Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had one advice for Patrick Ewing when he met him at the 1985 Draft

Back in June 1985, Patrick Ewing had the honor of meeting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the first time. Reflecting on it with today's perspective, that meeting in a crowded Grand Hyatt ballroom just hours before the 1985 NBA Draft was a gathering of two future legends, each at unmistakably different points in what would go down as Hall of Fame careers.

On one side stood Ewing, then a 22-year-old standout from Georgetown about to be the top pick in his draft class. On the other hand was Abdul-Jabbar, who, fresh off winning the Finals MVP after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the promised land, was in the autumn of his NBA journey.

As you can see, one had deep experience in the big league; the other not so much — a dynamic that led "Cap" to share some valuable advice with big Pat.

Skill alone isn't enough

To excel while playing ball, physical gifts are obviously crucial. However, at the highest levels, basketball is often comparable to a chess match, where the mental attributes can separate the great from the legendary.

Kareem spent his entire storied career proving that point, not just on the court but also off it, consistently stressing that skill alone is never enough. He even famously remarked that the most important muscle a basketball player can have isn't in the legs or arms, but right between the ears — the brain.

When Abdul-Jabbar met Ewing that June morning in "The Big Apple," soon stepping into the intense spotlight of the New York Knicks' franchise, the Lakers legend underscored the same lesson.

"All he (Ewing) has to do is to learn to play the pro game," Abdul-Jabbar said. "He already has all the skills. Now, he needs the knowledge."

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Mental toughness didn't define Ewing

Kareem's lesson made sense for any young draftee, but for Ewing, it certinaly fit to a tee. It rings true because at Georgetown, he had largely dominated due to being a physical specimen.

When you stand seven feet tall and weigh 240 lbs, that kind of dominance is almost expected at the college level. Ewing was no exception, as he averaged 15.3 points, 9.2 boards and a staggering 3.4 blocks per contest over four years for the Hoyas.

Yet Kareem's counsel required more than being a physical specimen. To truly implement it, Pat had to be willing to learn and absorb knowledge, to let experience — often the harshest and most effective teacher — shape his understanding of the pro game.

While it's fair to say that those aspects would never become his most shining qualities, Ewing still found remarkable success during his 17 years in the league.

Many consider his peak to have come in 1990, when he earned First-Team All-NBA honors. At 27, the dominant big man averaged 28.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per contest while shooting 55 percent from the field — outstanding numbers by any standard. The Knicks finished 45-37 and "Big Pat" put up strong performances in the playoffs before ultimately falling to the Detroit Pistons in the second round.

Still, questions about his mental game linger even today. Former Knicks teammate Charles Oakley, in recent years, has suggested that Ewing sometimes struggled in the clutch due to a lack of basketball IQ. Oak also pointed to difficulties facing adversity and a personality that wasn't always good enough to command teammates or influence the media.

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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.