Ewing a better athlete, KP far more fundamentally talented. Thompson shielded Ewing from the media, where KP embraces his celebrity status.
Ewing faced racial intolerance in high school and into college while KP had a nice time in Spain for a year. I don't know where he was before.
In college, though, Ewing received the sort of scorn that most players could never imagine. From the Washington Post in February, 1983:
“At Providence nearly a month ago, a fan raised a sign that said, “Ewing Can’t Read,” and Coach John Thompson pulled his Georgetown basketball team off the court until the sign was taken down.“Nine days ago at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Villanova fans held up several similar signs. One raised bedsheet read, “Ewing Is An Ape.”
During pregame introductions that same day, a banana peel was thrown at the court when Ewing’s name was announced. This was 30 years ago.
Laettner was hated in college but not like Ewing was.
To understand Ewings mistrust of the public is to understand his history both being from Jamaica, playing in High School in Mass, and eventually loved in NY.
KP was booed a bit on draft nite.