Patrick Ewing Regrets Leaving New York After 15 Seasons

patrick ewing said his only career regret was leaving New York after 15 seasons with the Knicks, and he tied that decision to the wear of hearing the same complaints and rumors over and over. He also said the other regret attached to that run was never bringing a title to New York.

Patrick Ewing on New York

On The Pivot Podcast, Ewing said he had worn down from the noise around his role. "My only regret is leaving, leaving when I did. You know, I played 15 years in New York, and, you know, you hear the team is better off without a bull, little rumblings from maybe some of your teammates — ‘ah, you know, he's getting too much touches, he's getting too much time,’" he said.

He followed that with a sharper admission about how much the constant talk had taken out of him. "I just got tired. I got worn down with it. I'm like, man, it's 15 years, I'm still hearing the same bullsh-t," Ewing said.

Knicks Trade in 2000

Ewing requested a trade during the 2000 offseason, and the Knicks sent him to the Seattle SuperSonics in a four-team blockbuster. New York received Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Travis Knight, Vladimir Stepania, Lazaro Borrell, Vernon Maxwell and four draft picks in the deal.

He left as the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 23,665 points. Ewing was also an 11-time All-Star, a seven-time All-NBA selection and a former Rookie of the Year, numbers that put his departure in the middle of a larger debate about loyalty and the pressure that follows a star for more than a decade.

Seattle and the Finish

Ewing said Seattle "came, they gave them a great offer," and added, "that's the only regret that I have." He pointed to players such as Karl Malone and John Stockton as examples of stars who stayed put, then folded in the bigger disappointment: "And, of course, not winning... not being able to bring a title to New York."

He played one season in Seattle, starting 79 games for a 44-37 team while averaging 9.6 points and 7.4 rebounds, shooting 43.0 percent from the field and playing just under 27 minutes per game. After that, he joined the Orlando Magic for a 65-game farewell tour, then retired after 17 seasons with career averages of 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, leaving the Knicks' title drought as the regret that still hangs over his New York years.