Patrick Williams (basketball)
A versatile and defensively tenacious forward who became a top-five NBA draft pick after just one season of college basketball.
Born 2001 (age 25)·American basketball player·Birthday: August 26·Generation Z
Biography
Patrick Williams's journey to the NBA was swift and decisive. A standout in high school, he chose Florida State University, a program known for developing tough, team-oriented players. In his single collegiate season, he didn't post gaudy scoring numbers but impressed scouts with a mature, polished game beyond his years. His combination of size, athleticism, and a keen defensive instinct made him a coveted prospect. The Chicago Bulls selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft, a testament to his perceived potential as a modern two-way wing. From his first professional minutes, Williams was tasked with guarding the league's best players, a baptism by fire that has defined his early career as he works to expand his offensive role alongside his defensive identity.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Patrick was born in 2001, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Patrick Was Born
The biggest hits of 2001
#1 Movie
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Best Picture
A Beautiful Mind
#1 TV Show
Survivor
Patrick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
2001Born
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2006Started school
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2014Became a teenager
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2017Could drive
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2019Could vote
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2022Turned 21
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 25 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 4th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2020 NBA Draft, a high lottery pick.
- Earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors for his performance in the 2020-21 season.
- Became a full-time starter for a playoff-contending team shortly after entering the league.
Did You Know?
He played only one season of college basketball for Florida State before declaring for the draft.
In high school, he was a teammate of current NBA player Vernon Carey Jr. at West Charlotte High School.
He is known for having a large wingspan that aids his defensive versatility.
“My job is to defend, make the right play, and help us win.”
