Among the pantheon of the NBA greats who dominated the ’80s and the ’90s, few topics evoke as a lot bittersweet reverence as those that retired with out a championship ring. While followers and analysts continuously debate which ringless famous person was most deserving of a title, Larry Bird held a definitive and deeply private stance on the matter.
Bird firmly believed that out of all the ringless legends, it was New York Knicks icon Patrick Ewing who rightfully deserved to win one. For Larry Legend, he wasn’t simply being overly sympathetic. Instead, it was a conviction rooted in the firsthand expertise of Ewing’s unmatched dedication to the recreation.
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Having spent years competing in opposition to Ewing at the highest degree, Bird received to know “The Hoya Destroya” personally and witnessed an admirable work ethic. With that in thoughts, Larry could not assist however really feel unhealthy for Patrick, particularly for how he bore the crushing weight of the Knicks’ title hopes on his shoulders in the 1994 NBA Finals.
“Although it’s interesting to watch the young guys develop, it’s sad for me to watch some of the older players come to the end of their careers… The one I hate to see go without a ring is Patrick Ewing, because I know him better than any of them, and I know how hard he has worked over the years,” the three-time champion wrote in his 1999 e-book, “Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching The Game I Love.”
Bird knew Ewing was by no means about the cash
In an period when the NBA was exploding into a international, multibillion-greenback enterprise, Bird acknowledged a uncommon, previous-faculty purism in Ewing’s strategy to the recreation. Larry Legend might inform that Big Pat was by no means motivated by the attract of fame, most contracts and big sneaker offers.
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Instead, Bird knew that the legendary heart was pushed by a fixed and consuming obsession: the need to win a championship. Ewing’s simple aggressive hearth resonated deeply with The Hick from French Lick, who operated underneath the very same ethos throughout his prime years with the Boston Celtics.
“People think because these superstars have made all this money, they’ll leave the game satisfied, but I know talking to Patrick that it isn’t true,” Bird identified. “He won’t be happy unless he wins an NBA title, and he knows his time is running out.”
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A friendship made in Barcelona
Before mutual respect blossomed between Ewing and Bird, they had been outlined by a fierce, uncompromising rivalry. Larry’s Celtics and Patrick’s Knicks engaged in a collection of brutal Eastern Conference battles. These duels had been characterised by the bodily, unforgiving nature of the ’80s and ’90s.
As leaders of their respective franchises, Larry Legend and Big Pat traded metaphorical blows on the courtroom. Neither was keen to surrender an inch to the different, creating a narrative of intense enmity.
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The turning point in their relationship got here in the summer season of 1992, when each superstars had been chosen to signify the US at the Barcelona Olympics as half of the Dream Team.
“Larry and I; we got very close during the Olympics. At first, during New York against Boston, I used to hate him, ’cause he talked so much trash,” Ewing as soon as mentioned. “But once we finally got to sit down in a relaxed atmosphere, we got to be very good friends.”
In retrospect, Bird was proper when he mentioned that point was not on Ewing’s aspect. Patrick had one other probability to lastly safe a title for the Knicks in ’99 however an damage noticed him being sidelined throughout the most necessary collection of his ageing profession.
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Three years later, Ewing formally retired with out a single championship to his identify.
This story was initially revealed by Basketball Network on Jul 26, 2026, the place it first appeared in the Old School part. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
