Former NBA legend and current Georgetown University basketball head coach Patrick Ewing has left the hospital and returned home after being treated for the coronavirus. Ewing’s son, Patrick Jr., broke the positive news on Twitter Monday.
“I want to thank all of the doctors and hospital staff for taking care of my father during his stay, as well as everyone who has reached out with thoughts and prayers to us and since his diagnosis. My father is now home and getting better. We’ll continue to watch his symptoms and follow the CDC guidelines. I hope everyone continues to stay safe and protect yourselves and your loved ones.”
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Ewing announced last week he tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement where he said no one should take the disease lightly, he also said he was being treated in isolation at a local hospital. It’s not known how severe his symptoms were, but it appears he only needed to be in the hospital for a few days.
Ewing Jr.’s followers on Twitter celebrated his father’s return home to continue recuperating. Those followers included former NBA star Roy Hibbert. Hibbert didn’t play for Ewing when he was at Georgetown, but the pair share an alma mater.
“Love this!” the former Hoya tweeted .
Ewing took over the head coaching job at Georgetown in 2017 after spending 15 years as an assistant coach in the NBA. Prior to starting his coaching career, the former superstar center played 17 years in the NBA. Most of that time was spent building a Hall-0f-Fame career with the New York Knicks, though he played his last two seasons in Seattle and Orlando, respectively. He was inducted into the league’s Hall in 2008.
I want to share that I have tested positive for COVID-19. This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones. pic.twitter.com/a2fMuhIZyG
— Patrick Ewing (@CoachEwing33) May 22, 2020
Ewing hasn’t said if he knows how he contracted the coronavirus or when exactly he was diagnosed with the disease. The university did announce he was the only member of the Georgetown basketball team who has been sick. With social distancing rules in place since March, the coach presumably hasn’t had any direct contact with his players for months. For the most part, the sports world has only lightly been touched by COVID-19.
Two NBA players tested positive near the beginning of the outbreak in the United States and it was those positive results that led to the league suspending its season. There have also been reports of some MLB and NFL players and staffers getting diagnosed with the virus. Ewing is arguably the most high-profile sports personality to catch the disease.
