American basketball player (born 1976)
Patrick Joseph Garrity (born August 23, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played from 1998 to 2008 in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A power forward who was known as a three-point marksman, Garrity played for the Phoenix Suns and the Orlando Magic. Garrity served as an assistant general manager of the Detroit Pistons from 2016 to 2020.
High school years
At Lewis-Palmer High School in Monument, Colorado, Garrity was a starter on the basketball team for four seasons and won all-state honors three times. He led the basketball team to the 1994 Class 4A State of Colorado Championship and was valedictorian of his graduating class. Garrity averaged 23.2 points per game in his senior year. His jersey, number 53, is retired at Lewis-Palmer High School.[1]
College career
At the University of Notre Dame, Garrity played four years with the Fighting Irish averaging double-digits in scoring in all four seasons, including a 23.2 point-per-game average in his senior season of 1997–98. He was the Big East Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1997.[2] In 1998, he was a Consensus Second Team All-America selection.[3] He was a two-time Academic All-America selection as well as Academic All-American of the Year for Division I men's basketball in 1998.[4]
Professional career
Garrity was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 19th pick of the 1998 NBA draft. The Bucks traded his rights and the rights to Dirk Nowitzki, to the Dallas Mavericks for the rights to Robert Traylor.[a][9] Garrity's rights, along with Martin Müürsepp, Bubba Wells, and a first-round draft pick, were traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Steve Nash.[10]
A power forward,[11] Garrity was known for his three-point marksmanship during his NBA career.[12][13][14][15]
In Phoenix, Garrity averaging 5.6 points per game in 39 appearances (in an NBA lockout-shortened 50-game regular season). On August 5, 1999, he was traded--along with Danny Manning and two future draft picks--to the Orlando Magic for Penny Hardaway.[16] Garrity spent the rest of his playing career with the Magic.
Garrity played in all 82 games with Orlando in 1999–2000, averaging 8.2 points per game and shooting 40.1 percent from three-point territory. In the 2000-2001 season, he averaged 8.3 points per game in 76 games.[16] In February 2001, Garrity had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.[17] In 2001–02, Garrity's scoring average hit a career-high of 11.1 points per game as he started 43 of the 80 games he played. On March 19, 2002, in a 101–91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Garrity made a career-high seven three-pointers on his way to a 21-point total.[18] During the season, he ranked seventh in the NBA in both three-point field goal percentage and three-point field goals made.[16] Garrity's average dipped to 10.7 points per game in 2002–03.[16] That season, on November 2, 2002, Garrity scored 13 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in a 100–90 win over the Bucks.[19] Garrity participated in the 2001[20] and 2003 Three-Point Contests during NBA All-Star Weekend.[13][21]
Beginning in 2003, Garrity's career was affected by right knee problems.[1] Garrity's 2003–04 campaign ended after only two games due to an injured right knee. He underwent three different knee procedures in 2003[22] before undergoing microfracture surgery in 2004. Garrity came back to play in 71 games for the Magic during the 2004-2005 season, averaging 4.6 points per game. In April 2005, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee and was ruled out for the rest of the season.[23]
Garrity served as secretary/treasurer of the National Basketball Players Association.[24]
On January 26, 2006, Garrity scored 24 points in a 119–115 overtime win against the Philadelphia 76ers.[25] On September 11, 2008, he announced his retirement from professional basketball.[26]
Post-playing career
Garrity worked for Bridgewater Associates before returning to the NBA[27] as director of strategic planning for the Detroit Pistons. On June 15, 2016, Garrity was promoted and became the assistant general manager of the Detroit Pistons.[28] Garrity left the position in July 2020.[29][30]
