Ewing No Longer Main Man

Patrick Ewing considered the question, shook his head, frowned and refused to answer.

The query seemed simple enough: Is he still The Man, a k a Mr. Knick or The Franchise, titles he has proudly held for 15 years? But on this night--and forevermore--there was no declaration from the proud old center.

“You asked me the one question I’m never answering again for the rest of my career,” Ewing said. “I don’t have any answers for that. I’m not even going to try to.”

Not long ago, Ewing would have instantly said “yes!” These days, his hesitancy shows what a touchy subject it has become as the New York Knicks evolve into a different team and Ewing moves into a supporting role.

No longer does the ball go into the low post 20 times a game, with Ewing looking to score off his all-too-familiar moves.

No longer does he have a guaranteed spot on the floor for the final six minutes of every game.

No longer does his very presence carry the weight it used to in the Knicks’ locker room.

When Ewing looks around the team, he sees an assortment of 20-somethings who were still in grade school back in the mid-1980s when he entered the NBA out of Georgetown.

When he peeks down the bench toward the head coach, he no longer sees an unwavering loyalist whose own longevity on the job is directly the result of Ewing’s efforts.

Put it all together, and it’s no wonder Ewing doesn’t want to say whether he’s The Man anymore.

He isn’t.

“Given that he was considered The Man here for so long, after having that position for 10, 12, 14 years, I don’t think it would be that easy to let it go,” teammate Latrell Sprewell said. “I’m sure inside he’s probably wishing and wanting to be where he was at, but I’m sure he understands the reality of where he’s at now, and how we have other guys who can help get that ring for him.”

Ewing’s unfulfilled quest for a championship has defined his career in New York. Two trips to the finals have ended in defeat: last year when the Knicks lost to the Spurs in five games with Ewing sidelined by injury, and an excruciating Game 7 loss to Houston in 1994.

Throw in an assortment of playoff losses to Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller, and a brilliant career seems overshadowed by emptiness.

With the 37-year-old Ewing down to the final two seasons of his contract, the end is near.

“I still think I have a lot of basketball in me,” he said. “Whether I win a championship or not, I’ll retire when I don’t have the desire or when I can’t play anymore.”

Ewing, sidelined for most of the past 2 1/2 seasons by a shattered wrist on his shooting hand and a torn Achilles’ tendon, has been getting used to the NBA again over the past month.

He has shown flashes of his old self, including a 20-point outing Wednesday night in Detroit and a game against Toronto in late December in which he hit the winning shot.

For the most part, though, Ewing has become a supporting player, often finding himself the fourth option on offense. For example, his shot attempts have gradually reduced over the past few seasons, 20.5 in 1989-90, 19 in 1993-94, 15.5 in 1997-98 and 9.7 this season.

And Ewing sometimes sits in key situations nowadays. Coach Jeff Van Gundy benched him for the final 16 minutes of a home game against Cleveland last weekend that the Knicks ended up losing. It was the first time anyone could remember Ewing sitting out during crunch time.

He didn’t complain, at least not publicly.

“His attitude has changed a lot,” Knicks guard Charlie Ward said. “As much as he may want the ball, he understands that we have other guys that are going to demand and get the ball. His role has changed, and he’s doing a good job of fitting into that role. Whether he wants to do it or not is another question.”