COMMENTARY : We Should Let Ewing Put His Greed Away

Patrick Ewing deserves credit. Thursday, he got in the last word first. After eluding the media during much of his summer of contract discontent, Ewing walked into a Charleston restaurant, where he would have a pre-training camp, lunchtime session with seven New York-area writers.

“Hello, ladies,” Ewing said to the seven males.

Nice shot. And why not? After getting bashed in print all summer, no one could blame Ewing for firing back. Everybody, Ewing included, laughed.

During an interview and lunch session that lasted about two hours, Ewing patiently answered all questions. He was careful. He was well-prepared. He was friendly. He defended his actions. He said his goals are pure.

He said he is not greedy. He said he wants to win a championship. He said he wants to be in New York, and he indicated he has felt that way for at least two days--or, since the Knicks acquired Xavier McDaniel and Tim McCormick.

That did not demonstrate great loyalty or commitment, but then Ewing pointed out that the Knicks hardly have created an ideal situation since he signed that 10-year, $31.2-million contract in 1985.

“There’s definitely been a lack of stability in the Knicks’ organization,” Ewing said. “This is my seventh season and I’ve had six different coaches, four general managers, two different presidents.”

Which is true. Yet there has been one constant during that time: Ewing has been pampered, coddled and treated royally. He was paid $17 million for his first six years. The newest administration led by Dave Checketts offered him a six-year extension that would have paid him $33 million. That’s $50 million over 12 years, and the simple fact is Ewing wanted more.

Despite claims to the contrary Thursday, and during his arbitration process this summer, no one ever will convince me that the Ewing-generated controversy was about anything except money.

Last year, Al Bianchi offered Ewing a six-year, $25-million deal. That was the contract offer that “insulted” Ewing, who lashed out at Knicks’ management after the Knicks lost a huge lead and a game at home against Boston.

Ewing and his representatives countered with a proposal for a 10-year deal. Depending on whom you talk to, the figures vary from $8 million to $10 million a year. Had the Knicks met Ewing’s demands, I’m convinced he would have signed a contract and there would have been no arbitration.

Ewing continued to contend Thursday that the arbitration was about principle. He said he wanted to go somewhere where he could win a title. And yet he filed the arbitration after the Knicks hired Pat Riley, who has won more championships as a coach (four) than anyone currently coaching. Wasn’t this precisely the time to be excited about being in New York?

The answer, of course, was yes. And despite being courteous and cooperative, Ewing changed nothing Thursday.

And yet, as Riley so passionately tells us, it is time for a change. Ewing attempted to extricate himself from his Knicks’ contract. He failed. The Knicks tried to trade him. They couldn’t. Ewing remains the center for the Knicks, and the centerpiece of the franchise.

Riley says it is time to move on. He says that the Ewing-arbitration issue has to cease being an issue.

He is only partially right. It ceases being an issue if Ewing allows it to cease being an issue. And that is what Thursday was all about. After a summer of silence, Ewing was attempting to put the situation behind him and move on.

And so we should let him. That’s not to say that everything should be forgotten. But dealing with a pampered athlete is often like dealing with a pampered child. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Ewing has mishandled the situation. If that is correct, then it is also correct to say that he has been spanked pretty good.

When he meets the fans at the Garden, he probably will be spanked again. And he’ll deserve it.

But then, he’ll do what he has always done. He won’t always make the greatest basketball decisions, but he’ll work hard. And he’ll play hard. After a few boos, he’ll dunk and rebound and block shots and drop in his patented 12-foot baseline jumper.

And the fans will cheer, just as they did with Kenny Walker and Mark Jackson, who lost favor, then regained it.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of things, like people are probably going to boo,” Ewing said. “But even at the end of the season last year, there were some boos. I’ve been booed before. I’ve been booed occasionally in the Garden. It’s part of life.”

So what Patrick Ewing can Knicks fans expect to see.

“What Patrick Ewing?” Ewing asked. “The same Patrick Ewing that’s always been there. The one that in Georgetown would go out there looking mean, ready to kick ass.”

That’s an attitude to be respected. Ewing says it’s time to play basketball. It’s time to move on. And this time, he’s right.