"Without my father's NBA legacy, I would have never become a professional athlete..." The basketball story of Patrick Ewing Jr.
When looking at some of the greatest players to ever play basketball, Patrick Ewing is one of the names that stand out. From countless All-Star selections to making the Hall of Fame, Ewing is regarded as one of the top 50 greatest players ever to play basketball. While more could be said about Ewing’s career, his greatest accomplishment is how great of a father, mentor, role model and example he was to his son, Patrick Ewing Jr.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 20, 1984, Ewing Jr developed an interest in basketball at a young age from the moment he saw his father in the NBA. As a kid, Ewing Jr would attend his father’s practices while learning from some of the greatest players of that generation. To Ewing Jr, all he ever wanted was to emulate his father and carry on his basketball legacy.
“I was in the gym with my father every day. For me, I just wanted to be like my dad, and that’s where I would say my basketball dream began because I knew that my dad was a basketball player, and I wanted to be just like him,” said Ewing Jr.
When Ewing Jr was not in the gym with his father, he would attend school and mingle with the other neighbourhood kids. Ewing Jr believed that his lifestyle growing up was as normal as any other kid. The only difference that separated him from other kids was that his father was a basketball icon. Due to his father’s status, Ewing Jr built two families early in his life; one at home and one in the NBA. While this was normal for Ewing Jr, his classmates and instructors in school were starstruck by his relationship with multiple NBA players, including Michael Jordan!
“One weekend after All-Star weekend, one of the teachers asked all of us what we did during the weekend. I remember talking about the weekend, and all of my classmates said, ‘OH MY GOSH, YOU GOT TO SEE MICHAEL JORDAN,’ and my response was so casual because it seemed so normal,” said Ewing Jr.
“I didn’t understand at the time who my father or his friends were. To me, Michael Jordan was a friend of my father’s. It wasn’t until I was older where I started to understand that Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were famous basketball icons in America,” said Ewing Jr.
Ewing Jr grew up learning from some of the greatest players to ever play basketball. While you and I may look at Michael Jordan as a celebrity, Ewing Jr viewed Jordan and many other NBA legends as friends of his father’s. This aspect of Ewing Jr’s story symbolizes the humanity of basketball as it shows that these icons that most people view as untouchable are just as human as you and I.
During a road trip to one of the All-Star games, Ewing Jr shared a story that further displays how human some of these NBA icons were.
“I remember when I was a kid, I was sitting next to Chris Webber and playing video games with him. I was talking trash throughout the ride, and he was talking trash, and it was just a fun time. This story means so much to me because I was just a little kid, and Chris Webber was selected as an All-Star. He didn’t have to be with me, but he wanted to, and that made me feel so special,” said Ewing Jr.
Ewing Jr’s passion for basketball was never pushed or forced upon and, instead, was rarely encouraged. Instead, both of his parents encouraged Ewing Jr to strive for ambitious careers that would require countless years of University.
“No one pushed me towards basketball and, in fact, tried to steer me away from it. It was mostly me. I wanted to be like my dad, so one of the things I needed to do was play basketball,” said Ewing Jr.
“People tried to steer me away from the game because they wanted me to avoid the feeling of being compared to my dad. My dad was one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history; it’s hard to replicate that,” said Ewing Jr.
While Ewing Jr had a strong bond with basketball, his bond with his family was stronger. Growing up, both of his parents were there for him and made time to attend most of his games and any other events that mattered to Ewing Jr the most.
“The relationship with my family growing up was great. Throughout college and the pros, my parents were always at the games, and if they both were not there, one of them was at least there. My dad made himself available, and I remember when I was a junior at Georgetown, he came to every game, including the year I made it to the final four. To share that memory with him was one of the greatest moments that ever happened in my career,” said Ewing Jr.
“My mom used to travel from Atlanta to Indiana for almost every home game I played, and that was a seven-hour drive. I have ten siblings, and they all made my basketball journey important and supported me and pushed me to accomplish my dream. My family was always super supportive and constantly pushed me to be where I am today,” said Ewing Jr.
Ewing Jr’s interest in basketball rooted from a young age. While no one ever pressured Ewing Jr to play basketball, his love for the game led him to become a professional athlete and, now, an assistant head coach for the Ottawa Blackjacks. His dream of carrying on his father’s legacy came true as he managed to be selected 43rd by the Sacramento Kings in 2008! While his NBA career was short, Ewing Jr did what most NBA legends’ children failed to do: make it to the NBA.
Today, Ewing Jr still follows his passion and is an assistant head coach for the Ottawa Blackjacks, an organization from the CEBL (Canadian Elite Basketball League). While he no longer plays professionally, his resume falls in a particular category. In his professional career, Ewing Jr managed to join 4374 people as the only people to have ever played in the NBA for at least one game. With so many players looking to share the same goal as Ewing Jr did in his playing career, it shows how hard it is to make it to the NBA regardless of how many games a person plays.