There’s something poetic about the idea of a 23-year-old being labeled a “vet” in the NBA.
But in Chicago — where timelines have fast-forwarded, rebuilds have come and gone, and the post-Jordan era has been a 25-year case study in start-and-stop momentum — Patrick Williams has managed to plant his flag. Quietly. Consistently. And now, confidently.
Williams, alongside Coby White, holds the distinction of being one of the longest-tenured Chicago Bulls on a roster that’s seen its share of shake-ups. In an era defined by player movement, trade demands, and constant retooling, Williams has become a symbol of continuity. But ask him, and he’s not here for symbolism. He’s here to hoop — and to win.
“It’s fun,” Williams told me with a calm honesty when asked about navigating a season full of movement and emotion. “At the trade deadline we were making some moves and everything was kind of… up in the air about us. So we rallied behind it. Our coaching staff did a great job of clearing the air right away.”
That moment — when Zach LaVine, a franchise cornerstone since 2017, was traded — was a fork in the road.
“Obviously, we loved him and cared for him as a person and a player,” Williams added. “But we’re not trying to go out there and lose or tank or anything like that. We’re trying to win!”
In one breath, Patrick acknowledged the humanity of the business. In the next, he reasserted the mission.
And that mindset — that refusal to accept mediocrity, even during a transition — is exactly what’s fueled Chicago’s surprising second-half surge. The Bulls haven’t just rallied; they’ve bought in. They’ve defended. They’ve grown. And now they’re knocking on the door of something meaningful.
But for Williams, the real evolution has been internal.
“To be honest with you, it’s been a shock,” he said, laughing slightly at the idea of being viewed as a leader now. “From being one of the youngest on the team and now I’m being looked to as a leader — or a young vet, you could say.”
That self-awareness is striking. Because let’s be real — the NBA doesn’t slow down for anyone. One moment, you’re the new kid on the block with untapped potential. The next, you’re in your fourth year being asked to anchor the future of a franchise. For Williams, the shift has come with both challenges and clarity.
“I don’t think this year I played to my standard at all,” he admitted. “But being involved with the team in multiple ways, I think it’s been fun to watch us get to the next level as a team.”
That’s the dichotomy of Patrick Williams — he’s still figuring his individual ceiling out, while embracing a team-first mentality most players twice his age struggle to master. His defense remains elite. His midrange game has polish. And yet, he’s the first to say there’s more to unlock. Still, what’s more important right now? That word again — winning.
And in the middle of it all is Billy Donovan.
“Well obviously, the validation to have that ‘Hall of Fame’ before his name means a lot,” Williams said of his head coach. “But I think he’s shown Hall of Fame talent quality when he got here.”
That’s not lip service. Donovan — who coached Kevin Durant, Joakim Noah, and Bradley Beal at various levels — brings a credibility and calm to the Bulls’ sideline. He’s a coach who listens, teaches, and doesn’t flinch in moments of adversity. In many ways, Williams is a reflection of that same DNA.
Ask him about Chicago — about what it means to play in a city where basketball is stitched into the soul of the culture — and the reverence is there, even if quiet.
“I don’t visit the [Michael Jordan] statue too much really,” Williams said when asked about the iconic landmark. “But whenever we do media day, I’ll always see it and walk by it or stand in front of it.”
There’s power in that moment. A young Bull standing beneath the shadow of greatness. Not overwhelmed by it — just aware. Grounded. Present.
But his roots go even deeper.
“I fell in love with [basketball] early on,” Williams said, rewinding the clock to his childhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I got older brothers, so they played and I just played whenever they played when my mom was taking them to different practices and different sports. I played whatever they played and I kind of just fell in love with the belief — until you get better at it.”
That “belief until you get better at it” mentality is exactly what’s sustained Williams through injuries, role changes, and stretches where he’s had to sacrifice touches for the greater good.
And for the record, the first time he dunked?
“Yeah,” he smiled. “It was my 9th grade summer going into the 9th grade. I remember the gym had low ceilings and I was 14.”
That first dunk — that “I can really do this” moment — was the start of a journey that’s now landed him in the heart of Chicago’s basketball rebirth.
So where does Patrick Williams go from here?
If you ask him, the focus is less about projection and more about presence. Growth. Consistency. Being available. Being accountable. And above all, staying ready.
And maybe, just maybe, the city is finally ready to embrace the quiet storm in No. 44.
Because in a league full of noise, Patrick Williams is letting his game — and his growth — do the talking.
