Basketball great Patrick Ewing is home and on the road to recovery after a bout with the coronavirus.
The Georgetown University men’s coach and legendary former player with the New York Knicks was confirmed by his family Monday to be doing well following a stint in the hospital, according to Sports Illustrated.
Ewing recovers from COVID-19
In a tweet, Ewing’s son, Patrick Ewing Jr., thanked health care workers for the assistance they provided his father throughout his illness.
“I want to thank all of the doctors and hospital staff for taking care of my father during his stay,” Ewing Jr. said. “My father is now home and getting better. We’ll continue to watch his symptoms and follow the CDC guidelines. I hope everyone continues to stay safe and protect yourselves and your loved ones.”
Ewing revealed on Friday that he tested positive for the virus, according to The New York Times, and Georgetown representatives confirmed that nobody else on the men’s basketball team appeared to have contracted the sickness.
The former Knicks center has been coaching the college team where he got his career start since 2017, after retiring from a storied career with the NBA, first as a celebrated player and then as an assistant coach, according to Sports Illustrated. The news of his hospitalization brought well-wishes from Charles Oakley, his former Knicks teammate.
“I went to war with you for ten years. I won’t leave you on the battlefield now. Get well Patrick. More fights ahead,” he tweeted, according to NBC Sports.
Storied career
Ewing’s 1984 championship victory with the Hoyas set the stage for a celebrated career with the NBA, including fifteen years with the Knicks, where he distinguished himself as the highest scorer in the team’s history, according to CNBC.
The Olympic Gold medalist was also an 11-time NBA All-Star and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 for his achievements, The Hill reported.
College and professional sports have faced huge disruptions thanks to the coronavirus, and the cancellation of March Madness was among the earliest signs of the sweeping interruptions to come in the spring. Much of American life and the economy came to an uncanny standstill, and some states have just recently begun relaxing lockdown restrictions.
President Donald Trump has cheered the gradual reopening of the economy, hailing the start of a “transition to greatness,” as controversy continues to rage over how quickly to let society out of an unnatural state of suspension.
The news of Ewing’s recovery is certainly something else the country can celebrate.
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