Report: Ewing out of Bobcats' search

Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has eliminated fellow Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing from the team's coaching search, Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday. Jordan reportedly called his close friend to notify him that he was no longer under consideration to take over the hapless franchise. Jordan has been roundly criticized for his handling of the team in recent years, with former coach Larry Brown accusing him last month of surrounding himself with yes-men. Ewing, now an assistant coach in Orlando, was interviewed for the position, but Jordan is reportedly favoring Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan, former Blazers coach Nate McMillan and Golden State assistant Mike Malone. A second round of talks with the three candidates is expected after the Bobcats learn their draft position at Wednesday night's lottery. The team, which finished with the worst winning percentage in NBA history in 2011-12, has a 25 percent chance of landing the top selection in the June 28 draft. Most believe former Kentucky star Anthony Davis will be the top pick. The 49-year-old Ewing, who battled Jordan's Bulls unsuccessfully in the 1990s as a New York Knick, is set to leave the Magic after the recent firing of head coach Stan Van Gundy.