Patrick Ewing, minutes after training Georgetown for an exciting victory over rival Villanova in the Big East tournament, said he was irritated by the security measures he encountered this week at Madison Square Garden – the center of his playing career in the Hall of Fame of the NBA.
The Hoyas’ 72-71 turnaround against seeded Wildcats was perhaps the most significant victory in Ewing’s technical career. The former New York Knicks star said after the game, however, that he has been “stopped” and “approached” at Madison Square Garden.
“I want to say one thing, however. I thought this was my building,” said Ewing on Thursday. “And I feel terrible for being stopped, approached, [people] asking for passes.
“Everyone in this building should know who the hell I am, and I’m being stopped – I can’t move in this building. I was like, ‘What the hell? Is that Madison Square Garden?
It was unclear on Thursday afternoon who exactly stopped Ewing, an NBA icon who joined Eli Manning and Derek Jeter on the short list of the most well-known athletes who have ever played for a team in New York.
“I thought this was my building and I feel terrible about being stopped, approached, (people) asking for passes. Everyone in this building should know who the hell I am, and I’m being stopped – I can. Don’t move in this building. I was like , “What the hell? Is this Madison Square Garden?” ”
Georgetown coach and former Knicks star Patrick Ewing
The 7-foot player was an 11-time All-Star who averaged 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game during his 15 seasons with the Knicks, who reached the NBA finals twice (1994) , 1999) during his time in New York.
The Knicks withdrew from No. 33 in Ewing in 2003, and the player who became a coach joked that he will remind Knicks owner and CEO of Madison Square Garden, James Dolan, that his shirt is still hanging “on the rafters”.
“I’m going to have to call Mr. Dolan and say, ‘Wow, is my number on the beams or what?'” He said.
Security guidelines and protocols at major sporting events across the country, including Madison Square Garden, have changed significantly due to COVID-19.
But Ewing is also not the first Knicks legend to feel disrespected in his former home.
In 2017, Charles Oakley was notoriously removed from a game and arrested after an altercation with the building’s security personnel. Last year, Spike Lee – the film director and superfan of the Knicks – said he “just” watched his favorite team’s home games after he was told he could no longer use an employee’s entrance to get to his chair at the block.
Ewing is in his fourth season as coach of his alma mater, and the Hoyas are back in the Big East tournament semifinals for the first time in six years.
Dante Harris scored 18 points and made two free throws with 4.7 seconds to end a perfect game of the line for eighth-placed Georgetown (11-12), who will face the winner of St. John’s-Seton Hall on Friday night . Georgetown has not won the conference tournament since 2007.
Villanova, who won the last three tournament titles at the conference, won four head-to-head matches and 13 of 15 against Hoyas before Thursday.
“We played against Cadillac, Bentley, whatever you want to call them, from the Big East – the Big East class. And once it was us. But we took a big step towards being able to beat them out,” said Ewing.
Georgetown will need a Big East tournament title to enter the 68 field on Sunday for the NCAA tournament. Although the Hoyas started the season 5-10, they have won six of their last eight games, including wins over Villanova, Xavier and Seton Hall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.