As much as Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing were rivals in the NBA, the pair shared a thick bond of friendship off the court. They were two of the best players in their era, and there was always mutual respect between each other. Moreover, it was Jordan who stimulate the idea into Ewing’s mind that he should become a coach after retirement! 

Patrick Ewing dominated NCAA Basketball with the Georgetown Hoyas before entering the NBA. Ewing and the Hoyas were utterly dominant during a particular period, and the Hall of Famer then returned to Georgetown and took up the head coaching position in 2017. 

Patrick Ewing credits Michael Jordan for making him develop an interest in coaching

This indeed is surprising. Although Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing are friends, not many would’ve expected to find out that it was MJ who pushed Ewing to take a shot at coaching. In fact, Jordan wanted Ewing to coach the Washington Wizards when he was a player/front office member. 

Apparently, when Ewing was done with his NBA playing career, he blanked out about his future. That’s when Jordan stepped in and offered a life-changing idea: 

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“Why don’t you come work for me here with the Wizards,” Ewing recalled Jordan telling him. “I’ll start you off here as a coach. If you like that, we’ll let you be a coach. If not, I’ll move you to the front office.”

Unfortunately, Patrick Ewing wasn’t too keen about taking that coaching job in 2002. However, things would’ve been different had he become the head coach of the Washington Wizards. Imagine Jordan playing under Ewing’s coaching! 

That’s just a mere speculation, but here’s the reality. Patrick Ewing is gaining massive strides as the head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas won the Big East tournament last week and Ewing is set to take part in his first NCAA Tournament as a head coach. 

Ewing’s Georgetown team is ranked #12 in the East Region and will take on #5 Colorado Buffaloes in the first round of March Madness. There are massive expectations on the Hoyas, but will they be fulfilled? 

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