New York in the early 1990s was a vibe. You had the gritty Knicks, the blue-orange jerseys, and at the center of it all stood Patrick Ewing. He was the franchise. The savior. But if you look at the history books, there is a glaring hole in his resume: a Most Valuable Player trophy. Honestly, it’s one of the weirdest things about 90s basketball history. How does a guy who dominated both ends of the floor for fifteen years never actually win the award?
The reality of patrick ewing mvp voting is a story of incredible timing—just the wrong kind. He didn't just play in an era of greats; he played in the Golden Age of Centers. He was fighting for oxygen in the same room as Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and a young Shaquille O'Neal. Throw in Michael Jordan taking up all the narrative space, and Ewing was constantly the bridesmaid.
The 1989-90 Peak: His Best Shot?
If you want to talk about Ewing’s absolute statistical peak, you have to look at the 1989-90 season. It was monstrous. He averaged 28.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and a career-high 4.0 blocks per game. Read that again. Four blocks.
In almost any other decade, those are "unanimous MVP" numbers. He shot 55% from the field and was the only reason the Knicks stayed relevant. But when the votes were tallied, Ewing finished fifth. Fifth! Magic Johnson won it that year, followed by Charles Barkley, Jordan, and Karl Malone. It’s kinda wild to think that a guy averaging nearly 30 and 11 with elite rim protection couldn't even crack the top three.
The problem? The Knicks only won 45 games. Historically, the MVP goes to the best player on a 55+ win team. The voters basically penalized Patrick for his teammates' inability to hit a jump shot.
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Top 5 MVP Finishes for Patrick Ewing
While he never hoisted the trophy, his consistency was borderline scary. He wasn't just a flash in the pan. He was a perennial threat.
- 1988-89: 4th place (Winner: Magic Johnson)
- 1989-90: 5th place (Winner: Magic Johnson)
- 1991-92: 5th place (Winner: Michael Jordan)
- 1992-93: 4th place (Winner: Charles Barkley)
- 1993-94: 5th place (Winner: Hakeem Olajuwon)
- 1994-95: 4th place (Winner: David Robinson)
He finished in the top five of the patrick ewing mvp voting six times. Six. That’s more than many players who actually have an MVP trophy. It shows that the respect was there, but the "wow" factor often shifted toward more "exciting" players or teams with better records.
The Narrative Trap of the 90s
Basketball in the 90s was a different beast. It was physical, slow, and dominated by the "Jordan Rules." Because Michael Jordan was so omnipresent, the MVP award often became a search for "the best person who isn't MJ this year."
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In 1993, for instance, Ewing led the Knicks to 60 wins. He was the anchor of the league's most terrifying defense. He finished 4th. Charles Barkley won it because he was the "new" story in Phoenix. Hakeem and Jordan finished ahead of Ewing too. It felt like Ewing was viewed as a "reliable constant" rather than a "transcendent force," even though his impact on winning was arguably just as high.
Then came 1994. Jordan was playing baseball. The throne was empty. Ewing put up 24 and 11 and led New York to the 2nd seed. But Hakeem Olajuwon decided to have one of the greatest individual seasons ever, sweeping the MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP. Robinson and Scottie Pippen also jumped him in the polls. Patrick was just... there. Solid. Great. But never the "it" guy for the media.
The All-NBA Snub of 1994
One of the most disrespectful moments in patrick ewing mvp voting history actually isn't about the MVP award itself, but the All-NBA teams. In 1994, Ewing finished 5th in MVP voting. Naturally, you’d assume he was at least on one of the All-NBA teams, right?
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Nope. Because of the "positional" voting back then, he had to compete against Hakeem, Robinson, and Shaq for only three spots. Despite being the 5th best player in the entire league according to the MVP ballots, he didn't make 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Team All-NBA. He was essentially the 4th best center in a year where he was a top-5 player overall. It’s a statistical anomaly that still drives Knicks fans crazy.
Why He Never Broke Through
Looking back, a few things held him back from that #1 spot:
- Offensive Style: Ewing’s game was a lot of mid-range "warrior" jumpers and post-ups. It wasn't as "dreamy" as Hakeem’s footwork or as explosive as Shaq’s dunks.
- Team Success vs. Elite Success: The Knicks were always good, but rarely the #1 seed. Voters love a winner.
- The "New York" Fatigue: Sometimes being in the biggest market works against you. The media expects greatness, so they don't celebrate it as much when it happens.
Ewing’s legacy is often defined by what he didn't get—the ring, the MVP. But the patrick ewing mvp voting record tells a different story. It tells the story of a guy who was a top-5 player in the world for nearly a decade. If he played today, in a positionless league or a less center-heavy era, he likely walks away with at least one trophy.
Honestly, the best way to appreciate Ewing isn't through his empty trophy cabinet. It's through the fact that for ten straight years, nobody wanted to see him in the paint. He was the ultimate "high floor" superstar. He guaranteed you 50 wins and a deep playoff run, even if the individual hardware never caught up to the effort.
If you're looking to really understand Ewing's impact, go back and watch the 1992 series against the Bulls. Or check his 1990 game logs. You’ll see a player who was "Valuable" in every sense of the word, even if the voters were looking elsewhere.
To get a better sense of how Ewing stacks up against his peers today, take a look at the historical Win Shares on Basketball-Reference. You'll find that his defensive impact consistently ranked him among the top three players in the league, even in years where his MVP voting was lower. Comparing his 1989-90 "Player Efficiency Rating" (PER) of 25.8 to modern MVP winners reveals just how high the bar was during his era.