Patrick Ewing, minutes after coaching Georgetown to a thrilling win over rival Villanova in the Big East tournament, said he was annoyed by the security measures he encountered this week at Madison Square Garden – the center of his NBA Hall of Fame. player career.
The upset of the Hoyas ’72 -71 of the best-seeded Wildcats on 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 “sued” at Madison Square Garden.
I want to say one thing, though. I thought this was my building, ”Ewing said. “And I hate to be stopped, spoken to, [people] fit questions.
“Everyone in this building should know who the hell I am, and I’m being stopped – I can’t move around this building. I was like, ‘What the hell is this? Is this Madison Square Garden?”
It was unclear on Thursday afternoon who exactly stopped Ewing, an NBA icon who joins Eli Manning and Derek Jeter on the shortlist of the most recognizable athletes to ever play for a New York City team.
“I thought this was my building, and I hate to be stopped, spoken to, [people] fit questions. Everyone in this building should know who the hell I am, and I’m stopped – I can’t move around 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 in the day that read: “[James Dolan] and Patrick are in a long-term relationship; they spoke this afternoon and confirmed it again. 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, who entered the NBA Finals twice (1994, 1999) reached during his time in New York.
The Knicks retired from Ewing’s number 33 in 2003, and the player who became the coach joked that he will remind Dolan, the owner of Knicks and the director of Madison Square Garden that his jersey is still “in the rafters.”
“I’ll have to call Mr. Dolan and say, ‘Gee, is my number on the rafters or something?’” He said.
Security guidelines and protocols at major sporting events around the country, including Madison Square Garden, have changed significantly as a result of COVID-19.
But Ewing isn’t the first Knicks legend to feel disrespected in his former home arena, either.
In 2017, Charles Oakley was famously removed from a match and arrested after an argument with building security personnel. Last year, Spike Lee – the film 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 entrance to get to his seat.
Ewing is in his fourth season as coach of his alma mater, and the Hoyas are back in the semi-finals of the Big East tournament for the first time in six years.
Dante Harris scored 18 runs and made two free throws with 4.7 seconds to go to end a perfect game off the line for Georgetown (11-12), which was seeded eighth, to play against Seton Hall on Friday-evening . Georgetown has not won the conference tournament since 2007.
Villanova, which has won the past three conference tournament titles, had won four consecutive meetings and 13 of 15 against the Hoyas before Thursday.
“We played against the Cadillac, the Bentley, whatever you want to call them, from the Great East – the class of the Great East. And we agreed. But we took a huge step to knock them off, said Ewing.
Georgetown needs a Big East tournament title to get into the field of 68 on Sunday for the NCAA tournament. Although the Hoyas started the season 5-10, they have won six of their past eight games, including wins over Villanova, Xavier and Seton Hall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.