Don't hate the player, hate the...

Across all professional sports, contract negotiations, player-coach relationships, retirement, and player-player conflicts result in athletes changing their uniforms. The popularity of the player is positively correlated with the outrage of the old team and the excitement of the new team. Switching teams is not, by any means, a new sensation. Usually, a trade makes a small wave within the organization that ripples out into the public for a week at the most. When great players are traded, however, it is a different story. Over the course of five weeks, we are taking a look at five significant cases. The first was Brett Favre and the second was Wayne Gretzky. The third is Patrick Ewing.

New York Knicks: 1985-2000
Seattle Supersonics: 2000-2001
Orlando Magic: 2001-2002

The New York Knickerbockers drafted Patrick Ewing with the first pick of the NBA draft in 1985. Named Rookie of the Year despite injuries, it was the start of what Pat O’Brien coined the “Ewing era.” Though he put up stunning stats and came understatedly close, Ewing was unable to lead the Knicks to an NBA Championship. Still, the success the team saw is nearly unparalleled, especially when compared to the weak performances of more recent years. Whether the Knicks were the division leaders or a Cinderella team, they made the playoffs in 13 out of 15 seasons with Ewing. He made the All-Star team 11 times. He became a hero in New York City, and number 33 jerseys filled Madison Square Garden to see the star center in action.

After 15 seasons as the team leader, Ewing left the Knicks in 2000, traded to the Seattle Supersonics for the final year of his contract. He wanted a high salary, but his age and deteriorating body were failing. Unable to agree on a contract extension, MSG Chairman James Dolan signed off on the deal that Ewing’s agent, David Falk, later described as “a mutual decision, and a mutual mistake.”

Ewing spent one season in Seattle and another with the Orlando Magic, retiring in 2002. He was relatively unsuccessful with both teams. Similarly, the Knicks have endured little success and many losing seasons since his departure. It is hard to tell who is to blame: Knicks management for refusing to spend more, or Ewing for refusing to accept less. Dolan was described as selfish for trying to bring down the team’s salary cap; Ewing was described as immature for believing that he could still perform at the same level that he did when he entered the NBA. Regardless, the truth remains—Patrick Ewing was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and instead of trying to come to an agreement, the Knicks traded him away.

Next Week: Michael Jordan