Being enshrined as a Knicks legend apparently isn't enough to escape security at New York's Madison Square Garden.
NBA Hall-of-Famer and Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing sounded annoyed Thursday, saying after the Hoyas 72-71 win over Villanova that he'd been "accosted."
"I thought this was my building," Ewing, who was with the Knicks for 15 years and remains the team's all-time leading scorer, said in a postgame interview.
"And I feel terrible that I'm getting stopped, accosted, asking for passes — everybody in this building should know who the hell I am," Ewing said.
"And I'm getting stopped, I can't move around this building. I was like, 'What the hell, is this Madison Square Garden?'" he said. "I'm going to have to call Mr. Dolan and say, 'Geez, is my number in the rafters or what?'"
Video of the postgame remarks showed Ewing brought up the issue after he was asked about a Georgetown player.
The Big East Tournament is being played at the Garden, where there are Covid-19 restrictions in place. The venue was largely empty of fans, and safety protocols kept Ewing from moving freely.
Ewing and James Dolan, who owns the Knicks and has a long-standing relationship with Ewing, spoke later Thursday, MSG Entertainment said in a statement reported by The Associated Press.
"We all know, respect and appreciate what (Ewing) means to The Garden and New York. Good luck to him and his Hoyas in the Big East semifinals,” the statement said.
Ewing's number, 33, was retired by the Knicks in 2003. He spent 1985 through 2000 with the team.
He was named as head coach of Georgetown, his alma mater, in 2017.
Georgetown beat Villanova 72-71 on Thursday and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in six years.
