Patrick Ewing’s Knicks replacement led NBA Finals charge before building $50m business empire
It is famously called the Ewing Theory.
Marcus Camby and the 1998-99 New York Knicks might be the greatest example and piece of evidence to prove that theory correct.
The Ewing Theory, popularized by sportscaster and commentator, Bill Simmons, suggests that a team plays much better when its star player isn’t playing.
The theory was put to the ultimate test when Knicks superstar Patrick Ewing went down with a torn Achilles tendon during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.
What happened next?
Camby stepped in for Ewing and recorded double-doubles in the next three games to lead the Knicks to a six-game upset against the Pacers and advanced to the NBA Finals for only the second time in 26 years.
In doing so, the Knicks became the first eight-seed in NBA history to advance to the Finals, although they wound up losing to all-time great bigs David Robinson and Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs in five games.
But the legend of Camby was born, and so was the Ewing Theory.
Camby was originally drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the second overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft out of UMass, Amherst.
He played in Canada for only two seasons before being traded to the Knicks in 1998.
After helping lead the Knicks to the Finals the following year, Camby played in the Big Apple for three more seasons after, but never got back to the Finals.
He went on to play for the Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets before finishing his career with the Orange and Blue for one final season.
In total, he played 17 years in the Association, won Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, made four NBA All-Defensive Teams and led the league in blocks on four occasions.
The 6-foot-11 power forward/center had an extremely successful career, finishing with career averages of 9.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
He ranks 12th all-time in career blocks with 2,331, and earned approximately $130 million in salary during his lengthy career.
But what Camby has done since hanging up his sneakers is equally as impressive.
Camby has built $50m business empire
As of 2026, the now 52-year-old currently has a reported net worth of over $50million, generated via a variety of different investments and business ventures.
He owns a few barber shops and even has his own beer brand, having partnered with White Lion Brewing to create his very own IPA, the Marcus Camby NEIPA back in 2022.
It is a Hazy/New England-style IPA with 6.4 per cent ABV.
Camby also helped build the Cambyland Foundation, which provides opportunities for youth in and around his hometown of Hartford, Connecticut.
His business portfolio also consists of different real estate properties in which he started investing in during the 1990s.
2026 Knicks vying to reach the NBA Finals
Camby is now anxiously watching the Knicks try to do something he did 27 years ago – advance to the 2026 NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
The Knicks are just one win away, currently holding a commanding 3-0 series lead over Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson’s 38 points, stormed back from a 22-point deficit late in the fourth quarter of Game 1 to stun the Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime.
Game 2 was a far more straightforward affair for the Knickerbockers after they emerged as 109-93 winners after Josh Hart’s 26 point, seven assist outing proved to be too much for the struggling Cavaliers.
After their 121-108 blowout win in Game 3, the Knicks took their postseason tally to 10 straight wins, with nine of their 11 playoff wins in the 2026 postseason having come with double-digit margins of victory.
Their two losses to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference First Round were by a combined two points, giving New York the best point differential in NBA playoffs history as it stands.
A regular theme of the series against the Cavs is that the Knicks are specifically targeting 17-year veteran guard Harden on defense.
The 36-year-old’s effort – or lack thereof – has continued to fuel the narrative that he cannot rise to the occasion on the playoff stage, having recorded 12 turnovers through the first three games of the best-of-seven series.
There is certainly no Ewing Theory when it comes to these Knicks.
But if they want to make it to the sport’s biggest stage, where either Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, or the reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder await – and win – then they are going to need every ounce of Brunson, Karl Anthony-Towns and co.
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