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After John Thompson Jr. took over as the head coach of the Georgetown men’s basketball team in 1972, he helped turn the program into a powerhouse, in the process producing numerous future NBA stars. While the Hoyas have certainly sent a number of elite guards to the NBA (e.g. Allen Iverson and Sleepy Flood), they are perhaps best known for their outstanding big men. In particular, two giants (literally) who stood out at both the college and later professional level were centers Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning; both were All-Americans at Georgetown, top NBA draft picks, and yearly All-Star/All-NBA performers – given their close Georgetown ties and later rivalry in the NBA, it is an inevitable comparison and question:
Who was better – Patrick Ewing or Alonzo Mourning?
The Beginning
Ewing and Mourning were both destined to be superstars – from elite high school recruits to among the best players in all of college basketball, each player was among the top two draft picks in his class and would make an immediate impact at the NBA level.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica and originally playing cricket and soccer as a child, Ewing moved to the United States at age 12 (to Cambridge, Massachusetts), where he took up basketball and quickly became a high school star. A 2x Parade All-American, he was recruited to Georgetown by Thompson and started immediately as a freshman; during his four seasons with the Hoyas, Ewing became one of the most decorated collegiate stars ever – All-Big East First or Second Team every year, 4x Big East Defensive Player of the Year, 2x Big East Player of the Year, 3x First Team All-American, and National College Player of the Year as a senior. Moreover, he led Georgetown to three National Championship games, beating Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and the rest of the “Phi Slama Jama” University of Houston team in 1984 to give the Hoyas their first (and only) title, winning Final Four Most Outstanding Player in the process. No surprise, Ewing was taken #1 overall in the 1985 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and despite being limited by injuries to 50 games played, nevertheless took home Rookie of the Year honors and notched the first of 11 All-Star selections on the strength of 20.0 points (on 47.4% shooting), 9.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game.
As good as Ewing was in high school, Mourning may have been even better – a native of Virginia, he was not only a 3x Parade All-American, but also won Virginia Mr. Basketball honors and swept the USA Today, Parade, Gatorade, and Naismith Player of the Year awards as a senior. The top-rated recruit in his class, he also started as a freshman and would alternate between center and power forward during his time at Georgetown (due to the presence of another great big man in Dikembe Mutombo). All in all, Mourning was 3x Big East Defensive Player of the Year, 2x All-Big East, a First Team All-American as a senior, and graduated as the NCAA all-time leader in blocked shots (though unofficially, Ewing had more blocks during his collegiate career). In the 1992 NBA Draft, Mourning was drafted second overall by the Charlotte Hornets behind Shaquille O’Neal and went on to post 21.0 points (51.1% shooting), 10.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game as a rookie, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting to O’Neal.
Career Comparison
In their respective (and somewhat overlapping primes) in the 1980s and 1990s, Ewing and Mourning were 20-and-10 machines and among the best two-way players in the game, though the latter’s career was abbreviated due to health issues.
From his rookie year, Ewing was consistently outstanding as the literal centerpiece of the Knicks – for the first dozen years of his career, he averaged at least 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Moreover, after missing out on the All-Star Game in his second season, he proceeded to make 10 straight All-Star and six consecutive First or Second All-NBA teams, beginning with a 1987-1988 season in which he put up 20.2 points (on 55.5% shooting), 8.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game, good for Second Team All-NBA and Second Team All-Defensive. A couple of years later, Ewing had a career-best season in 1989-1990 with a career-high 28.6 points per game on 55.1% shooting, along with 10.9 rebounds and a career-high 4.0 blocks per game, resulting in the only First Team All-NBA selection of his long career. Another 20-and-10 All-NBA season followed in 1990-1991 : 26.6 points (51.4% shooting), 11.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game.
In an era with a plethora of elite centers (Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaq, etc.), Ewing was never quite the best big man in the league, but nevertheless averaged 20-and-10 for most of the 1990s. In 1992-1993, he posted 24.2 points (on 50.3% shooting), a career-best 12.1 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game to round out his streak of All-NBA selections (Second Team), and would continue to tally around 24 points and 11 rebounds per game for the next couple of years. As he approached his mid-30s, Ewing made his last All-Star and All-NBA team in 1996-1997 with 22.4 points (48.8% shooting), 10.7 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. While he looked to be on his way to another great year in 1997-1998, he suffered a serious wrist injury mid-season and would miss the last 56 games of the year; Ewing returned to play 38 of 50 games in the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 season, but was no longer his previous dominant force with averages of “only” 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
As the 1990s came to a close, Ewing had his worst statistical season as a professional in 1999-2000 on 15.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in what would be his final season with the Knicks. Following the season, he was part of a blockbuster trade in which the Knicks sent Ewing to the then-Seattle SuperSonics and Chris Dudley to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Glen Rice (who had previously been traded for Mourning – more on that shortly), Luc Longley, Travis Knight, Vladimir Stepania, Lazaro Borrell, Vernon Maxwell, and four draft picks (two first-rounders and two second-rounders), thus leaving New York as the franchise leader in career games played (and numerous other categories). However, Ewing was relatively ineffective in his lone season in Seattle, averaging fewer than 10 points per game; he then spent one largely forgettable year with the Orlando Magic before retiring in 2002 at age 39.
During his three seasons in Charlotte, Mourning was a force on both ends of the court. In 1993-1994, he earned the first of four consecutive All-Star selections (and 7x overall) with 21.5 points (50.5% shooting), 10.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game and would follow-up with similar production the next season. However, after Mourning rejected a contract extension, the Hornets traded him with Pete Myers and LeRon Ellis to the Miami Heat for the aforementioned Glen Rice, Matt Geiger, Khalid Reeves, and a 1996 first-round draft pick.
In Miami, Mourning would continue his stellar play and soar to even greater heights; in fact, in his first eight NBA seasons, he averaged at least 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game on 50%+ shooting. During his first year with the Heat, he averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game on 52.3% shooting with 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, and followed up with back-to-back 19-and-9 years. As the 1990s drew to an end, Mourning would have perhaps his two best seasons, winning the blocks title and making All-NBA teams while winning Defensive Player of the Year both years:
- 1998-1999: 20.1 points (on 51.1% shooting) with a career-high 11.0 rebounds and league-high 3.9 blocks per game; though there was no All-Star Game that year due to the lockout, Mourning was named First Team All-NBA for the only time in his career
- 1999-2000: 21.7 points (on 55.1% shooting) with 9.5 rebounds and a league-leading 3.7 blocks per game; named an All-Star once again, as well as Second Team All-NBA
However, Mourning was then diagnosed with a rare kidney disease and missed most of the 2000-2001 season; though he bounced back with a final All-Star season in 2001-2002 (15.7 points on 51.6% shooting with 8.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game), he then missed the entirety of the 2002-2003 season due to this affliction.
Upon becoming a free agent, Mourning joined the New Jersey Nets in 2003, but would then retire because of his health condition. In another twist, after getting a liver transplant, he returned to the Nets late in the 2003-2004 season in a reserve role, but only played 30 total games with New Jersey before being sent to the Toronto Raptors as part of the Vince Carter trade. Mourning never played for the Raptors, though, and after being bought out of his contract, re-signed with the Heat for the remainder of the 2004-2005 season. While he spent another four seasons with Miami, he was primarily a backup center (at one point, ironically, to Shaq) and never averaged more than 9 points or 6 rebounds per game, though he was still good for a couple of blocks per night. Finally, after the 2007-2008 season, Mourning retired for good at age 37 as the Heat’s all-time scoring leader (since surpassed by Dwyane Wade).
Though they are separated by just two years in terms of NBA career length, Ewing played significantly more games than Mourning and was effective for a longer time due to Mourning’s kidney issues. As a result, Ewing’s career numbers are better: higher career per-game averages for points (21.0 to 17.1), rebounds (9.8 vs. 8.5), and assists (1.9 vs 1.1), though Mourning was the better shot-blocker (2.8 vs. 2.4 blocks per game) and more efficient shooting from the field. Likewise, Ewing earned more career accolades, whether it be All-Star selections (11x vs. 7x), All-NBA teams (7x vs. 2x), or All-Defensive Teams (3x vs. 2x), but Mourning was a 2x Defensive Player of the Year. Interestingly, as you would expect, Ewing racked up significantly more career Win-Shares, but Mourning actually has a slightly higher career Player Efficiency Rating (PER) despite being a bench player for the last half-decade plus of his career. From a head-to-head perspective, Ewing and Mourning split their 22 career regular season matchups, with Ewing having a slight upper hand individually: 24.1 points per game on 49.5% shooting with 10.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game vs. Mourning’s 20.9 points (46.2% shooting), 10.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Combining their college and NBA excellence, both Ewing (2008) and Mourning (2014) were inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
Regular Season Statistics
| Patrick Ewing | Player | Alonzo Mourning |
| 17 (1985-2002) | Seasons | 15 (1992-2002, 2003-2008) |
| 1,183 | Games Played | 838 |
| 21.0 | Points | 17.1 |
| 9.8 | Rebounds | 8.5 |
| 1.9 | Assists | 1.1 |
| 2.4 | Blocks | 2.8 |
| 50.4% | Field Goal % | 52.7% |
| 74.0% | Free Throw % | 69.2% |
| 21.0 | PER | 21.2 |
| 126.4 | Win Shares | 89.7 |
| 11x | All-Star Games | 7x |
| 7x | All-NBA | 2x |
| – | MVP | – |
| – | NBA Titles | 1x |
| – | NBA Finals MVP | – |
| 3x All-Defensive, ROY, All-Rookie | Other Awards | 2x Defensive POY, 2x All-Defensive, All-Rookie |
| 2008 | Hall of Fame Induction | 2014 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
In addition to their regular season prowess, Ewing and Mourning were annual playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference and had a number of fierce playoff battles; neither managed to lead their teams to NBA titles in their prime, though the latter did ultimately win a ring in a reserve role.
All in all, Ewing guided the Knicks to 13 straight postseason appearances from 1987-1988 to 1999-2000 (plus one trip with the Magic). However, in an era dominated by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, they consistently fell short of the Finals until Jordan’s first retirement – in 1993-1994, the Knicks faced off against the Houston Rockets in the Finals in what was a rematch for Ewing vs. Olajuwon from their NCAA days. The script was flipped this time, however, as the Rockets prevailed in seven games and Ewing was outplayed by his counterpart at center (18.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per game). Half a decade later, the surprising eighth-seeded Knicks would again make it to the 1998-1999 NBA Finals vs. the San Antonio Spurs and their “Twin Towers” of David Robinson and a young Tim Duncan, but fall in five games; Ewing did not play in the Finals, having been sidelined by injury in the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers.
Similarly, Mourning was in the playoffs 11x during his career (twice with the Hornets and 9x with the Heat) and led the postseason in blocks per game 3x, though he rarely made it past the first or second round. It was not until the 2005-2006 season that he got his long-awaited ring when the Heat defeated Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in a six-game Finals victory; however, by then, Mourning was a sparsely-used reserve, averaging just 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
Despite their relative lack of overall playoff success, Ewing and Mourning were nevertheless famed for their postseason battles, facing off in 23 games across four playoff encounters:
- 1992-1993: Knicks beat the Hornets in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals
- 1996-1997: Heat knock off the Knicks in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals
- 1998-1999: eighth-seeded Knicks upset the top-seeded Heat in five games in the first round en route to their Cinderella Finals run
- 1999-2000: Knicks hold off Heat in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals
Overall, the pair were evenly matched in their playoff battles: 19.4 points (46.5% shooting), 11.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game for Ewing vs. 21.5 points (46.9% shooting), 9.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game for Mourning.
At the same time, both players experienced great success on the international stage – as a collegian, Ewing won a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and was later part of the original “Dream Team” that easily took home gold at the 1992 Games in Barcelona; meanwhile, Mourning was part of the 2000 gold medal-winning team in Sydney and also won gold and bronze medals at the World Cup.
Playoff Statistics
| Patrick Ewing | Player | Alonzo Mourning |
| 139 | Games Played | 95 |
| 20.2 | Points | 13.6 |
| 10.3 | Rebounds | 7.0 |
| 2.0 | Assists | 0.9 |
| 2.2 | Blocks | 2.3 |
| 46.9% | Field Goal % | 51.2% |
| 71.8% | Free Throw % | 64.9% |
| 19.6 | PER | 19.2 |
| 14.1 | Win Shares | 7.5 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; whereas Ewing remained an excellent player until his last couple of seasons, Mourning’s prime was truncated by his kidney health problems. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a “decade of dominance.” The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFL’s All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years.
Decade of Dominance
| Patrick Ewing | Player | Alonzo Mourning |
| 1987-1997 | Decade of Dominance | 1992-2002 |
| 800 | Games Played | 622 |
| 24.0 | Points | 20.3 |
| 10.6 | Rebounds | 9.8 |
| 2.2 | Assists | 1.4 |
| 2.8 | Blocks | 3.0 |
| 51.6% | Field Goal % | 52.5% |
| 74.8% | Free Throw % | 70.5% |
| 22.4 | PER | 22.0 |
| 105.4 | Win Shares | 78.8 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
The comparison here across decades of dominance is much closer – Ewing’s numbers are still slightly better with the exception of shooting percentage and blocks, but remember that Mourning really only had eight prime seasons in his career across Charlotte and Miami.
My Thoughts
In the mid to late-1990s, it seemed like the Knicks and the Heat would meet annually in the playoffs, highlighted by the battle of the big men between Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning. Despite their fierce on-court rivalry, the bonds of their Georgetown brotherhood actually led to them being great friends off the court, with Ewing even offering to donate a kidney to Mourning in his time of greatest need. Playing-wise, if you only look at their careers up to age 30, the two are very evenly matched both offensively and defensively, i.e. 20-and-10 with 2-3 blocks per game, All-Star/All-NBA/All-Defensive players, and it would not be unreasonable to make the argument that Mourning may have been better. However, while Ewing continued to maintain that high level of play, Mourning’s prime was sadly shortened by unforeseen medical circumstances (reminiscent of another great Miami big man in Chris Bosh a decade later) and so, that combination of dominance and longevity ultimately gives Ewing the edge – in the all-time ranking of greatest NBA centers, I would put Ewing firmly in the top 10 and Mourning in the next tier, i.e. in the 11-20 range.
Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is:
Patrick Ewing
As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Further Reading
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