50 greatest players.

Yet there was alway an aura of disappointment around Ewing—always more that was expected, after the Knicks jubilantly opened up that envelope giving them the first pick in the 1985 NBA draft.

He was never a very smooth player, Mr. Ewing. Never quiiiite as good as we Knicks fans wanted him to be. There were a couple years when he was hobbled by injuries, a couple years when the ball just didn't bounce the right way.

And a lot of years when he had a paper-thin supporting cast.  

But year after year, he kept coming back, the best player on the Knicks, one of the best players in the NBA—even if he wasn't Kareem, or Bill Russell or any of those other fantasy notions we had of him.

Near the end, with his knees finally giving out, the Knicks put on an improbable playoff run in the strike-shortened, 1998-1999 season.

The team finished only 27-23, good for an 8th seed in the East. Ewing played only 38 of those 50 games, and though he still put in over 17 points a game and grabbed nearly 10 'bounds, the legs were clearly going.

Then came the playoffs. The Knicks swept through the first three rounds, going 11-4. Ewing's playing time dwindled steadily, though, and he had to miss the whole final, which they lost, 4 games to 1, to San Antonio.

But no matter. A lot of Knicks fans were psyched up. 

Who needed Patrick Ewing anymore? In their collective wisdom, lumbering old Patrick had always been slowing the team down. 

Who needed Pat Ewing? We had Latrell Sprewell. And...and...Marcus Camby!

The Knicks were young! The Knicks were going to run-and-gun! A whole new era awaited.

The next year, Ewing ground his way through another, torturous season, still scoring 15 points a game. The Knicks finished second, and made it to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to Indiana.

But who cared? Patrick was gone at last, off to finish his career with desultory seasons in Seattle, and Orlando.

Now the running, scoring, dynamic Knick dynasty could really take off!!

Somehow, the new, reborn Knickerbockers dropped to third without Ewing, and were knocked out in the first round of playoffs.

Then came 9 straight losing seasons.  

It just might be, a few Knicks fans finally conceded, that Patrick Ewing wasn't the problem.

Well, Knicks, am I right?

But the lesson holds for the Yankees and our fellow fans. You think the problem with this team is Aaron Judge, and if we just get rid of him a whole new, wonderful era will open up?

Think again.