"Aint No Sunshine When He's Gone"

There is a old saying that basically states that you never appreciate a good thing until its gone. Years after Patrick Ewing left the Knicks, I watched this once great storied franchise plummet to an embarrassing has been. When i watched the legends of the decades ceremony the other day, and saw Patrick Ewing get honored for the nineties, I quickly youtubed his number retirement ceremony. To this day, I'm still moved and touched by how this great city paid homage to a man whose only fault was not winning a title. I smile so hard my face hurts, and my eyes well up every single time I watch it. We should have showed this much appreciation while he was around



For starters, for thirteen years straight, Pat led the Knicks into the playoffs as legitimate title contenders. He didn't miss games and he put up almost 25 points and 12 rebounds through the heart of his career. However it wasn't good enough for Knicks fans since he wasn't dunking on players like Shaq or dazzling them like Hakeem. His game wasn't pretty, but it was consistent, professional, and we knew he would give 150%. No dislocated toes and pinkies were going to keep him out of a game. Ever. No off the court problems, with the exception of being caught in a strip club or to, which is perfectly fine with me. The day he left was the day the franchise went down the drain.



Several factors contributed to the Knicks not winning a title. None were Ewing's fault.



#1. Michael Jordan. I don't have to say anymore than that. He had to battle the Bulls every single time he had a shot to win. As we look back, having Mike stop you from getting a ring is nothing to be ashamed of. How many others hopes has he totally decimated. Karl Malone, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley. All great players, and all hall of famers. Having the best player of all time assassinate you in the playoffs is nothing to be ashamed of.

#2. Weak front office. I really don't think the front office was weak during those glory years in the nineties. However, Ewing really never had that second star that he needed to get over the hump. The best player he had alongside of him offensively was John starks, a guy who had bagged groceries prior to playing. All of the offensive pressure was always placed on Pat. When they finally did try to get him some offensive help in Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston, Ewing was 37 years old, and his knees were shot for carrying the franchise alone for so long. The thing that pisses me off the most is that today, the Knicks have the highest payroll in the league, and spared no expense bringing in high priced players. And they are the biggest mess in sports. Period. And Isiah is to blame equally with Scott Layden and James Dolan. Dolan is basketball's version of Gerorge Stienbrenner, the only difference being that the latter is a winner. When we had a legend, a hall of famer, a professional, we surrounded him with CBA overachievers and role players and were a winning franchise. Money and time wasted.

#3. Legends Era. Ewing Played in a era of legends. Bird. Magic. Reggie. Barkley. Stockton. Jordan. Hakeem. Shaq. Clyde. The Admiral. Pippen. All of these guys are model franchise players. So was Ewing. Not all of them won titles, and that fact doesn't lessen their accomplishments or sully their legacies.

For all of Ewing's faults, he was a hard worker,a non-vocal leader, and a true professional. To think, Stephon Marbury was paid more to wear a Knick uniform. What a shame. We all watched a legend play before our eyes, and we complained and wanted more. Now hes gone, and we realized what we had. And we wonder when or if well ever have a player of his stature again. Probably not. We miss you, big fella. You have no idea.