Youn Gala: 'NBA Legends & Players Explain How SCARY GOOD PRIME Patrick Ewing Was'

Source:Youn Gala- Shaquille O'Neal talking about a player that he says is better than him.

"Patrick Ewing is a New York Knicks Legend!!!

NBA Legends And Players Explain How SCARY GOOD PRIME Patrick Ewing Was" 

From Youn Gala 

Just a couple things from this video and then I'll get into how I personally feel about The Great Patrick Ewing. 

Shaquille O'Neal saying that Patrick Ewing is not only a top 5 NBA center of all-time, but that Ewing is better than him. I have heard Shaq say that Pat was the toughest center that he ever had to play against, but not that he was a better player than him. I think this says a lot because even though I think Shaq is overrated myself, he's still a top 10-15 centers of all-time and he's one of the smartest and honest men, whose ever played in the NBA. 

As far as Pat Ewing and what I feel about him: imagine the last 25 years of the NBA is really just the longest national nightmare in pro sports history and the game today is still basically the same today as it was, let's say pre-2000s: 

centers are real centers, not beefed up small forwards, trying to play center or even natural power forwards, trying to play center 

point guards were expected to run the offense, not sport up for 3's every chance that they get. 

power forwards run the wings on the break looking for a slam dunk or a layup, not spotting up for 3's on the fast break and they have inside responsibility on offense, not running screens to free themselves up for a 3-pointer

the center position was still around, instead of big, tall, strong, guys, thinking they could be the next great point forward. 

Imagine the NBA today was basically the same league today, as it was in the late 1980s, as far as the quality of teams, players, the style of play and you are looking for the next great center and have this guy whose 7'0, 255 pounds of all muscle, who runs like a horse, can block jump shots, who doesn't even know how to take a play off and rest, who went to and graduated from Georgetown, so you know he's smart and was coached by John Thompson and you are tying to win a championship. You are tying to knock off the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers to do that, maybe you are Pat Riley running this team, after leaving the Lakers. You would be braindead not to draft Pat Ewing, if he's available when your pick comes up. 

In the 1990s, there were really only 3 centers in the NBA who were good, strong, big, and disciplined enough to play Shaquille O'Neal on defense, not really stop him for the most part, but make him have to work hard on offense, so he couldn't  just be able to dominate you. 

Shaq said Ewing was the toughest player that he ever had to play against, because he made him work for position in the post and then was able to make Shaq work on defense, even in the post, because Ewing had the size, the strength, the quickness, the footwork, etc, to score against Shaq. Even though Ewing even in his prime, was probably giving up 40-50 pounds to Shaq, he still had the upper body and leg strength to play Shaq on defense and not get dominated and score against him on offense, even in the post. 

The other two centers in the 1990s that had these qualities to play Shaq well, were Hakeem Olajuwon and Alonzo Mourning. In case anyone wanted to know. 

The reason why Patrick Ewing doesn't get more respect and recognition as being one of the top 10 NBA centers ever, even though he is a top 10 center, because he didn't win an NBA championship. 

The New York Knicks probably had the better team in 1994 and should've beaten the Houston Rockets, probably could've done it in 6 games. And I understand all of that. But the fact that the Knicks were even in a game 7 in the NBA Finals in that era, is because of Pat Riley and Pat Ewing, the co-MVP's of the New York Knicks Organization. 

Ewing played with a lot of good players, a lot of very good players. He never played with another great player, another Hall of Fame player. 

You go try to win an NBA Finals in the 1990s with Charles Smith, whose a center and you are trying to make him your small forward. 

You try to win the NBA Finals in the 1990s with John Starks, who would've been a 3rd guard, someone who could play the 1 and 2 equally as well, but he would've been a 3rd guard on most NBA championship teams, maybe even the 4th guard and he's just starting 2-guard, who misses 14-17 jump shots in game 7 of the NBA Finals.

I think Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, Derek Harper, and Herb Williams, were the right pieces for a good NBA championship team: 

But where is Michael Jordan without Scottie Pippen today? 

Where would Shaquille O'Neal be today without Kobe Bryant? 

And you could go on. The 90s Knicks were probably 2 players short and one of those players being a great player, from winning an NBA championship in during that decade.

If you want my all-time NBA center list: I'll give it to you anyway: 

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

2. Wilt Chamberlain 

3. Bill Russell 

4. Hakeem Olajuwon 

5. Moses Malone 

6. Patrick Ewing 

OK, that's just 6 and hopefully you get the idea. I have Pat Ewing at 6, because if you look at the 6 best centers ever and what they brought to the game and what they could do and did do personally, I don't think there are 5 better NBA centers ever. Guys who won more championships, more MVP's, etc, sure. But if you look at the center position and what centers are supposed to be able to do, there aren't 5 better offense or defensive centers better than Patrick Ewing. And that's where I come down.

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