In 1994, Patrick Ewing finally reached the championship series but lost to Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets. The Knicks wouldn't return to the Finals until 1999, at which time Ewing would not be a part of the second half of the playoffs due to an injury to his Achilles tendon. Ewing left the Knicks in 2000, traded to the Seattle SuperSonics. His value, combined with the value of teammate Chris Dudley's trade to the Suns, was worth six players, two first-round draft picks, and two second-round draft picks to the Knicks. Ewing spent a year in Seattle, then a year with the Orlando Magic, before announcing his retirement in September of 2002. In 2003, the Knicks retired his number 33 jersey in a ceremony in Madison Square Garden. His career, though arguably one of the best in the history of basketball, is marred by the fact that he was never able to lead the Knicks to victory in the Finals. Otherwise, his career is worthy of the Hall of Fame. But considering the fact that Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon blocked NBA Championships for 8 years, there were many greats in the era that could never win a championship. Karl Malone and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz definitely come to mind. |
