Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
The Charlotte Bobcats will interview Orlando Magic assistant Patrick Ewing for their vacant head-coaching job, Yahoo! Sports reported, citing sources.
The meeting is expected to take place once the Magic’s run in the playoffs is over. That could come as early as Tuesday night, with the Pacers holding a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series going into Game 5.
The Hall of Fame center and New York Knicks great is close friends with Charlotte owner Michael Jordan and the sources said Ewing was a serious candidate for the post.
Charlotte are also reportedly interested in Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Malone and former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan.
The stronger candidates are expected to wait until the May 30 draft lottery before making any decisions on their future, because it is then that they will find out if the Bobcats will win the No. 1 overall pick to take Kentucky’s star center Anthony Davis.
Charlotte announced last week that coach Paul Silas would not return after a forgettable 7-59 season — the team’s 0.106 winning percentage was the worst in NBA history.
Ewing has been waiting for years for an opportunity to become a head coach at the NBA level, having spent the past eight seasons as an assistant.
He worked with Yao Ming in Houston and helped develop Dwight Howard into the NBA’s top center at the Magic, but has said he fears he has been pigeonholed as a big man’s coach.
