Sources: Patrick Ewing joins Brian Keefe’s Wizards staff as assistant

Georgetown and New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing agreed to become an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards and head coach Brian Keefe, sources told ESPN on Saturday.

Ewing has been in an ambassador role with the Knicks and now returns to the coaching sidelines in Washington.

The Wizards value Ewing’s presence and legendary stature, and his ability to communicate with veteran stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young and their promising young nucleus, led by No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa.

Sources say longtime NBA coach Steve Clifford is also joining the Wizards as a coaching advisor. Clifford, who has held similar advisor roles for the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets in recent years, coached as an assistant with Ewing in Orlando (2007 to 2012). Ewing then served as an assistant under Clifford in Charlotte from 2013 to 2017.

Overall, Ewing worked as an NBA assistant coach for the Wizards, Magic, Hornets and Houston Rockets. He was the head coach at Georgetown, the program he led to the 1984 NCAA championship and coached to an unexpected Big East tournament title at Madison Square Garden in 2021. But his time as coach of Georgetown ended in 2023 after the program went 13-50 in his final two seasons.

Selected by the Knicks with the No. 1 pick in the 1985 draft, Ewing played 15 seasons in New York and is the franchise’s career leader in points, rebounds, blocks, steals and games played. The Knicks made the playoffs in his final 13 seasons.

The Knicks retired Ewing’s No. 33 jersey in 2003. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.