There’s some interesting stuff in today’s column from FoxSports.com’s NBA analyst and all-around cranky pants Charley Rosen. The first is his dressing down of Patrick Ewing as a Hall of Fame-caliber center, followed by an MJ story:
And while I’ll readily admit that Patrick Ewing had HOF career numbers, I do have some reservations about his being “immortalized.” To whit:
Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon will enter the Hall of Fame together. (Nathaniel S. Butler / Getty Images)
* As soon as he escaped from John Thompson’s clutches, Ewing disdained playing defense and totally concentrated on scoring.
* His selfishness with the Knicks was legendary, as was his incomprehension of any of the game’s more subtle nuances.
* Diehard Knick fans still remember all the clunkers he shot in the clutch.
* One afternoon after a game day shootaround, Ewing was chauffeured to a hospital where he was scheduled to visit a ward housing children with terminal diseases. Ewing always resisted extracurricular activities (except for his well-publicized adulterous dalliance with one of the Knicks dancers), and he groused all the way to the hospital. When he finally got there, the poor kids were all aglow at his presence. But Ewing cut his visit short. And when a few of these tragic children begged him for an autograph, Ewing refused, saying, “I never sign autographs on game days.”
* When a journeyman player criticized Ewing for not playing any defense and for not practicing hard enough, the player was cut the next day.* And when Don Nelson shifted the focus of the Knicks offense away from Ewing, Nellie was also a goner.
It’s understood that character flaws do not automatically disqualify anybody from being honored in Springfield — there are, after all, several time-honored inductees who were in cahoots with gamblers both as collegians and in the NBA (but that’s another story), some were druggies and some were alcoholics. Nevertheless, even as Ewing is being canonized by an adoring media, his clay feet should also be noted.
Then there’s this Michael Jordan/Bill Cartwright story:
The joke used to be that the only guy who could contain Michael Jordan was Dean Smith — only because at UNC he limited MJ’s playing time and shot opportunities.
But the reality is the only guy who ever successfully faced down Jordan was Bill Cartwright. Here’s how it happened:
When Cartwright joined the Bulls in 1988 (traded from the Knicks for Charles Oakley) he was renowned for his defense (especially against Patrick Ewing — but that’s also another story), along with his aching back, his poor rebounding skills, his inability to pass, and his rapidly diminishing ability to score. Among his peers, Cartwright was likewise celebrated for his ferocious competitive nature and his selective brutality in the low post.
In those days, Phil Jackson’s version of Tex Winter’s triangle offense was usually initiated by a pass into Cartwright — whose bulk and ability to seal a defender made him a reliable target. However, MJ had no confidence (and rightly so) in “Medical Bill’s” passwork, so he pointedly ignored both his coaches’ instruction and Cartwright’s hulking presence.
Time and again, Jordan would look to move the ball elsewhere, even if Cartwright was unguarded. Until, finally, Cartwright took the situation in hand.
One day before a practice session, Cartwright approached Jordan to say something like this: “If you don’t pass me the ball when you’re supposed to, then I’m going to kick your butt. Plain and simple. This isn’t a threat. It’s a warning.”
Not even His Airness wanted to mess with Cartwright. So, incoming passes from MJ became the norm, and the Bulls went on to win three championships with Cartwright at the hub of the offense.
Check out Charley’s full post HERE.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Saba says:
1st
April 10th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Saba says:
Hey, does anyone know if after Ewing declined to sign the autographs for the sick children, did he go back or send some autographs for them at a later date?
April 10th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Prof. TX says:
Ewing had the benefit of NY media attention. If he had put up the same numbers on a small-market team (remember that this is pre-internet) then he wouldn’t have had the same reputation.
It’s funny how retirement makes some people only think of a player’s good points sometimes.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Boyez says:
what a dbag
April 10th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
My only clear Ewing memory was when he had a dunk at the buzzer, and inexplicably changed it into a finger roll. That rolled right off the rim. I have never laughed so hard in my life; that was hilarious. I already hated the Knicks because I was a huge Bulls fan, so that was the perfect icing on their just desserts!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
rtl says:
on another note, check it https://www.kb24.com/news/article/577.html
we all know it’s fake(i think) but it’s cool
April 10th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
control says:
This guy is a product of the NY Media. Period. The only fond memory I have of this guy is a drinking game that went like this: If he was in the paint on one side of the court, and the ball changed possession, if the team that gained possession shoots the ball before he managed to drag his slow ass down to the paint on the otherside of the court, you bust a shot. You could only play this game for one or two quarters else you’d die of alcohol poisoning.
I never thought he was really that good, but talk to any brainwashed NYer and you’d hear stories of him being one of the best players to ever play, as good as or sometimes better than MJ. Sad thing is, Eddy Curry is probably better than Earwig was, definately has more potential (too bad he is a lazy fat ass with a heart condition).
Ewing isn’t the only product of NY Media, this column could apply to John Starks as much as him. Hell, look at Renaldo Balkman, Nate Robbinson, Zach Randolph, etc. Almost all of the current team is marketed as a huge group of individual talent, when in reality they are marginal ball players. NY Media is a brainwashing machine.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Nimit says:
Got to agree with all of those points bout Ewing.
and Dime, where’s the love for Charley Rosen?…He might be a cranky pants but his knowledge of the game and of team play are second to none. Anyone who reads his articles regularly would notice that his observations are nearly always accurate.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
GEE...currently trying to learn the the triangle choke hold says:
Sounds like a personal beef. He’s going into all these issues of his character and stuff. The thing is Ewing has numbers and has been a key member in dealing with player issues during his span. He is well like by peers and I am sure you can find many good stories about him and fans that love him.
Everyone has a bad side, but as far as the H.O.F. he made it and he deserved it in my book. Outside of no ring he has been a great center from college and otherwise.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
yallallreadyknow says:
charley rosen is a bum. the game has surpassed him. he cannot write an article without a reference to phil jackson or the bulls. he is on phil’s nuttsack.
i am not a patrick ewing lover, (P-EW is one of my alltime fav headlines) but the dude earned his right into the hall.
did charley mention that ewing went to 3 final fours in his 4yr college career? big east defensive player of the year twice? earned likewise honors as a pro?
…
…shit rosen….if you had 15yrs in NY, what horror stories could be written about you?
punk ass. i dont even like ewing that much; i just have a dislike for charley rosen. the writer aint shit. he peeked decades ago and his best yrs are behind him.
give it up old mine; your not fooling anyone
April 10th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Celts Fan says:
I don’t like Ewing at all, but he’s a HOFer, no question.
Charley Rose is an idiot. What does the MJ story have to do with anything other than to mention again, “Hey, I’m swinging from MJ’s other nut next to Ahmad Rashad.”
April 10th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
yallallreadyknow says:
exactly
right on celtsfan
April 10th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Reed Ewing Frazier says:
control- Men lie women lie numbers don’t! saying Eddy Curry is better than Ewing either means you are a hater or you don’t know $#@t about basketball Plus the media always hypes up average players(Steve Nash,Vince Carter,Dirk etc)
Boyez and Nimit- Just because somebody writes something or it is on the news doesn’t mean it is true even if it is he is not the only person in the H.O.F with flaws.
Bust Jlaze- I’m also laughing at how your team wasted the picks we gave your garbage team thanks to Paxson we will win a championship before the Chi-Town Bulls(h!t)
I will agree that Pat was selfish at times but he was not the first player like that and he will not be the last Knicks Up all the rest down!!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
fiyaman says:
fuck all the KNicks Haters.. Ewing if HOFamer so all yall can kick rocks or kiss ass your choice.
April 10th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Saba says:
Is the HOF about numbers only? or do you guys consider the ‘hidden abilities’ on and off the court of a basketball player?
And if it is just by numbers…(i read an article recently that people feel Webber shouldn’t be a HOF) should numbers that look close like Birds get you in?
April 10th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
fiyaman says:
that Kobe shit is crazy too
April 10th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
yallallreadyknow says:
HOF is beyond numbers. its about impact and leaving a mark on: a team, a league or an era
numbers, accomplishments and personal achievements help, but it goes beyond that
April 10th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
yallallreadyknow says:
hahaha at the kobe link.
if vladdy was fined $500K for snowboarding, what would have kobe been fined if he landed on the back bumper?
ill madnes tho
April 10th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Guitar Hero says:
Patrick Ewing a media product??Shit, man…that’s farfetched. He may have been a little overhyped, but he was a true beast in the middle,a good rebounder,great shotblocker,a leader, and he had the best jump shot ever seen by a marquee big man.
He choked in the clutch. Yeah. So did countless other HOF players, including fellow center David Robinson, for example.
Give the man his due.
April 10th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
control says:
Reed Ewing,
Did you seriously call Steve Nash an average player and then say I don’t know shit about basketball? Guy only won the MVP a few times, and is such a good teammate that he can take a D-League team to the playoffs.
Vince Carter COULD have been a great player, and is probably the greatest dunker of all type (which is exactly what the Media hyped).
Ecity DOES have all the tools to be a player who is alot better than Ewing ever was, but he is also fat and lazy (and usually stupid), so his career won’t be as good as Ewing’s was.
Ewing does have some decent numbers (remove his non-NY years and he is something like 22pts, 10.5rbs, 2.5blks) but he just doesn’t really seem that good when you are watching him play. Also, isn’t there something called the “Ewing Theory” which proves that Ewing’s teams always did better without him in the lineup? The guy was a decent player, and had a decent career, but probably doesn’t merit a spot in the hall of fame…if he does get a spot, then I guess scrubs like Fat Zach should get a place too.
April 10th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
control says:
“greatest dunker of all type” should be “greatest dunker of all time”. Just putting it out there before someone points it out.
April 10th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
yallallreadyknow says:
control
here are some of ewings honors. you tell us if it is hof worthy:
Rookie of the Year (1986)
All-NBA First Team (1990)
All-NBA Second Team (1988, ‘89, ‘91, ‘92, ‘93, ‘97)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1988, ‘89, ‘92)
11-time All-Star; One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996)
2-time Olympic gold medalist (1984, ‘92)
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1984)
Naismith College Player of the Year in (1985).
Number 33 Retired for the New York Knicks
11x NBA All-Star (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997)
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
1984 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
1985 Naismith College Player of the Year
1985 Adolph Rupp Trophy
1986 NBA Rookie of the Year
1x All-NBA First Team selection
6x All-NBA Second Team selection
3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
2x Olympic gold medalist (1984, 1992)
April 10th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
BxBaller says:
Control is an idiot. He must not like NYC for some reason. Hater.
April 10th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
fiyaman says:
control ur a fool if ur even trying to compare EDDY CURRY to Ewing.. its waste of time even arguing with. we know ur bias
April 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
AY says:
As a college player, ewing is in the hof; as an nba player, he’s on the borderline. but if “character issues” for a guy who’s never been in jail would prevent him from entering the hall of fame, then we can say isiah thomas should not be in the hof.
April 10th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
control says:
I’m obviously biased against NY. Reading any of my posts would make that pretty clear. Hating NY doesn’t make me an idiot though, maybe a hater though.
All I said about Eddy Curry in comparison with Ewing was that IF Eddy wasn’t fat and lazy, he would be having a better career than Ewing. The only thing that really seperates them is the fat and lazy. They are both pretty stupid when it comes to in game decisions, and both are pretty damn slow.
Numberswise, Ewing blows Curry away. Numbers don’t tell the whole story though, since Fat Zach has pretty comparable numbers…anyone who says Zach should be in the HOF, they are smoking some pretty skank shit. Even the people who hang in Zach’s shorts like a third nut can’t be so delusional to say he is HOF material.
yallreadyknow: The best achivement there is being an 11 time All Star. Even then he was going up against some really beast like centers though, like…Shaq, and…well, Shaq.
April 10th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
yallallreadyknow says:
how about him going up against bill lambier, robert parish and brad daughery just to name a few.
get caught up punk
April 10th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
control says:
I assume you are talking about “Bill Laimbeer” who was a really solid 13-10 player while Patrick was playing. Robert Parish who was playing a good 10 years before Ewing even hit the league (and 13 years before Ewing got over his injuries and shit). Brad who? You mean the MIGHTY 5 All Star apperance Brad Daugherty?
Only guy you mention who was even close to being in his prime was Brad Daugherty, and ain’t no one saying Ewing wasn’t better than him. The fact that Brad made 5 All Star games at the same era Ewing did only goes to highlight how weak his competition is.
Should I assume that since you barely touched on one of my points (and did a poor ass job of it as well) that you agree with my other points?
How about you take your own advice and get yourself caught up?
April 10th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Sigh says:
^^robert parish in his declining years, bill lambier was overrated and DAUGHERTY………DAUGHERTY?
April 10th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
doc says:
Pat Ewing might not be better than a whole lot of dudes but he played for the Knicks so if he didnt make it the NY media would go on strike. Ed Curry aint fuckin with him though Control thats just out of pocket.
April 10th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
fatty says:
Bill Cartwright, sacs (elk grove) finest baby.
April 10th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
E$ says:
Just look @ the Knicks post Ewing Era & you see the impact he had on that city & the game. Hakeem>>>>>Ewing Hou>>>>>>NY
April 10th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
ERIC says:
Listen to the analysts who all argue in favor of Ewing. He never played with another HALL OF FAME player in his prime.
Celtics of the 80s had their big 3
Lakers of the 80s had their big 5
Bulls had Jordan/Pippen 90s
Rockets had Hakeem/Drexler 1995
Spurs had Duncan/Robinson in 1999
Sure Ewing didnt take the Knicks to the promised land, but he also had the least amount of help
April 11th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Promoman says:
Rosen speaks the truth and we all know the truth is what it is. The hospital account is true. Ewing did those kids wrong as hell. I’m 31 and I remember that happening. Sports Illustrated and other mags reported that one back in the day. Ewing himself admitted that he was an a$$h0le in an interview that appeared in Slam (issue #111 September 2007). He didn’t admit the hospital incident, but it did happen. During his playing days, Ewing was known to be a prick to autograph seekers & fans, especially with his policy of not signing autographs on game days. He would sign only 1 autograph daily on non-game days, though. God got him back by saying that he doesn’t allow achievement on his NBA Finals days. Check out issues of Beckett Basketball, Inside Sports, and other mags from the 90’s as proof if you can dig up an issue. He’d be a regular in lists regarding athletes who were nasty. Rosen did credit him with having the credentials stat-wise to go to Springfield, he just didn’t endorse his character. Rosen also rightly recognized Hakeem for starting the value sneaker endorsement game (He chose to sign with Spalding, when Nike was ready to pay out the nose) in this very same article. Rosen’s the only reporter that has a national audience I’ve heard of so far that pointed that out. Olajuwon opened the door for Shaq, Marbury, and others to it. That MJ/Cartwright story is old news. People give MJ a pass for his clashes with his teammates because of his talent and titles. If Kobe did something like deliberately freezing out teammates and calling them out in front of the team, and openly defying a coach told him, he’d be called Hitler. I know at least one other person remembers the Gold Club thing. Ewing ran around on his wife. So did MJ, but that’s another story. I was already a Rosen fan, but he got even more props for spitting the truth today in my book.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:13 am
who dat says:
Promoman–
Your bugging. Charley Rosen is one of the WORST writers to cover NBA basketball. Total bias comes from his pen. And the fool only writes negative articles; unless of course, the article has to do with Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson or the Chicago Bulls.
Go ahead….look up any of his past articles on foxsports.com
If your not in that chi-town bulls circle, he has nothing positive to writer—–about anyone.
The dude is just an old hag now trying desperately to hang on.
As for Ewing….I cannot defend his actions. But if you learned of his actions from a beat writer in another city, how much truth do you think is in those stories?
Rosen is a snitch bitch
April 11th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Promoman says:
Rosen wasn’t the 1st to talk about Ewing tripping about not giving those kids autographs. Ewing’s been getting a lot of heat about how he related to fans for years and Sports Illustrated isn’t a beat operation. He wasn’t the devil but he wasn’t a saint either. That incident was floating around for years. That Jordan story was in that Jordan Rules book that came out before he retired the 1st time. The Gold Club thing damn sure wasn’t a beat writer thing. He admitted himself that he could’ve done better. Like I said, read Slam #111, he did touch on that. He didn’t talk about the hospital thing though. I’ve read a lot of Rosen’s articles and he does rip a lot of players and teams, but he also did say that Ewing has the stats to get in the Hall. He did also say that sport achievements are what gets people voted in, not character. He also does admit when he’s wrong a fair bit of the time too. This article started with him admitting that he was wrong about Shaq & the Suns. A few months ago he wrote about being wrong about his early assessment about LeBron. He said that he’d be an average player at best. He owned that one and this was when somebody called him out on it.
April 11th, 2008 at 3:20 am
sirak says:
@Saba
**Hey, does anyone know if after Ewing declined to sign the autographs for the sick children, did he go back or send some autographs for them at a later date?**
Yes he did, he also bought them all gold plated rolls royces and then cured each child’s illness by handing out magical baskeballs…
wtf do you think. and whotf would even know!?
April 11th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Nimit says:
@Reed Ewing Frazier
Im not saying Ewing’s not hall worthy..im just saying that Rosen mentioned valid points..and his achievements definitely get him into the HOF…
@Rosen Haters
Check his analysis of games…yes, its annoying as hell when he starts with his Phil Jackson/MJ stories…but the man can read the game!!…His articles will help anyone understand how various teams play defense and help the average fan appreciate more than just what the guy with the ball is doing
April 11th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Nimit says:
@Promoman
Rosen only writes negative articles?!?! lol
check out any of his game reports…he always, ALWAYS mentions the given teams positive achievements and then shows where they can improve…are you really telling me that every team is perfect?..They all have flaws and he tells it like he see’s it…
April 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Promoman says:
@ Nimit
If you re-read my posts, you’d see that I said that while Rosen does rip a lot of teams & players, I also said that he admits when he’s wrong, brings up valid points, and that he tells the truth and that the truth isn’t always pretty. I also stated that I’m a Rosen fan and praised him for his insight at the end of my first post on the thread. I also remember for a fact that Ewing did do that to those kids. Ewing himself did a Slam interview that appeared in the magazine this past September and admitted that he was a dick to fans & media during his playing days. He didn’t talk about the hospital, but he did say he could’ve done better. Multiple magazines talked about the hospital trip, including Sports Illustrated, which happens to be based in New York. It was in the Sign of the Apocalypse column years ago. It was Who Dat, not me, who said that all he writes are negative articles. Rosen also brought up a point that a lot of people sleep on. Hakeem made the value shoe endorsement game mainstream. Everybody knows about Shaq & Marbury doing that type of endorsement, but Hakeem was the 1st to do it. Shaq was still with Reebok when Hakeem had his Spalding shoe deal. Hakeem gets a lot of credit and he deserves it, but he should be recognized for that a lot more than he does.