Hornets associate head coach designs shoes to support breast cancer awareness

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — You can't miss Patrick Ewing on the Hornets practice court and not just because he's a hall of famer with over 24,000 career points.

Breast cancer hits home for Hornets assistant coach Patrick Ewing, whose two older sisters were diagnosed with the disease. One of his sisters, Pauline, passed away.

During the month of October, he's been wearing all-pink Ewings sneakers.

“It’s a way of me honoring both my sisters and also giving back and helping to hopefully find a cure for breast cancer,” Ewing said.

Ewing and his partners teamed up with the national breast cancer foundation to design an all pink Ewing 33 hi.

“If there was anything I could do to support and help after seeing the fight both of them went through that's all I can do,” he said.

Ewing is in the rare position to do something significant like this.

As the owner of his own shoe and athletics brand in the late '80s with no sneaker deal in place Ewing simply created his own line.

Thirty years later, he's now using his brand and his name for a noble cause.

“I take a lot of pride in the fact that it can help god has blessed me to be here to do even though it’s a small part it’s a part,” the coach said.

This year’s edition of the pink Ewing 33s are sold out.

Ewing said he might possibly bring them back next October.

Cox Media Group