One of Patrick Ewing’s former Knicks teammates defended him against a diss by another, though the franchise great center has tried to stay out of the fray between Charles Oakley and Mark Jackson.
Appearing this week on “The Mark Jackson Show” podcast, Ewing said he appreciated Jackson countering Oakley’s claim to SiriusXM last week that Brunson is “the best thing [on the Knicks] since Clyde [Frazier].”
“I really appreciate it, but I’m not gonna get into [that],” Ewing told Jackson and son Mark Jr. on their podcast. “I love Oak. Oak and I had some great years together. I always called him my hit man, because anything physical, anything dirty, he was gonna take care of it.
“Jalen is a great player, and I’m happy for his success. I’m happy for the success of the New York Knicks. I’m happy for the success that Tom [Thibodeau] is having with that team. But I try not to get involved in all that, who’s better, who’s this, is it myself, is it Clyde, is it Willis [Reed]?”
The elder Jackson, a teammate of Ewing’s with the Knicks from 1987-92, interjected, “It’s you,” and Ewing replied, “No, but I appreciate that.”
Ahead of Ewing’s response, Jackson had defended the 11-time All-Star and Hall of Fame center, listing No. 33 above the legendary Frazier in the franchise hierarchy.
“Are you kidding me. I love you Oak, but what are we doing?” Jackson said. “Let me introduce you to, not even since Clyde Frazier, but the greatest Knick of all-time, that includes everybody.
“That’s nothing against Jalen Brunson and the incredible year that he’s put together and what he’s going to do moving forward, but there’s no question [Ewing] is the best to ever do it in blue and orange.”
The 61-year-old Ewing attended Game 5 of the first round against the 76ers at MSG, and he typically received a standing ovation when shown on the scoreboard.
“Unfortunately we didn’t win that game, but the fans showed me a remarkable amount of love,” Ewing said. “They respected everything that not only I brought to the table, but the people who came before me brought to the table, like [Jackson], even though he went to other places and kicked our butts a couple of times.
“It was great being at the Garden. It was great that the fans showed the appreciation to me and the rest of the guys that were there. Unfortunately they didn’t win that game, but they were able to get it [Monday] night [in Game 1 against Indiana].”
Speaking of the Pacers, Ewing and the Knicks squared off in the playoffs against arch-nemesis Reggie Miller and his team six times in eight seasons from 1993-2000.
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Jackson played parts of six seasons with the Pacers from 1994-2000. appearing in four playoff series against his hometown team.
The former St. John’s star won league Rookie of the Year honors in 1987-88, and was traded to the Clippers in 1995 in a deal that brought Doc Rivers and Charles Smith to New York.
“We had a lot of battles. … I think both teams were mirror images of each other,” Ewing said, before turning to Mark Jr. “Your dad was always ready for those games. He wanted to make sure we knew we made a mistake when we traded him, always talking trash. … But we had some great battles with him and Reggie and the Davis boys [Dale and Antonio] and Rik Smits. Unfortunately a few of them didn’t go the way I would’ve liked.”
Ewing added “come on, now” when asked if he was picking the Knicks to win this series, saying, “I love what they do. I love what Tom Thibodeau has done with that team. They have a toughness, they have a belief, Brunson is having a remarkable year.”