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NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing Tests Positive for COVID-19
By
Rodolfo Vieira
May 23, 202002:54 P.M.
Patrick Ewing, one of the best basketball players to ever grace an NBA court, has recently tested positive for COVID-19. But despite the diagnosis, the former athlete remains positive.
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The news was shared by the 57-year-old, who let his fans know that the virus should not be taken lightly and how important it is to stay safe and take care of ourselves and our loved ones.
Head Coach Patrick Ewing from Georgetown University during a game between Butler and Georgetown at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. | Photo: Tony Quinn/ISI Photos/Getty Images
RAISING AWARENESS
Erwing also posted an announcement from Georgetown University, where the former New York Knicks' star found a job as the prestigious institutions' men's basketball coach.
According to the statement, Erwin is currently under care and isolated at a local hospital and he is the only member of Georgetown's men's basketball program who caught the virus.
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Not only that, but Georgetown claimed that Erwing has chosen to make his diagnosis public in order to emphasize that the virus can affect anyone. He added:
"Now more than ever, I want to thank the healthcare workers and everyone on the frontlines. I'll be fine and we will get through this."
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Erwin has been the university's men's basketball coach for the past three years. Before that, he had a role as an assistant coach on teams such as the Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets.
He retired from the game with a total of 24,815 points, making him one of the best shooting centers in NBA history
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Patrick Ewing playing to the USA Men's Basketball team during the 1984 Olympics at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Photo: Heinz Kluetmeier /Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
AN ABSOLUTE LEGEND
Back in the day, Erwin was a force to be reckoned with as he was described as a true warrior inside the court, with an average of 21 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Although he never earned an NBA Championship ring, he came very close to doing it. Sadly, the Knicks were beaten in the 1994 NBA finals by the Houston Rockets, and then by the San Antonio Spurs in 1999.
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SPACE JAM
Erwin was so popular that he was one of the NBA players chosen to star in Michael Jordan's film "Space Jam", alongside Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson and Shawn Bradley.
The 57-year-old retired from the game with a total of 24,815 points, making him one of the best shooting centers in NBA history. and was inducted into the Basketball Hallf of Fame in 2008.
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