Patrick Ewing To Charlotte May Be A Perfect Fit

Patrick Ewing has joined his ex-rival in Michael Jordan by agreeing to become the Charlotte Bobcats, or should I say Hornets, newest assistant coach. The move has been considered a confusing one for some who believe he won’t be able to mix well with Jordan, but all signs are pointing to success as the team looks to grow within the NBA.

Ewing’s been pretty busy since retiring from his Hall of Fame career in 2002, and you can primarily put the blame on his focus on creating a mark as a coach. Shortly after retiring, he became an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards, and he’s been on the bench next to head coaches ever since.

From 2003 to 2006, Ewing was an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets before taking the same job under Stan Van Gundy in his first season with the Orlando Magic in 2007. Patrick Ewing played for the Magic in his final season as a pro and his coaching career took off once he came back to Orlando.

The Magic went on a magical run to the 2009 NBA Finals with Dwight Howard as the centerpiece, and the 50-year-old Knicks’ legend believed in the team all along. He guaranteed a win in the deciding Game 7 of the team’s second round match-up that year against the Boston Celtics and they came through with a huge victory.

The Magic eventually went on to lose to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals but not before Ewing was recognized for his major growth as a coach. He’s since been linked to head coaching jobs around the league, but he’ll now join Michael Jordan in hopes of bringing the reeling Charlotte franchise back to life.

The 11-time NBA All-Star may be the perfect fit as he’s respected by practically everyone around the league including the NBA’s top players and obviously his ex-rival in Jordan.

Can Michael Jordan’s team grow stronger with Patrick Ewing as an assistant coach?

[Image via Creative Commons | Mike]