"Another thing for me is I had always felt like people doubted me a little bit" - Former Knick Allan Houston recalls Patrick Ewing picking him up on a jet while he was a free agent

Patrick Ewing will always be known as an all-time great when it comes to the New York Knicks franchise. Throughout his time with the Knicks, Ewing was known as one of the top centers in the entire league. He was the franchise building block for the organization.

Ewing's impact didn't just stop on the court either. He was a big part of getting free agents to come join the franchise. One of those free agents was Allan Houston. Houston would eventually go on to sign with the Knicks after starting his career with the Detroit Pistons.

Former New York Knicks veteran Allan Houston appeared on the "Knuckleheads" podcast with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles recently. While on the show, he talked about how Patrick Ewing. He discussed how Ewing was a part of the recruitment process that brought him to the Knicks. Houston went into detail about how Ewing was on the private jet that picked him up.

"I think, for me, the big thing was, I remember Patrick Ewing came and picked me up on a jet as a free agent. It was me and my dad sitting on that plane with Patrick... So my father was reminding big Pat of when Louisville played them in Georgetown, like 'You jolted in the first six times that game,' so I'm like, 'Alright. Let's get through this.'

So, but, for him, to say, 'I need you' ... was ... it was a brilliant path. We got it. We got another step. We gotta get to like they had just lost in '94, so that was like, 'Man, like I'm needed for this call.' It was a ... it felt like more of a call and I'm not worried about what happens... And another thing for me is I had always ... felt like people doubted me a little bit in terms of 'can he do this?'

So I took it as a challenge because I wanted to show like it's not about the physical part. It's the mental part..."

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Allan Houston shares story about Patrick Ewing recruiting him to the New York Knicks

Allan Houston was recruited to the New York Knicks by Patrick Ewing

It's always fascinating to look back and see some of the NBA legends that have made an effort to improve their team in the offseason. The situation with the New York Knicks and Hall of Fame big man Patrick Ewing is no different.

The Knicks were one of the rising teams throughout the 1990s. Ewing was well-known as one of the top bigs in the entire league. It seemed as if it was only a matter of time before the Knicks were going to become a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. Ewing knew that the team needed to continue to add strategic personnel.

Houston would go on to sign with the Knicks. He would eventually spend the majority of his career playing alongside Ewing at Madison Square Garden.