Patrick Ewing is back where he belongs.
Twenty-four years after he left the Knicks for Seattle in an ill-fated trade, the Hall of Fame center has been hired as a “basketball ambassador to assist with both basketball and business operations,” the team announced Thursday.
“As I said the day my No. 33 was hung in the rafters at MSG, I will always be a Knick, and I will always be a New Yorker,” Ewing said in a statement. “I can’t wait to take on this new role and officially return to the organization I love.”
After retiring from playing, Ewing spent several years as an assistant coach with the Wizards, Rockets, Magic and Hornets.
He most recently served as the head coach at Georgetown, but was fired after six seasons.
But until Thursday, Ewing had not coached the Knicks or held any other position within the organization since his retirement.
There were reports that Ewing was once offered a coaching position in the D-League, but turned it down because his resume was considered offensive.
Ewing, 62, has close ties to the current Knicks and was spotted at MSG multiple times as a guest last season.
He was coached by Tom Thibodeau, who was a Knicks assistant in the late '90s, and was teammates with Rick Brunson, now a Knicks assistant and father of star point guard Jalen.
“The New York Knicks and Patrick Ewing are synonymous with each other, and we are humbled and excited to bring Patrick home,” Knicks President Leon Rose said in a statement. “A monumental figure in New York basketball, Patrick brings an unparalleled wealth of knowledge on and off the court. We are thrilled to have Patrick return to the blue and orange. Masu.”
