12. Pat Garrity (2000-08)
When the Orlando Magic celebrated their 25th anniversary, they decided to bring back several of their former great players and legends. Anfernee Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Tracy McGrady were among the luminaries to return to the Amway Center.
There were a few odd names.
As Pat Garrity explained it when he met with the media, when the Magic called to ask him if he would be interested in returning to get honored at center court, he asked, “Are you sure you have the right number?”
Pat Garrity was not exactly a superstar in Orlando. He was never really even the sixth man. He had longevity with the team but did not stand out.
Except that he was one of the first real stretch-4s in the league. He kept providing a huge benefit to the Magic by pushing some of the dominant power forwards of the day away from the basket, freeing up McGrady to drive to the basket and score.
That is a lot for a guy who averaged only 7.4 points per game in his nine seasons in Orlando.
I chose Pat Garrity since, although he played most of his career with the Magic, he was represented by this team in the three-point shooting contest.
— Ricardo J. Ortiz (@rjortiz26) August 18, 2019
I think it's Pat for me. He was a solid contributor for this team on the court and in the locker room for a long time. Just because he didn't drop 15ppg people over look his contribution
— Andy's Magic Minute (@AndyMagicMinute) August 17, 2019
Garrity had his big moments and big scoring games. More than you might remember too. There was a game-winning basket against the Washington Wizards thrown in there and plenty of other big shots along the way.
He is one of the best role players in Magic history — not just merely for his longevity. And yet, he is someone that probably even Magic fans will have forgotten.