NBA players wearing short or long sleeves underneath their jerseys are a common sight these days, but there was a time when Patrick Ewing wasn’t allowed to wear a T-shirt underneath his New York Knicks jersey.
Ewing’s reasoning was simple. Back in the 1980’s he started wearing one underneath his Hoyas jersey to stay warm as it would get cold during the games. The NBA didn’t care about that rationale when he tried to get the league to allow him to wear a tee underneath his jersey in 1985.
Per Complex, his move of layering up didn’t work for the NBA. “We started playing in these big arenas and it was always cold,” he said. “Especially when you have the ice down [for hockey games]. I was always complaining I was cold. I started wearing one and it became a fashion statement.”
Ewing took his rant a step further when he realized that it was allowed years later. “The funny thing is when I got to the league they told me I couldn’t do it,” he remarked, “and now they let everybody do it. It’s crazy and times have changed. And the women [T-shirt] jerseys that guys wear now, it’s changed.”
Guess it took two decades for the NBA to realize that there was more functionality involved. But unlucky for Ewing, he did have to play with his jersey bearing the cold.
Charles Oakley Once Made A Bold Statement That Patrick Ewing Didn’t Help The New York Knicks Win
There’s never a doubt that Patrick Ewing was one of the greatest players to suit up for the New York Knicks. However, his teammate Charles Oakley felt otherwise. He didn’t believe the big man was a pivotal part of the Knicks’ wins.
Speaking on the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast, Oakley delivered a surprise line but also had his rationale behind the bold statement.
“Patrick was good, but Patrick wasn’t that Georgetown Patrick to me,” Oakley opined. “He didn’t bring that. When he left Georgetown, I think he left his toughness there. He got to be a more finessed (player). And that really hurt as a team because it aint about getting 30 points, it’s clawing that middle when you come down, but they a** out on the floor. I did.”
He further added that they were trying to win, and that wasn’t something Ewing was on board with.
“We were trying to win as a team… That’s what he didn’t do. Besides, he got his 20-10, dream team, hall of fame, and all that. But we didn’t get the ring. You get the shots, the glory, but the team doesn’t win anything.”
Despite his failure to bring a title to the Knicks, Ewing is still looked a legend within the franchise. He was the team’s undisputed leader of the side and made sure they were bonafide contenders to win an NBA championship.
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