One of the most dominant centers in NBA history, Patrick Ewing, inspired many. He set a benchmark for aspiring big men in basketball, and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal followed in his footsteps, as he revealed ahead of the Indiana Pacers’ Game 3 clash with the New York Knicks earlier today.
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Ewing was drafted first overall by the Knicks in 1985 and became instrumental in their playoff runs over the years. An 11-time All-Star, Ewing’s game was not flashy by any means—he simply relied on a combination of basketball IQ and toughness, both on offense and defense.
That inspired Shaq, who grew up watching Ewing and built his game around him. He, too, had everything it took to be one of the best centers in the NBA and made his NBA debut in 1992, also as a number one pick.
O’Neal, speaking on TNT, recalled how Charles Barkley had always emphasized the importance of thanking one’s idols or those who paved the way. The former Lakers center agreed and shared his interaction with Ewing.
“I got to see my idol—he didn’t know he was my idol. I told Patrick Ewing, ‘I patterned my whole game after you in high school.’ He said he never knew that, so…” O’Neal said. He further emphasized the need for today’s stars to show respect to the legends who came before them. “You just sit down and say, ‘Thank you, sir,'” the 53-year-old added.
Sadly, despite being a legend of the New York Knicks franchise, Ewing could not guide them to a championship win. However, that didn’t matter to Shaq, who even picked his high-school jersey number (33) to match Big Pat.
“As a youngster, I used to practice all these old-school moves. And then one day, I was watching Patrick Ewing at Georgetown, big guy, mean, physical, throwing people around, running up the court. And I said, ‘Dad, I wanna be like that,’ and he said, ‘I know, that’s why I got you watching the game’,” O’Neal said in an older interview.
Shaq learned well. He went on to arguably eclipse Ewing’s legacy in the NBA and is widely regarded by many as the best center in league history. Once he became a star, his admiration for Ewing turned into a fierce desire to outperform him at the very stage Ewing called his home- Madison Square Garden.
When he did go up against Ewing, Shaq revealed that he wanted to show him he could play. “For me, it was all about karate movies growing up. At some point, the student must kill the master to become the master. So, every time I went to New York, I wanted to kill him,” he stated ahead of a Warriors-Knicks game last year.
Shaq ended his NBA career with an MVP title, 15 All-Star selections, 4 championships, and countless other accolades. Ewing would surely be proud.
