Patrick Ewing, one of the most dominant centers of the 1990s and a Hall of Famer in his own right, recently revealed the three toughest players he ever had to guard during his career and in a twist that might surprise fans, Michael Jordan did not make the cut.
Appearing on Club 30 with Henrik Lundqvist, Ewing was asked to name the players who brought out the best in him, the opponents who truly challenged him mentally and physically. While most might expect Jordan, Ewing’s longtime playoff nemesis, to be at the top of his list, the former Knicks superstar gave a perfectly logical reason for leaving His Airness out.
“You talk about Jordan, he didn’t play in my position…But to me, when I’m playing against Hakeem, when I’m playing against Shaq, when I’m playing against David, those are the three top guys.”
“When you’re playing against them, you have to make sure you get the sleep, bring you’re A-Game, and just make sure that you’re prepared to dominate them because they’re gonna try to dominate you.”
Instead, Ewing listed Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, and David Robinson as the three most difficult players he ever had to guard. All three were elite, generational big men who, like Ewing, ruled the painted area during what is widely regarded as the golden age of NBA centers.
For Ewing, these weren’t just tough matchups, they were the kind of opponents that demanded peak preparation and mental fortitude.
Each of the three players presented a unique challenge. Hakeem Olajuwon’s footwork was legendary, with his “Dream Shake” move leaving even the best defenders disoriented. Shaquille O’Neal was a physical phenomenon, combining brute strength with underrated agility, especially during his early Orlando years.
David Robinson, aptly nicknamed The Admiral, brought a powerful combination of strength, speed, and skill that few could match. According to Ewing, these players gave him anxiety before games not out of fear, but out of respect and the knowledge that the margin for error was razor-thin.
While Michael Jordan was the most dominant perimeter player of the era, Ewing was in the trenches every night battling giants. His omission of MJ isn’t a slight, it’s just the reality of positional warfare in the NBA. Ewing’s list focuses entirely on frontcourt competition, and in that arena, few faced a gauntlet as brutal as Ewing did.
So while Michael Jordan gave Ewing nightmares in the playoffs, it was the nightly wars with Olajuwon, Shaq, and Robinson that truly tested his resolve as a center. And coming from a warrior like Ewing, that speaks volumes about just how brutal the battles were down low.
