Would you have traded Patrick Ewing for Michael Jordan?

knicksin60

Starter
A few years ago there was a short lived debate on this forum between people that said that they would have traded a prime Patrick Ewing for a prime Michael Jordan and people that would have been against that trade.

This is an interesting question because both players were the cornerstone of their franchises, were top 5 players in their day, helped their teams have success in the playoffs, were great rivals, and are hall of famers now.

The only major differences that one could point out between the two players was that Jordan ended up winning championships while Patrick Ewing fell short of a couple of titles, a Bulls team led by Jordan always got the best of a Knicks team led by Patrick Ewing in the playoffs, a prime Michael Jordan was the best player at his position while a prime Patrick Ewing was one of the best players at his position, and Michael Jordan won 5 MVP awards while Ewing never won an MVP even though I believe he deserved at least one.

You could make a case that what helped Michael Jordan win titles was that he played alongside a top 10 player in Scottie Pippen while Ewing never had anyone of that caliber on his roster.I'm sure some people believe that had Ewing had the supporting cast that Michael Jordan had in the years in which he won his six titles that Ewing would have not gone titleless throughout his career. And I'm sure there are people that believe that Jordan was so talented that he could have won championships with any NBA roster.

Putting your Knicks/Ewing bias and Bulls/Jordan hatred aside would you have made that deal at the time had you've been able to?
 
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Munchen13

Benchwarmer
No, it's like trading melo for lebron now in order to get a ring, plain disgusting.

I don't support teams (in soccer, football or basketball) just to be happy about my team getting a title.

I support my team for the experience of loving a team, what's the point of having a title when you don't go through the bad and good times?

You have to live that experience as a whole.

I hope my point was clear here. Thanks for the thread.
 

MadJack

Benchwarmer
Hell fcking yea. Of course you would trade for the greatest player of all time. You do what is best for the franchise, not get sentimental for some player that will not be there forever anyway.
 

knicksin60

Starter
No, it's like trading melo for lebron now in order to get a ring, plain disgusting.

I don't support teams (in soccer, football or basketball) just to be happy about my team getting a title.

I support my team for the experience of loving a team, what's the point of having a title when you don't go through the bad and good times?

You have to live that experience as a whole.

I hope my point was clear here. Thanks for the thread.

I understand a fan of a team disliking a player who plays for their team's rival, but I feel that once any player is traded to the team that a person roots for and has immediate success with them they tend to look at that player as someone who is helping their team win as opposed to looking at him as the player that they used to root against. Jason Kidd is a good example of this.

And I believe that mostly every fan of a team that they love wants their team to win a championship and feels disappointed whenever their team falls short of winning one. Have I rooted for the Knicks when they were the trash heap and laughing stock of the NBA? I absolutely loved them back then just as much as I love them now. Did I believe that they deserved to win a championship even when Isiah Thomas was giving away first round draft picks to get players like Eddy Curry? I would be lying to you if I didn't feel that they deserved to win every year that I've watched them.
 

knicksin60

Starter
Hell fcking yea. Of course you would trade for the greatest player of all time. You do what is best for the franchise, not get sentimental for some player that will not be there forever anyway.

My sentiments exactly! Many Knicks fans seem to look at Patrick Ewing as a god and believe that just because he got drafted as a first round pick for the Knicks and was their best player for nearly 15 years that he deserves some type of impetuos loyalty from Knicks fans. Yes, Patrick Ewing will remain a Knicks legend forever and was my favorite player on the Knicks for a long time but if I had the opportunity to trade him for a player that would have helped the Knicks get closer to winning a title I would have not hesitated to make that trade.
 

KingCharles34

All Star
Without Rodman the Bulls might not have got those last few championships. He was a very underrated part of that team

I get a little annoyed with Knick fans that like Michael Jordan. He sonned us repeatedly and sent us home year after year.

I wouldnt trade Ewing for the gambler. But I would have traded Starks for Sprewell sooner, Spree would have done a better job defending the Hanes sh*t stain.
 
That's a tough one, mainly because of what Ewing brung, heart and intensity.. I love Ewings attitude but I'm a bigger fan of BBall skills. I'm a dude that's used to and love winning... so I would pick Jordan over Ewing in a heart beat. If those two guys played on opposite teams I doubt that this would even be a discussion....
 

Kidd Karma

Benchwarmer
No way, never move a big for a small of similar levels.

MJ probably would have had the same issues here that he had in ChiTown without Pippen and Grant. Put up 60 point games in losses, because there was no support.
 
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