FOR 1 NIGHT , GARDEN EDEN
Mullin & Ewing renew rivalry but glory days a ways off
The victory party in the bowels of Madison Square Garden was subdued, partially out of respect for Chris Mullin but mostly because a game in January, even at the World’s Most Famous Arena, doesn’t make or break any season. Still, this was a special moment for Patrick Ewing, who stood outside the visiting team locker room surrounded by friends, family, former teammates while sharing a laugh with his old boss, Stan Van Gundy, following Georgetown’s 69-66 victory over Mullin and St. John’s on Tuesday. Ewing’s head coaching career is just 16 games old but this win – the Hoyas’ 12th – was easily the most satisfying. “Just like old times,” Ewing would say afterwards. “It was a knockdown, drag out fight. It was one of those ugly games. But I was just happy we got the win.” Ewing and Mullin last met in a college game at the Garden 33 years ago when Georgetown defeated St. John’s in the Big East championship game. The two storied programs would play four times that season with Georgetown taking the last three meetings. “It’s gone full cycle,” Ewing added. Georgetown center Jessie Govan, from Mullin’s home turf in Brooklyn, hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to give the Hoyas the lead for good. Ewing wouldn’t dare shoot from that distance when he was dominating college basketball in the mid-’80s. But the game, like the rivalry, has changed. The crowd for St. John’s vs. Georgetown on Tuesday was nothing like 1985. That’s for sure. The upper level of the renovated Madison Square Garden remained mostly empty. During the Mullin and Ewing playing era these games would annually draw standing-room-only crowds.
Of course, three decades ago St. John’s and Georgetown were fighting for titles. Now, they are two rebuilding programs in a struggle to regain their form. Georgetown is 12-4 overall and 2-3 in the Big East. St. John’s is 10-7 and has lost all five conference games.
But Tuesday was less about a game and more about a walk down memory lane. Ewing chatted briefly with legendary St. John’s coach Lou Carnesecca who, along with his old coaching staff, was seated five rows behind Mullin. Bill Wennington, the St. John’s center who went on to win three championships with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, was in attendance.
Ewing had a healthy support group. His son, Patrick Jr., who is expecting his third child, sat behind his father. Van Gundy and the rest of the Detroit Pistons coaching staff, including Tim Hardaway, were in the Georgetown cheering section. Former Knicks Herb Williams and Allan Houston were in attendance.
Ewing and Mullin last shared the stage at the Garden on the night the Knicks retired Ewing’s No. 33. Somehow, that was 15 years ago.
“Pat had everybody here that night,” Mullin said. “The place was packed.”
It was an incredible moment, one of the few incredible moments the Knicks have experienced since Ewing was traded from the franchise following the 1999-2000 season.
The night of Ewing’s ceremony Mullin received one of the loudest ovations when he was introduced. He and Ewing have been connected for three decades. They were both college All-Americans and Olympic teammates twice, first in 1984 and then together again on the Dream Team in 1992.
As rivals, they made the Big East what it was, culminating with the 1985 Final Four that featured three Big East teams; St. John’s, Georgetown and Villanova. The Wildcats produced one of the greatest upsets in college basketball when they beat Georgetown in Lexington, Kentucky. Ewing’s career ended with that loss in the national championship game. Two days earlier, Ewing ended Mullin’s college career in the national semifinals.
They both became NBA All-Stars and eventually earned their place in the Hall of Fame. What few envisioned was Ewing and Mullin ending up where it all started, taking over the coaching seats that once belonged to John Thompson and Carnesecca, respectively.
And fighting the good fight once more.
“I think it’s what dreams are made of,” Ewing said. “You have two guys – I’m from Jamaica and he’s from Brooklyn – and we both play a sport that we love. We battled each other, became friends and won two gold medals together. Now, we’re battling each other again.”