Ewing, who worked for the Rockets the past three seasons, said he quit to spend more time with his three children.

``It was a difficult decision to resign because I enjoy coaching,'' Ewing said in a release. ``I love working with Jeff (Van Gundy) and the rest of the staff and our players are really good guys. But my children are getting older, and I want to spend more time with them.''

But Ewing left open the possibility of a return to coaching.

``I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids,'' he said.

Ewing played 17 seasons in the NBA, 15 with the New York Knicks and one each with Seattle and Orlando. He served as an assistant with the Washington Wizards for one season before joining the Rockets.

He is one of 13 players in NBA history to have 20,000 career points and 10,000 rebounds.

Van Gundy said Ewing spoke to him after the season about the possibility of resigning.

``I asked him to take a few months to think about his decision,'' Van Gundy said. ``After a great deal of thought, he was convinced that this was the right decision for him and his children.

``Patrick was a great player and was developing into a fine coach, but his family has always been his top priority and we all support him in his decision.''