In this small-ball era, the group of big centers has lost its dominance, and only a few powerful big centers are holding the scene, recalling the "four centers" era of the last century, which makes people feel sad about the situation of the big center. In the "Big Four Centers", there is one person who is very special, he is the only player who does not have a championship ring, and the only tragic person, he has been a supporting role for 17 years, and he has been the background board of many people, so that today, some people feel that he is not qualified to be listed as a "big four center", but in fact it is not so, this player is Patrick Ewing.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="2" > "center textbook", overbearing, introverted "gorilla"</h1>
Ewing is 2.13 meters tall, which is not short in the center, and being tall enough can bring a lot of advantages, and Ewing has more than height. Ewing's ability to run and jump is very good, not bulky at all, and Ewing's explosive power is also very strong, the instantaneous force is enough to push the opponent to the ground, the air partition is also very easy, in the case of no need for help, Ewing's strength is also sufficient, at the peak of Ewing, he can rely on the strength to crush the opponent and hit the ball, as strong as O'Neal is not sure to say that he can push Ewing out every time.
Simply put, Ewing's athleticism and physical condition are top notch, and the other three centers in the "Big Four" are at the same level. Ewing's talent alone is enough to crush many players, but Ewing is not satisfied with talent, he has spent a lot of time honing his skills and becoming a "center forward textbook". Ewing will get a lot, his face frame technology is very good, can break through with the ball, but also can pull out the shot, Ewing later in his career, very dependent on his own face frame shooting, but Ewing's face frame technology is underestimated, people value his back singles more.
Back-to-back singles is a skill that centers must know, so Ewing has practiced a lot of back-to-back singles, and back-to-back singles includes many tricks, and Ewing's best is to rely on throwing and shooting after the shot. Ewing's physical talent is outstanding, but after all, it is a center, in terms of rate, coordination and small front, guard can not be compared, throughout the history of the NBA can be small front, guard than speed, coordination of the center is Olajuwon, so, Ewing's back movement will not be very fast, will not be very fancy, fake action has, but not much, not frequent, the key is to do it right, do solid.
After getting the ball on the left side of the penalty area, Ewing will observe the defense, see which way the opponent pinches him, if the bottom line is not sealed, Ewing will turn over the bottom line on the right shoulder to make a throw, sometimes add a jump step to make yourself more comfortable to shoot, if the opponent blocks the bottom line, then Ewing will turn over on the left shoulder to take a jump shot, or go to the basket, occasionally come to a hooker, if the opponent defends the left shoulder, blocking the middle road, then Ewing will turn the right shoulder to turn the bottom line to turn over and jump, the opponent has three strategies, Ewing has three coping methods, the method has, The question is how.
Ewing did each action to play their own advantages, footsteps, strides, solid, landing position is to make the other party uncomfortable, the foot landing on the ground to take root, in the turn, rely on the play, the strength is all used, but not out of balance, when shooting, the action standard, stability, the other side is difficult to cover, Ewing these center basic movements are skilled, used well, and there is a lot of learning, so Ewing is called "center textbook". Although Olajuwon is also excellent in technology, but he does not have that talent, it is awkward to make, it is better to honestly learn Ewing's movements, simple and practical, and hard practice can produce results.
In terms of appearance, Ewing is not a player who plays softly, and Ewing is indeed a player with a very domineering style, when the body is good, the partition comes, the cap is also extremely fierce, the body is not good, and Ewing's style is softer. In terms of personality, Ewing is not an extrovert, does not talk to people endlessly, and more often uses actions to show his attitude. Overall, Ewing is one of the best hand-to-hand centers in NBA history, with solid technical movement standards, domineering style, ferocity, introverted personality, and distinct personal characteristics, Ewing's career has no championship, but this can not be said that Ewing's NBA career is mediocre, he has created many wonderful moments, leaving a brilliant NBA career.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="19" > 17 years of conquest and became the Knicks' totem</h1>
Ewing had already performed extraordinary when he was at Georgetown University, surpassing his peers too much, and in the 84 NCAA Finals, Ewing led Georgetown University to defeat the University of Houston led by Olajuwon, winning the championship and reaching the top of the college game. After winning the championship, Ewing did not immediately enter the NBA, but played for another year, but failed to defend the title. Ewing played in college for four years, which was good for his technical stereotype and the accumulation of game experience, but Ewing injured his knee in college, although after recovering, it did not make Ewing lose a lot, but Ewing's knees have since gained thick knee pads. With a knee injury, Ewing was named a Knicks picker at the '85 Draft, and Ewing parachuted into New York to become a member of the Knicks.
Coming to the NBA for other players takes a while to adapt, run-in, the reason is that the intensity has become larger, but the personal ability has not kept up with the intensity of the game, but for Ewing, it does not take a long time to adapt, run-in, the difference is whether one game is to cut 30 points, or one to cut 20 points, NBA career debut, Ewing played 44 minutes, cut 18 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks, the second game 19 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists, the third game, Ewing won the first 20+ of the NBA career, cut 27 points, 16 rebounds and 2 blocks, Since this game, Ewing has fully integrated into the NBA, easily won two doubles, and at the end of the season, Ewing averaged 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.1 blocks per game, this performance is already the performance of the star, Ewing has only one season to make himself into the ranks of stars, what he needs to do is to continue to improve and become a superstar.
Over the next three seasons, Ewing moved steadily, constantly improving himself, changing in the details, and strengthening his dominance, in the 89-90 season, Ewing entered the peak of his NBA career, in all aspects, the performance was excellent, and he was also at the top of the league, and at the end of the season, he averaged 28.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 4 blocks, shooting 55.1% from the field, which ranked among the top six in the league's five rankings, and Ewing became the top star in the league.
Ewing's outstanding performance brought the Knicks into the playoffs again, in the first round of the playoffs, met the Celtics led by Bird, the first two games of the series, Ewing performed well, but the Knicks lost, for Ewing, he needed to play more aggressively, in the third game of the series, Ewing cut 33 points and 19 rebounds, helping the Knicks to a 3-point victory and stopped the decline. After this game, Ewing seemed to find a way to win, constantly attacking the Celtics defense, the fourth game handed over 44 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 steals and 2 blocks, helping the team win, the fifth game Ewing contributed 21 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 blocks, the Knicks beat the Celtics by 7 points, passed the 3-2 big score, and entered the second round.
In the second round, the Knicks met the next championship Pistons, the overall strength of the Pistons is above the Knicks, but they can't limit Ewing, and Ewing played very well, averaging 27.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, so that the Knicks still won the next game in the hands of the Pistons, but that's it, the Knicks once again stopped in the second round, saying that it was because the Knicks also stopped in the second round last season, and the opponent lost was Jordan's Bulls.
In the following season, Ewing's performance in the regular season was good, the All-Star was selected consecutively, the best team was also selected, in the playoffs, Ewing also had wonderful performances, such as consecutively cutting 30+ double-doubles, but the Knicks could not rush out of the East, became a stepping stone for the Eastern Conference team to impact the championship, eliminated by the Bulls in 91, eliminated by the Bulls in 92, finally broke through the second round in 93 and reached the Eastern Conference Finals, but in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was still defeated by the Bulls, and it was eliminated again. From '89 to '93, the Knicks were eliminated by the Bulls four times, and Jordan and the Bulls became mountains that the Knicks and Ewing could not cross.
In '94, Jordan left the NBA, Ewing and the Knicks had no reason to fall in the Eastern Conference Finals anymore, they had to do better, the regular season ended, Ewing brought the Knicks into the playoffs, in the playoffs, Ewing was full of firepower, and in the fourth game of the first round, Ewing cut 36 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks, ending the series and letting the Knicks advance.
In the second round, the Knicks met the Bulls, this Bulls did not have Jordan, but the fighting power is still very strong, hit the King Mountain, in the King Mountain, Ewing contributed 20 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, helped the Knicks to a near-one victory and gained an advantage, but in the sixth game, the Knicks performed worse than the Bulls, lost the game, was dragged into the grab seven, grabbed seven, Ewing contributed 18 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 block, helped the Knicks win the Bulls, defeated the Bulls by a 4-3 score, since 89 years later, This was Ewing's first victory over the Bulls by the Knicks, and they finally ended their losing streak against the Bulls.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks played against the Pacers, the strength gap between the two sides is not large, each has strong points, the Knicks are strong in Ewing, the Pacers are strong in Reggie Miller, the first two games of the series, Ewing played well, the Knicks won the game, the third game, Ewing played 20 minutes to leave, the Knicks lost to the Pacers, the fourth game, Ewing came back, contributed 25 points and 13 rebounds, but the Pacers' offense was too strong, the Knicks did not resist, 6 points lost, the fifth game, the Pacers hit the iron while it was hot, Ewing played well, But one person is difficult to change after all, the Knicks lost, from a 2-0 lead to a 2-3 trail, the Knicks need others to stand up, in the sixth game, Ewing contributed 17 points, Stax contributed 26 points and 6 assists, the Knicks pulled back a set, dragging the series into the seventh.
In the seventh, Ewing completely broke out, dominated both ends of the attack and defense, and in the last 30 seconds, hit a key layup, let the balance of victory tilt to himself, in the end, the Knicks won the game with a 4-point advantage, the whole game, Ewing contributed 24 points, 22 rebounds (11 frontcourt rebounds), 7 assists and 5 blocks, the Knicks can win this game, the key is that Ewing played well. After crossing the strong opponents of the Pacers, the Knicks finally reached the Finals and competed with the Rockets for the championship, and the stars of both teams were centers, which was also a head-on match between the two top centers.
In this series, Ewing played his strong ability to protect the frame, and Olajuwon showed his full offensive ability, but at the key moment, the two played very differently. In the sixth game, the Knicks led 3-2, won the sixth game, will carry the championship trophy home, Ewing also played well in this game, but Stax's key goal was blocked by Olajuwon, leaving the team to lose to the Rockets by only 2 points, and the series entered the seventh. In the seventh, Ewing played average, and no one else stepped up, and the Knicks lost the game and missed the championship.
After the failure of this championship battle, Ewing's performance was fixed at 20+10, and the playoff results remained in the second round, unable to rush to a new peak. Ewing is getting older, the team has also changed new members, 98-99 season, 36-year-old Ewing played 38 games, helped the team to the playoffs, but in the playoffs, Ewing's injury recurred, unable to help the team when the team needed him most, the Knicks' magical "black eight" journey ended with a failed championship.
The 99-00 season was Ewing Knicks' 15th season, in which Spréville, a bright-looking newcomer, stole the limelight from Ewing, and in the eyes of Knicks fans, Ewing was already an old and weak player, and they laughed at Ewing, which discouraged Ewing and left the Knicks after the season.
Ewing has played in the Knicks for 15 years, although he has not won the championship, but Ewing has maintained the status of the Knicks as a strong team, which can be said to have no merit and hard work, and the actions of Knicks fans are really puzzling. After leaving the Knicks, Ewing also came to the supersonic, in the supersonic, Ewing felt a deep sense of powerlessness, he was really old, but Ewing did not want to leave the game, he went to the magic again, although he wanted to fight again, but the knee injury has not allowed Ewing to fight again, he helplessly announced his retirement in September 2002, ending his NBA career.
Ewing played in the NBA for 17 years, during which there was both brilliance and bitterness, and although he didn't win a championship, Ewing's ability wouldn't be ignored for it, and Ewing's 15 years of dedication to the Knicks would not be forgotten, he had become the Knicks' totem and one of the greatest centers in team history.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="37" > written at the end</h1>
After Ewing retired, the Knicks retired his jersey, the Hall of Fame accepted him, and Ewing got the treatment that a superstar deserved. After leaving the game, Ewing did not leave the court immediately, he came from the basket to the sidelines, became a college coach, to teach a new generation of players, to wish Ewing a happy life, all the best.