Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 10:20 am  |  28 responses

Patrick Ewing Warns Dwight Howard Against Playing in New York Area


Patrick Ewing, the former New York Knicks center now an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, warns Dwight Howard that despite the lure of playing in Brooklyn for the Nets, things might not necessarily turn out so well for him there. From the Orlando Sentinel: “Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing received a standing ovation at Madison Square Garden when he was introduced during a break in the first quarter of Monday’s 102-93 Magic win over the Knicks. Ewing, of course, has been asked what advice he has given Howard, who can opt out of his deal after this season and has requested a trade. Ewing said he has advised Howard to remain with the Magic. ‘Everybody always thinks the grass is always greener,’ Ewing said. ‘But it’s a great opportunity for him to stay in a [single] place. I wish I had stayed and finished my career here in New York. But it’s his decision.’ Howard, who can opt out of his current deal after this season, has requested a trade. One of the three teams on his list of preferred destinations is the New Jersey Nets, who will relocate to Brooklyn after this season. Ewing played the first 15 seasons of his 17-year NBA career with the Knicks, and he understands that the spotlight is brighter in the New York market than Orlando. ‘You’ve got to have a thick skin to play in a place like this,’ Ewing said.”

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  • TBEASTIN Posted: Jan.17 at 10:27 am
    he ain’t lying either!!!

  • Jono Posted: Jan.17 at 10:44 am
    Dwight is too much of a whiny b!tch to get criticized. Seriously, watch him play live and all his does is complain to the ref or to his team-mates on teh bench. Stay in Orlando, where they’ll always love you Dwight.

  • AD Posted: Jan.17 at 10:59 am
    what superstar doesnt complain to the refs @jono

  • ttc Posted: Jan.17 at 11:16 am
    ‘You’ve got to have a thick skin to play in a place like this,’ Ewing said.” Questions: Why is it harder to play in Orlando than in New York? More spotlight? Dwight Howard needs more spotlight? why? It’s a bigger market, but what the f*ck does that mean? does it really matter? can someone please explain the logic behind all this, i really don’t get it..

  • DFrance21 Posted: Jan.17 at 11:29 am
    I think the logic is the media and fan scrutiny is way more harsh in a city like NY. The fans are way more fickle, you have “major” newpapers like the NY Post that will comepletely sh1t on you in every page of the sports section. I think in a town like Orlando they are much more forgiving of their local superstar than they would be in NY.

  • ttc Posted: Jan.17 at 11:48 am
    oh right, my bad..thought Ewing meant it was harder to play in Orlando..get it now..thx

  • Jer dawg Posted: Jan.17 at 12:46 pm
    Great place to visit but i wouldn’t like it there as an athlete. Those media hoards are brutal and defamatory every single day. Athletes need to be illiterate when playing there because the papers blow hard every day.

  • nbk Posted: Jan.17 at 1:59 pm
    That’s a warning to Dwight or every player in the league?

  • bike Posted: Jan.17 at 2:56 pm
    Patrick is essentially telling Dwight “Don’t bring that immature s@it into this town because we will eat your p*ssy-soft a&s for lunch. Stay in Orlando where your Taylor-Swift likeness is more suited for Disney land and Sea World”

  • O Posted: Jan.17 at 3:39 pm
    Damn, I swear ex-Knick players are crazy bitter. Oakley told LeBron to stay away from NY, now Patrick Ewing’s in son’s ear saying the same ish. Let’s keep it 100, as much as I love em, Ewing and Oakley weren’t marketable. But you know companies are going to be throwing MAD paper at Dwight. LeBron would’ve been that much closer to being a billionaire too. I can’t even front though, Knicks management did Ewing dirty. So he has reason to be mad.

  • Noel Posted: Jan.17 at 3:43 pm
    Patrick Ewing’s skin was twice as thick as a normal human’s and sweat 10 times as much

  • Mtotheserg Posted: Jan.17 at 3:47 pm
    Illuminati will eat him alive.

  • Marcelus Wallace Posted: Jan.17 at 4:16 pm
    Superman?… More like Super Boy!

  • Brion Posted: Jan.17 at 5:07 pm
    As a former Sonics fan I wished Ewing had retired a Knick as well. that sh*t was painful to watch!

  • John Peck Posted: Jan.17 at 5:33 pm
    Im an Orlando fan, but if Dwight keeps whinging i say just beat it. Id much prefer to support a team that wants to be there than a team whose ‘supposed’ leader wants to bail out. Just weak.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jan.17 at 6:10 pm
    Knicks did Ewing dirty… F*ck that, Ewing is right. The Knicks were my favorite team but Dolan and co. remind me of why I hate corporations.

  • shutup Posted: Jan.17 at 7:28 pm
    NY is no joke, its not about being bitter, its just honesty. Dwight cant handle it NY, that laughing and smiling wont cut it. Ewing was vilified because he wouldnt talk to the media, Ewing was marketable for a big man, one might say the second most marketable big man behind Shaq.

  • Justin G. Posted: Jan.18 at 3:15 am
    O, I don’t think it’s a case of Ewing and Oakley being bitter but more a case of those guys knowing Lebron and Dwight are mentally weak and wouldn’t be able to handle the 24/7 scrutiny they’d be getting

  • R Jones Posted: Jan.18 at 6:19 am
    I remember rockin the patrick ewing shoes in high school…..the good old days…hey caan someone tell me what happened to Shawn Kemp? How did he go from super power bad ass to nothing in the blink of an eye? I know he went to cleveland portland and orlando. but what happened?

  • s wallave Posted: Jan.18 at 8:28 am
    ^ drugs and food

  • Saviour Posted: Jan.18 at 8:44 am
    Booze and drugs happened – he got out of shape when he went to Cleveland and then it all went downhill from there dude. On a side note, there is no way on god’s green earth that Dwight will stay in Orlando – the appeal of making his brand bigger playing in a bigger market is too much for someone like him, and I respect him for it – basketball is not just about the game anymore – just ask Lebron.

  • yes.we.did Posted: Jan.24 at 5:50 pm
    @bike: damn dude i’m rollin right now. that comment made my Tuesday.

  • John Posted: Jan.25 at 4:05 am
    Ewing just wants to keep his #1 guy. He’s talking out of his a$$. The media is the worst in New York and Boston. Everywhere else is pretty forgiving in comparison.

  • Conscious Posted: Jan.29 at 3:26 pm
    Orlando is just waiting until after the All Star break to deal this guy. Howard looks distance and unmotivated when on the court most times. (Like the NBA version of Terell Owens, lol)

  • Theereff Posted: Feb.2 at 10:35 am
    It is easy for Pat to take the stance he has chosen. Not only did Pat attend a major university (Georgetown) He played in a major market as a pro. People wanted to play in New York for Pat Riley… Who wants to play in Disney World for Stan Van??? I Don’t think Dwight does… Not to mention if Orlando loses Dwight it Makes PEwings job harder than beating the Bulls in the playoffs… Well at least for him…

  • Robod Posted: Feb.3 at 6:36 pm
    I agree with Patrick, Dwight, stay in Orlando. New York is a big market and th media will tear Dwight apart as soon as he start’s crying.

  • ClydeSays Posted: Feb.6 at 1:35 pm
    The way it ended for Ewing in NY was just b.s. Dude was the Knicks last legitimate superstar….

  • Solomon Richardson Posted: Feb.10 at 2:50 pm
    I am looking at the NBA and thinking: this is no longer a game, it is a business. A Forbes top 5. Back in the day, Howard more than likely would have stayed in Orlando. However; much better and more famous big men and superstars have always moved around. Chamberlain for example was moved two or three times before retiring at LA. Jabbar was moved to retire at LA. So was Shaq, until he flipped the script. Moses Malone is another. Each of those players were moved to win a championship. Each succeeded. If Dwight is smart, he will not sign with Orlando or any other team that he may be traded to, unless it is the Heat or Bulls. Why, multiple championships for some years to come. As a free agent, he should sign with the Bulls. The Bulls could exercise that option to let Boozer and his contract go and have the most awesome front court the NBA can showcase since Bird, Parrish and McHale. Howard, Noah and Deng. The addition of Howard would make life very easy for Noah. Noah could become an up sized Dennis Rodman. By the same token, Howard could possibly lead the NBA in scoring. No team would out rebound that line up. Imagine this if you will, a Deng freed up to play more loosely and confident about taking the shot. Throw in Rose and Rip and you have at least a couple of championships immediately. They would win off of defense alone. Every team they would play would be reduced to a jump shooting team. Howard and Noah would just shut down the paint. Since this is a business, that would be the most business like decision Howard could make. He would control his own destiny. He would be in a big market. Whatever crumbs he lose in contract would be amply accounted for in endorsements and championships. Most of all, they would be young guns!!!

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