Patrick Ewing, minutes after coaching Georgetown to an exciting victory over rival Villanova in the Big East tournament, said he was irritated by the security measures he encountered in Madison Square Garden this week – the centerpiece of his Hall or Fame NBA playing career.
The Hoyas’ 72-71 upset of the top-seeded Wildcats Thursday was perhaps the most significant victory in Ewing’s coaching career. However, the former New York Knicks star said after the game that he was ‘stopped’ and ‘accommodated’ in Madison Square Garden.
“I do want to say one thing. “I thought it was my building,” Ewing said. “And I feel terrible that I stopped, worried, [people] ask for passes.
“Everyone in this building needs to know who I am, and I’m stopped – I can not move around in this building. I was like, ‘What the hell? Is this Madison Square Garden?’ ‘
It was unclear from Thursday afternoon who exactly stopped Ewing, an NBA icon, who played Eli Manning and Derek Jeter on the shortlist of most recognizable athletes ever for a New York City team.
‘I thought it was my building, and I feel terrible that I stopped, worried, [people] ask for passes. Everyone in this building needs to know who I am, and I’m stopped – I can not move around in this building. I was like, ‘What the hell? Is this Madison Square Garden? ”
Georgetown coach and former Knicks star Patrick Ewing
MSG Entertainment released a statement to ESPN later that day stating: ‘[James Dolan] and Patrick has a long-standing relationship; they spoke this afternoon and reaffirmed it. We all know, respect and appreciate what he means to The Garden and New York. Good luck to him and his Hoyas in the Big East semifinals. ‘
The 7-footer 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, scoring twice during his time in New York. reached the NBA Finals (1994, 1999).
The Knicks competed in 2003 with Ewing at no. 33 retired, and the player’s coach joked that he would remind Dolan, the Knicks owner and Madison Square Garden CEO, that his jersey still ‘hangs in the beams’.
‘I will Mr. Dolan has to call and say, ‘Gee, is my number in the bars or what? ‘, He said.
Safety guidelines and protocols at major sporting events across the country, including Madison Square Garden, have changed significantly as a result of COVID-19.
But Ewing is also not the first Knicks legend to feel disrespectful in his former home arena.
In 2017, Charles Oakley famously was removed from a game and arrested after an altercation with the building’s security staff. Last year, Spike Lee, the director and Knicks superfan, said he was “done” watching his favorite team’s home games after being told he could no longer use an employee’s entrance to his seat to come to court.
Ewing is coaching his alma mater in his fourth season, and the Hoyas are back in the semifinals of the Big East tournament for the first time in six years.
Dante Harris scored 18 points and made two free throws with another 4.7 seconds to deliver a perfect game off the line for eighth seeded Georgetown (11-12), who play Seton Hall on Friday night. Georgetown has not won the conference since 2007.
Villanova, who has won the past three tournament titles, won four consecutive events and 13 of 15 against the Hoyas before Thursday.
“We played against the Cadillac, the Bentley, whatever you want to call it, of the Big East – the class of the Big East. And it was once us. But we took a big step to be able to beat them down, ”Ewing said.
Georgetown will need a Big East tournament title to get into the 68-yard field for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Although the Hoyas started the season at 5-10, they have won six of their last eight games, including victories over Villanova, Xavier and Seton Hall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.