NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing Is 'Getting Better' at Home After Coronavirus Hospitalization

The basketball star and Georgetown head coach announced on Friday that he tested positive for COVID-19

Published on May 25, 2020 03:19 PM

Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing has left the hospital and is on the mend after testing positive for coronavirus, his son said Monday.

Ewing, 57, announced on Friday that he was in isolation and under care at a local hospital after contracting the virus, which has infected more than 1.6 million people across the country, according to The New York Times.

“My father is now home and getting better,” Patrick Ewing Jr. wrote on Twitter. “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.”

The son of the Georgetown University basketball coach also expressed his gratitude toward the doctors and healthcare workers that took care of Ewing during his stint in the hospital.

“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,” he wrote.

Ewing revealed his diagnosis in a statement through Georgetown last week, in which he urged others to follow proper health guidelines.

“This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly,” he said. “I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones.”

The New York Knicks legend was the only member of the men’s basketball program to test positive, the school said.

“Now more than ever, I want to thank the healthcare workers and everyone on the front lines,” the athlete added. “I’ll be fine and we will all get through this.”

Ewing, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. He joined Georgetown Athletics in 2017 as the men's basketball head coach after serving as an assistant coach on NBA teams including the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and as the associate head coach for the Charlotte Hornets.

As of Monday afternoon, Washington, D.C., has had at least 8,110 cases and 432 deaths attributed to coronavirus, according to the Times.

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