What's the first thing ESPN's Fred Carter does on NBA 2Night or SportsCenter? He points at you. So we've asked the former NBA player and coach to make some points for ESPN.com each week.

Patrick Ewing didn't have a lot of flair, but he was a hard-working, gritty player who showed up every night. He ran up and down the court on injured knees for a good part of his career, but he was always there. Patrick missed very few games and was a consummate competitor.

Ewing's former coach Jeff Van Gundy put it well when he said that Ewing was a "true warrior." He could hit the jump shot facing the basket of the runner across the lane, and the turnaround on the baseline was a patented shot for him. When he got the ball down there you just knew he was going to make it.

All of the above are part of the three things that made Ewing one of the best players in NBA history:

1. Consistency
The best thing we can say about Patrick Ewing the All-Star/Top 50 player is that he came to play every night. He stepped on the court and competed every time the whistle blew. A lot of NBA big men have great ability, but you don't see it every night. That kind of toughness and willingness to compete are rare.

2. Size
Even with his size, Ewing was able to play both inside and outside. He reminded me a lot of Willis Reed, a center who could shoot the jumper and play outside the lane. No center in today's game can compare to Patrick in terms of taking advantage of physical stature. There are guys who are just a big but none with his tenacity.

3. The Full Package
Ewing could do it all -- score, rebound and block shots -- and he played on all parts of the floor. He was difficult to guard because of his ability to make jump shots and post up and he was always among the league leaders in rebounding and blocks. A center with that triple-threat ability is tough to find and just as tough to stop.

Fred Carter is an NBA analyst for ESPN.