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Inside Patrick Ewing and His Ex-wife Rita Williams' Relationship since Their 1st Meeting in 1983

Stephen Thompson
By Stephen Thompson
May 26, 2020
10:30 P.M.

New York Knicks superstar Patrick Ewing has enjoyed a successful career as a player and coach. Still, his rousing fame was keenly rivaled by his highly publicized divorce from his ex-wife Rita Williams in 1998.

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NBA legend Patrick Ewing made his NBA debut in 1985, playing for the New York Knicks. The Jamaican-American basketball player enjoyed 17 seasons in the NBA, 15 of those season representing the Knicks.

Ewing spent most of his playing career as a starting center for the New York Knicks and led them to two NBA finals in 1994 and 1998.

Head Coach Patrick Ewing from Georgetown University during a game between Butler and Georgetown at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. | Photo: Getty Images

Head Coach Patrick Ewing from Georgetown University during a game between Butler and Georgetown at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. | Photo: Getty Images

The basketball superstar met his wife Rita Williams in 1983 while she was an intern in the then-Senator Bill Bradley's office. They later got married in the early 1990s, and the couple was married for about seven years before Rita filed for divorce in 1998.

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Around the time of the divorce filing, rumors began to spread that Ewing had been having an affair with a New York Knicks dancer. Rita Williams announced her divorce through a statement.

In her later years, Rita co-authored a book titled "Homecourt Advantage," with her friend Crystal McCrary. The book focused on the lives of the women behind basketball stars and was published in 2009.

Rita Ewing, whose latest novel is titled "Brickhouse," at the Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe on Frederick Douglass Blvd. in Harlem | Photo: Getty Images

Rita Ewing, whose latest novel is titled "Brickhouse," at the Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe on Frederick Douglass Blvd. in Harlem | Photo: Getty Images

In the book, Rita revealed that infidelity was considered a normal thing in the world of athletes. Her book was released around the time, Tiger Woods was caught in a cheating scandal, and during an interview, the beautiful author revealed she was "taken aback" by the details of the scandal.

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The retired NBA player was the only member of their men's basketball program that had tested positive for COVID-19.

Patrick Ewing playing to the USA Men's Basketball team during the 1984 Olympics at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Photo: Getty Images

Patrick Ewing playing to the USA Men's Basketball team during the 1984 Olympics at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Photo: Getty Images

Rita added that in basketball, an environment is created, which makes it easy for infidelity to thrive. She alleged that the teams and management encourage cheating through their body language and mentality.

Meanwhile, Patrick Ewing, who is now the head coach at Georgetown University, tested positive for Coronavirus last week Friday. In a statement released by the Hall of Famer, he said:

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"I want to share that I have tested positive for COVID-19. This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly."

Ewing urged his fans and followers to take care of themselves and their loved ones while assuring them that he would be fine.

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Georgetown later released a statement, saying that the retired NBA player was the only member of their men's basketball program that had tested positive for COVID-19.

The iconic player is undoubtedly one of the best players to have come out of Georgetown, and after 17 seasons in the NBA, Ewing was appointed as the head coach of Georgetown's basketball team in 2017.

Ewing, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, is currently receiving treatment in isolation, and fans are praying that he makes a speedy recovery.

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