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Patrick Ewing has tested positive for coronavirus, and is sharing his diagnosis to raise public awareness. The Knicks legend and current Georgetown coach is under care and isolated at a local hospital, the school’s athletic department said in a statement. “I want to share that I have tested positive for COVID-19,” the Hall of Famer …
Patrick Ewing has tested positive for coronavirus, and is sharing his diagnosis to raise public awareness.
The Knicks legend and current Georgetown coach is under care and isolated at a local hospital, the school’s athletic department said in a statement.
“I want to share that I have tested positive for COVID-19,” the Hall of Famer said. “This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones.”
Ewing, 57, emphasized that he’ll be OK, and he is the only member of the program to contract the novel coronavirus.
A source told The Post the initial tone of the situation “didn’t sound serious.”
“Now more than ever, I want to thank the healthcare workers and everyone on the front lines,” Ewing said. “I’ll be fine and get through this.”
The diagnosis comes days after the NCAA lifted its moratorium on workouts, allowing voluntary on-campus activities to resume on June 1. On Friday, the SEC announced student-athletes can begin using school facilities beginning June 8 with strict supervision, though the Big East — the Hoyas’ conference — has yet to reveal any plans.
Georgetown struggled to a 15-17 record in 2019-20, Ewing’s third season running his alma mater’s basketball program. The coach was forced to kick two of his best players off the team in December over accusations of burglary and harassment, and then lost his two key players to injury down the stretch. Despite keeping the team afloat, the season came to an end with a loss to St. John’s the day before the Big East canceled its remaining tournament games over the coronavirus pandemic on March 12.
Ewing, the top pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, has found himself to be among the headlines in recent weeks, with his longtime torment at the hands of Michael Jordan depicted in “The Last Dance” documentary.
In a recent article in The Post, Charles Oakley, a teammate of Ewing’s on the 1993 Knicks club that lost to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, took shots at the superstar for his performance in that series.
“Patrick, at the end of the game, he’d get double-teamed,’’ Oakley told The Post. “He’d shoot fadeaways on double-teams and that hurt us as a team.”
Oakley added, “The best player won. Michael was a better player than Patrick hands down.”
Ewing took the high road, telling “The Good Show,” “I have nothing to say about what Charles has to say. He’s one of my best teammates. We went into a lot of wars and a lot of wars against the Bulls. So everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”
Also, multiple pieces of Ewing’s personal memorabilia were stolen during a burglary, he revealed this month. Among the items taken were his 1984 Olympic gold medal and his NCAA title ring from that same year, and his gold medal from his time with the “Dream Team” at the 1992 Games.
Ewing’s No. 33 hangs from the Garden rafters, and he’s the all-time Knicks leader in nearly every category — games, points, rebounds, steals and blocks. He played 15 seasons with the Knicks after they won the lottery rights to select him No. 1 overall in 1985, averaging 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds during his tenure in New York. He also played for the SuperSonics and Magic before retiring.
