Washington hires Patrick Ewing as assistant coach

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Living legend and Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing has agreed to become the Washington Wizards’ assistant coach once the 2026-27 NBA regular season kicks off this October.

With the surprising offseason move, Ewing officially left his post as basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks and will work alongside head coach Brian Keefe.

Ewing’s last NBA coaching stint was during the 2017 season, when he served as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets under Steve Clifford.

After nine years, the coaching duo will reunite, as multiple reports also confirmed that the Wizards tapped Clifford as the team’s coaching adviser.

Ewing’s arrival will be a huge boost to the hungry Washington squad, which recently drafted BYU superstar AJ Dybantsa as the No. 1 overall pick during the NBA Rookie Draft.

The 11-time NBA All-Star and the Knicks’ all-time leading scorer will also have an exciting offseason ahead, as the 1-2 superstar punch of Anthony Davis and Trae Young is already available to play after fully recovering from their respective injuries.

In terms of player development, Ewing was responsible for Dwight Howard and Al Jefferson’s polished post moves during their heydays with the Orlando Magic and Charlotte, respectively.

Ewing is expected to mentor Davis, who is currently facing backlash for playing back-to-back inconsistent seasons due to multiple injuries.

It will also be a full-circle moment for Ewing as he returns to the franchise where he began his NBA coaching career in 2002.

After a brief stop with the Wizards, Ewing spent four years with the Houston Rockets, then later signed with Orlando in the 2007 offseason.

His first head coaching experience came in 2017, when he was acquired by the Georgetown Hoyas to lead the basketball program in the NCAA.

Despite a long layoff from coaching, Washington put its full trust in Ewing, alongside the coaching pool headed by Keefe, including Adam Caporn, Cody Toppert, and Clifford.