Video: "Everybody in this building should know who the hell I am" - Patrick Ewing sounded pissed when security asked him for passes to enter MSG
Patrick Ewing played the bulk of his career with the New York Knicks and believes he deserves some respect from the franchise. He recently sounded off on protocol officers in the building asking him for passes to get in.
Ewing was selected with the No.1 pick in the 1985 draft. He played for 15 years with the Knicks. He was named Rookie of the Year after an outstanding campaign where he averaged 20 points and nine rebounds.
In a video released by Bleacher Report, an aggrieved Ewing complained about being asked for passes before accessing the Mecca of basketball.
"I thought this was my building, and I feel terrible that I'm getting stopped, accosted, asking for passes. Everybody in this building should know who the hell I am. And I'm getting stopped. I can't move around this building.
"I was like, 'What the hell? Is this Madison Square Garden?' I'mma have to call Mr. (James) Dolan and say, 'Jeez, is my number in the rafters or what?'"
Patrick Ewing failed to win a championship with the New York Knicks
There is no denying that Patrick Ewing will go down as one of the best big men in league history. Unfortunately, he failed to win a championship.
Although the New York Knicks have two championships, both came before Ewing. With Ewing, the Knicks reached the finals twice but failed to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy.
The first attempt came in 1994 against the Houston Rockets. After a seven-game thriller, Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets to the title..
That was the closest Ewing ever got to winning a title. They reached the finals again in 1999 where they played the San Antonio Spurs.
Sadly, the Knicks had to go into the series without Ewing. He struggled with injuries the entire season and played only 38 games.
Although he was available during the playoffs, he tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks went on to win that series but had to play without Ewing in the finals.
The Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, made light work of the Knicks. They cruised to a 4-1 series victory, and Ewing later revealed that he broke down.
On the "Big Apple Buckets" podcast, he said:
“It definitely would have been a tougher series for them (if I was healthy). Marcus (Camby) and myself would have been a formidable duo to go against both Tim (Duncan) and David (Robinson). But that was tough. Because to have to sit there and listen to all the noise that those fans were talking about, it was hard to take.
"I actually broke down. I didn’t want anybody to see me. So, I went on the team bus and I broke down because I wasn’t able to play in it and we were losing."
Regardless, Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest players in the Knicks' history, and had his jersey retired by the franchise.