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Pivot Podcast

Patrick Ewing in a rare sit-down opens up like never before on missing a championship, his Knicks legacy, NYC pressure, rivalries with Michael Jordan & Hakeem Olajuwon, Georgetown, his parents’ sacrifice, and his one regret

Pivot Podcast

The Pivot Podcast Network

Football, Sports, Society & Culture

4.93.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

“That is the one regret I have of my time playing in New York.”-Patrick Ewing In this powerful episode of The Pivot Podcast, NBA legend Patrick Ewing sits down for a candid and reflective conversation about the journey that shaped his life and career. This one hits differently as the Hall of Famer, who rarely shares, opens up on all the highs and lows with transparency, emotion and even a touch of humor.  From his early upbringing and path to basketball greatness, Ewing opens up about the discipline, challenges, and mindset that carried him from humble beginnings to becoming a dominant force at Georgetown to NBA legend. Grounded by the sacrifice of his parents, Patrick Ewing praises his family's move to the United States from Jamaica and how it not only saved his life but paved the way for him to live his dream. He revisits his iconic college years, where he helped turn Georgetown into a national powerhouse, and shares what it meant to play under the legendary John Thompson. Ewing opens up on his pivotal moment being selected as the NBA's first overall pick to New York and how he became the cornerstone of the Knicks best years and adjusted to Big Apple fame—embracing the pressure of the bright lights, the physicality of 90s basketball, and the responsibility of leading a franchise hungry for a championship. The conversation doesn’t shy away from the toughest on-court battles and heated rivalries. Ewing reflects on intense matchups against Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon, offering insight into what made those rivalries so challenging and memorable. He speaks honestly about coming close to an NBA title but never quite securing one, and how that reality has shaped his perspective over time. He also gets into the truth behind his once rocky relationship with his former coach Pat Riley and his gratitude for Jeff Van Gundy. Whether you are a sports fan or love a success story rooted in family and hard work, this will connect with you as we take a trip down memory lane through one of the most infamous times in all of sports, classic moments forever etched in our mind, and inside stories from some of the greatest basketball games and athletes to ever play, told from the perspective of an absolute legend. How Ewing views his impact on the game, what he hopes people remember, and how he’s found peace with both the triumphs and the unfinished business of his career is one of the more honest, thoughtful, and deeply human conversations we've had that goes far beyond basketball. Pivot Family, comment, like, hit the subscribe button, we enjoy hearing and learning from you- the good and the bad, we want to know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Patrick Ewing's basketball journey started as a gangly 12-year-old who took his first shot in

0:05.3

Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it ends with him becoming a Knicks legend in one of the greatest

0:10.1

centers in NBA history. His family taught him hard work, specifically his mother, who came to

0:16.6

America from Jamaica first to work and allow her family to come over one by one. But once they

0:23.2

were in America, the Ewing's quickly realized that the streets of America were not paved with gold.

0:29.2

Even through the hard times, basketball became Patrick Ewing's savior. Well, that and legendary

0:35.4

Georgetown coach John Thompson, who called Ewing the greatest player

0:39.8

in the history of the university.

0:42.0

We even went down memory lane a bit and recalled Ewing's first time meeting and playing

0:47.6

his nemesis Michael Jordan in the high school All-American Circuit.

0:51.8

We talked to Georgetown Connection, the Alan Iversons, the Alonzo

0:55.5

Mornings, and the Dikimbe Mutumbos. And sadly, we got into what it was like to lose the big

1:01.2

man. It was interesting to hear Patrick Ewing speak about championships, especially since he and his

1:06.8

New York Knicks came up just shy when Michael Jordan went away to play baseball.

1:12.0

But he did tell us that he would never criticize John Stark for his game seven finals failure

1:18.2

and his reason why is a good one.

1:20.5

We finished with the one thing that Patrick Ewan regrets about his career.

1:25.2

Patrick Ewing is a true gentleman, but my God, he's fun.

1:28.8

This is honesty, this is realness, and transparency at his finest, which is perfect for our

1:34.3

convoy on Jalen Brunson and this year's New York Knicks.

1:38.9

Pivot fam.

1:39.8

It's time to pivot again as we take a deep dive with all-time Nick's great Patrick Ewan and

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