Patrick Ewing 'disappointed' he's still not a head coach yet

Patrick Ewing could only watch as Jason Kidd gained a head coaching position only nine days removed from retiring from the NBA while Ewing, another former NBA great— and after a decade of bouncing around the league in various coaching and broadcast positions after calling it a career— was the bridesmaid once again.

Ewing was named this week as an associate coach with the Charlotte Bobcats to assist new head coach, Steve Clifford — despite his close relationship with team owner Michael Jordan.  Ewing said he still "disappointed" he has never become a head coach but claims he holds no grudges.

“I’m disappointed,’’ Ewing said on WFAN’s “Boomer & Carton” show of not getting a head-coaching opportunity yet. “Naturally everybody who does this thing, the goal is to be a head coach. I felt I’ve paid my dues, worked hard, studied hard with the goal of trying to become a head coach.

“I’m disappointed it hasn’t happened yet. All I can do is keep on working and keep on hoping someone one day will have faith in me like the way they have faith in Jason that they can get the job done. In terms of Jason, I’m very happy for him. They believe he can get it done and [I]wish him luck.’’

Ewing has even patched up any differences that may have existed with the Knicks organization which may have been leftover from him demanding a trade after the 1999-2000 season.  He has worked a few Knicks postseason games for the Madison Square Garden network, sat next to owner James Dolan at a couple of games and indicated that  he will be back with his former team in some capacity.

“My relationship with the Knicks is fine,’’ Ewing said. “Mr. Dolan has been very good to me. He gave me a great opportunity to do some TV. I cherish the opportunity maybe one day in near future, I’ll be back in the organization. I have no problem with the Knicks. I have no problem with the Dolans and it’s fair to say they have no problems with myself.’’

Ewing wasn't so keen on being tossed a bone and coaching in the D-League.

“I wasn’t offended,’’ Ewing said. “I didn’t want to be a coach in the developmental league. I wanted to be a coach in the NBA. The opportunity wasn’t in my best interest."

For real though I'm mad J Kidd got a head coaching job a year after retiring n my pops been coaching 10 years n barely gets a look
— Patrick Ewing Jr (@pewingjr6) June 13, 2013

As far as his son [Patrick Jr.] tweeting he was “real mad’’ at Kidd’s hire while his father has received just two head-coaching interviews, Ewing said, “I told him he needs to get rid of his Twitter account. All he’s going to do is end up in trouble. I appreciate it. I love him to death, but I don’t need him to fight my battles.’’

Iman Shumpert's 'do takes Knicks back to the 90's

The New York Knicks had a lot of old faces dribbling around the floor at Monday's Media Day in Greenburgh, N.Y. — and some came with even older hairstyles.

Knicks guard Iman Shumpert channelled his best inner Dwayne Wayne (that's Wayne, not Wade) and showed up with a high top haircut that will remind fans of the days Kid 'n Play (the Christopher Reid Kid, not Jason) were front row attractions at the Garden.  Or worse yet, former Knicks forward Kenny Walker.

"Sky," who sported a foot-high 'do, was better known for his fade than his fade-away.

Shumpert posted a photo of his own fade and —  if it doesn't bring back memories of Ewing and Starks' best years— maybe he can start wearing retro bell bottoms and fur fedoras to remind fans of the last Knicks title in '73.

Jordan tells Ewing he won't get Bobcats job

Another head-coaching job has gone by Patrick Ewing's wayside and it looks like the big guy didn't even make it to the second round.

Yahoo.com reports that Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has informed his good pal Ewing that he will not get the vacant head-coaching position he interviewed for two weeks ago.  After an interview with Charlotte management, Jordan personally reached out to Ewing to tell him that he was eliminated as a candidate to coach the Bobcats.

The former New York Knicks center faced competition for the job from former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, former Blazers coach Nate McMillan and Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Malone.

The real story seems to be whether or not Charlotte wins the NBA lottery tonight and gets a chance to draft Kentucky's Anthony Davis before it opens up a second round of interviews.  Davis is arguably the only franchise player in the draft and other coaching candidates could throw their hats into the ring if Davis becomes a Bobcat.

Ewing— an assistant coach for the past five seasons with the Orlando Magic— is a close friend of Jordan's.  They share the same agent, David Falk, and were teammates on the original Olympic "Dream Team." Jordan even gave Ewing a prominent role in his animated movie "Space Jam" in 1996.

Ewing's close ties with Jordan may have actually worked against him.  Jordan has been criticized for hiring too many of his buddies and yes-men throughout the years and Ewing fit that bill to a tee.

With the firing of Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, Ewing found himself available for work.  He worked with Jeff Van Gundy  in Houston before joining the Magic and his name has been tossed around as a head coach before.  Last spring, Ewing had an interview with the Detroit Pistons and impressed general manager Joe Dumars.

Despite being rivals on the court, Ewing and Jordan were close friends off it.  It might be a blessing in disguise for Ewing to be eliminated from the Bobcats job.  The team was one of the worst in NBA history (7-59) and there are questions about Jordan's financial commitment to putting together a winning team.  A first time head coach in Charlotte might be a tough place to break your cherry.

Hey, maybe there is a chance that "Space Jam 2" can get the green light now.

Patrick Ewing: If Only I Had a Carmelo...

Patrick Ewing claims current New York Knicks super-star Amar'e Stoudemire has an easier road to an NBA title than he did because none of his teammates were as good as Carmelo Anthony.

According to the New York Post, Ewing thinks he could have won a championship if former Knicks GM Ernie Grunfeld and Garden president Davis Checketts had brought in a better supporting cast.

The 11-time All-Star was asked who was the best player he ever played alongside with and Ewing replied," Second best teammate?  John Starks, Allan [Houston], Spree [Latrell Spreewell], Oak [Charles Oakley].  But they're not Carmelo"

While Ewing, an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, may be endearing himself to the current Knicks team, it sounds like a jab at the former Knicks management for his brilliant, but NBA Championship-less career.  It sounds like he wrongly took the blame for the lack of an NBA title because he didn't have his own second fiddle.

Ewing is on the short list of Knicks head coaching prospects if current coach, Mike D'Antoni fails and believes the current Knicks brass is on the right track by bringing in an additional super-star like Anthony mid-way through the season to compliment Stoudemire--a perk he never had.

Yesterday, Ewing professed his admiration of Anthony before the Magic's 116-110 victory in Orlando.

"A great player. A great player," Ewing said.  "New York hasn't had two bona fide superstars since Willis [Reed] and Earl [Monroe] and Clyde [Frazier].  Those guys are two bona fide superstars."

The closest Ewing ever got to getting an NBA Championship ring was in 1994.  After battling center Hakeem Olajuwon and leading the Houston Rockets, 3-2, Ewing's second-banana, Starks, went ice-cold and shot 2-for-18 in game seven while the Knicks wilted away.  It still burns at Ewing.

"I can't worry about that now," said Ewing.  "I've been retired 100 years.  It feels like 100 years."

The Hall-of-Famer had a lot of good things to say about the third part of the Knicks Big-Three, Chauncey Billups.

"Everyone kept talking about him as a throw-in," Ewing said.  People overlooked him when he first started.  He's played great games. He's won championships."

While Ewing was surrounded by rugged lunch-buckets players like Starks and Oakley during his playing days, he now says he would have welcomed an offensive super-star player like Anthony and advises Stoudemire to count his blessings.

Ewing believes Stoudemire and 'Melo can co-exist in New York.  "They both have to share it, he stressed.  "You can't worry about it.  The city's big enough.  There's enough spotlight to go around."

That spotlight was always shining on Ewing during his 15 seasons at Madison Square Garden and it highlights his retired #33 jersey hanging from it's rafters.

Listening to him reminisce, it sounds like Ewing wishes he had someone to share the limelight with back then.