June 13, 2003, 8:53PM Rockets get OK to talk to Ewing The Rockets took a small step toward adding former New York Knicks star Patrick Ewing to their new coaching staff Friday, receiving permission from the Washington Wizards to talk to their assistant coach. Ewing's contract with the Wizards expires at the end of the month and he was not expected to be back. Though new Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy and Ewing, 40, had spoken about a reunion before Van Gundy became Rockets coach Wednesday, Van Gundy needed the Wizards' consent for serious talks. Van Gundy said Wednesday that he had many former players and assistants to talk to about joining him with the Rockets. Van Gundy met with the Rockets assistant coaches Thursday. "He told me he would do some contacting over the weekend," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "He had to get some stuff here out of the way first and then work on it. We wanted to make sure we touched all the bases to get Jeff permission to talk to (Ewing). He's the only one (that required a team's permission)." The Rockets, meanwhile, gave the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets permission to speak with assistant Larry Smith, Dawson said. -- JONATHAN FEIGEN
Great! We need someone the big guys can look up to (figuratively in Yao's case) and learn from. I think Ewing will be a great addition to our staff. Hopefully he can teach EG how to play like a big man, too.
How did Ewing help K. Brown? He has been an assistant for the Wizards for a bit, and since his coming, I haven't seen any improvement in the kid. The same goes with Haywood and White. I don't get it. If all he wants to do is help young centers/fowards learn the game of basketball, then why hasn't he helped any of the players on the Wizards squad? Obviously he wants the media attention and the spot light as he "helps" Yao become the next big thing. If he wanted to help centers/PF's in dire need, he would have stayed home with the Wizards.
just hope yao doesn't start shooting jumpshots the way Ewing did....on the way down. Ewing and David Robinson probably have the ugliest shots in history.
i just hope they are sure ewing will help yao succeed and improve more! i wish him the best! look at the bright side, he can help yao with some low post moves and add a lil more banging to his game. he can show tapes of olajuwon whoopin his ass and explaining to him how olajuwon did it or how olajuwon whooped d-rob's ass.
Well, at least Yao and the rest of the Rockets will now know how to go about getting the extras at the clubs.
Not to mention this classic line: "We make more, but we spend more." Teach those youngin's how to spend the cash yo.
Hotrocket nailed it. Ewing has not done anything with the people he was supposed to teach already. Ewing is a different type of player than Yao is now. Not to say that Yao can't change, but he has footwork that Ewing could only dream about. The only thing Ewing knows about great footwork is what he learned as Dream was going by him on his way to the hoop!!
Would any highschooler listen to Jordan, when they found that his character was the reverse of what they expected and that he had no time for young developing Rookies.Brown is not a lost cause he only needs coaching and direction. PS. Posters you are correct Ewing made no evident mark on the Wizards Big Men. Its realy an insult when you think that our own Moses Malone, a great teacher, and a better player than Ewing is not being considered.
I dunno, but I suspect one New Yorker is enough. Where's Mighty Moses Malone? He's the big man coach of choice -- look what he did for the Dream.
