Patrick Ewing Born in 1962 in Kingston,

Patrick Ewing

Born in 1962 in Kingston, Jamaica, Ewing rose to become one of the most celebrated basketball players of all time. His father, Carl, was a mechanic while his mother, Dorothy, was a housewife. Before moving to America, from where he would find his passion for basketball, Ewing had been an avid football player (Smith 477). It is instructive to note that football is one of the most popular sports in Jamaica. Alongside soccer, Ewing also used to play cricket prior to joining his family in the U.S. It should be noted that although he came to the U.S. when he was 11, his parents had immigrated to the country earlier on and due to financial constraints, they had found it particularly difficult to bring Ewing and his siblings to the U.S.

On moving to America, Ewing according to Smith found it particularly difficult to communicate which other students once he enrolled for school (477). He spoke Jamaican patois. However, as the author further points out, Ewing's communication skills improved with time largely as a result of his mother's encouragement and his tutor's assistance. By this time, he was already 6 feet tall. As Serafin and Cueto point out, "Ewing discovered basketball at the age of 12, watching kids play on Hoyt Park and other schoolyards around his Cambridge home" (164). The kids in this case according to the authors were impressed by Ewing's huge frame and for this reason; they invited him to join them in the court. From this point onwards, Ewing never looked behind. He embarked on a "sport that would change his life" forever (Serafin and Cueto 164).

During his high school years, Ewing continued to further hone his skills in the game -- even managing to lead his team to a number of state championships. According to Serafin and Cueto, Ewing's exemplary skills in basketball were evident throughout his high school years and at one point, he was largely considered one of America's best high school basketball players (164). His exemplary academic performance saw him secure a place at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

At the university, where he was studying fine arts, Ewing continued his love for the game. According to the National Basketball Association - NBA, in addition to winning a number of awards, Ewing was also at some point honored with the Naismith Award. As NBA further points out, despite being a sterling player, Ewing chose to finish his college studies even after quite a number of his contemporaries left college to join the National Basketball Association. It is also important to note that Ewing's college years were not quite smooth. After losing his mother, his longtime girlfriend became pregnant with his child. Regardless of these challenges, Ewing successfully completed his Fine Arts degree. He was also able to wither regular racist taunts most particularly from school fans on the opposing sides, who according to Smith regarded Ewing a brute (477). These unwelcome racist taunts could have helped most people identify that Ewing was indeed Jamaican.