Jalen Brunson 's undeniable hardwood brilliance and clutch genes have put into question who the greatest player in New York Knicks history is. Although he has donned the blue and orange jersey for only four seasons, his impact has been profound, leading the Knicks to the NBA Finals this season after falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
But more than anything, Brunson has epitomized what New York City stands for: grit and toughness. Despite standing only 6'2", the left-handed assassin has shown no compunction about standing up to any giant the league has to offer, including the San Antonio Spurs ' megastar, the 7'4" phenom Victor Wembanyama .
However, Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal pushed back against the notion of Brunson grabbing the crown of "King of New York," asserting that it belongs to the one and only Patrick Ewing.
Long before Brunson became the new toast of the town, Ewing held it down for the Knicks for 15 straight years. A 7-footer with a soft touch from the outside and a mean streak inside the shaded lane, he anchored the blue and orange on both ends, earning 11 All-Star berths and three citations to the All-Defensive team.
His finest moment came in 1994, when he led the Knicks to the NBA Finals against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets , before losing in Game 7. Having battled the former Georgetown ace in 26 regular-season games, Shaq had firsthand experience of what it was like to defend Pat, saying it was truly an honor to duel with such a hardcourt warrior.
"I want to say, truthfully, from the bottom of my heart, if the Knicks do win, I'm still not putting them above my favorite player named Patrick Ewing," Shaq proclaimed . "I want to say thank you for everything. I appreciate you, and I love you. You will always be my favorite."
"You hear all this talk about the King of New York and all that. The New York Knicks belong to Patrick Ewing," the 7'1" big man emphasized. "Just like the Lakers belong to Magic and Kareem, the New York Knicks belong to you."
In 26 games against O'Neal, Ewing averaged 21.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, giving Diesel all that he could handle.
"The first time I played against this man in this building, I was terrified," Shaq admitted. "Terrified."
Kenny "The Jet" Smith co-signed on Shaq's comment, contending that what made Big Pat's Knicks' career more impressive was the fact that he never played with a true-blue superstar.
Yes, he played with solid players like John Starks, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and Mark Jackson , but none of those players could carry the offensive load whenever Ewing sat down or had an off night.
"He's never played with a first-, second-, or third-team All-NBA player. Every great player, even the ones that are sitting here, had someone on their team who made first, second, or third-team All-NBA," Kenny expressed. "Patrick Ewing played with some really good players, but Shaq played with Kobe. Hakeem played with Clyde Drexler."
"Patrick Ewing never had that. And we were happy back in '95 that he didn't have that because they took us to seven games. If they had that, that would've possibly been the difference."
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
