for a long time NBA Executive Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams died Wednesday from complications from viral pneumonia, the team announced this week. He was 84 years old.
The team released a statement announcing Williams’ death, adding that he “passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.”
Orlando Magic player Pat Williams waits for the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery to begin in his room at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. (Jennifer Poseiser/NBAE via Getty Images)
“Pat Williams Magic for Orlando “His achievements will be remembered forever,” Chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said in a joint statement.
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“He was a brilliant visionary, always optimistic and filled with unmatched energy, who helped change the world of sports in so many ways. From bringing the Magic to Orlando to revolutionizing sports marketing and promotion, he was always ahead of his time. Pat changed the Orlando sports world forever. He shed light on what those who call Orlando home already knew: that Central Florida is a great place to live, work and play. We are all grateful to him and he will be missed, but he will never be forgotten.”
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Williams rose to fame in the NBA, his career spanning more than five decades, the majority of which was spent with the franchise he helped found.
Pat Williams attends the Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal retirement ceremony at the Kia Center on February 13, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
In the late 1980s, Williams was instrumental in bringing an NBA franchise to Orlando and served as the team’s general manager before being promoted to senior vice president in 1996.
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“Without Pat Williams, there would be no Orlando Magic,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He was highly respected in the basketball community and a friend to me and generations of league executives. Pat was kind and never short of an encouraging word, and he always brought enthusiasm, energy and optimism to everything he did throughout his more than 50-year career in the NBA.”
But Williams’ first love was baseball. He played at Wake Forest University before joining the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 1962, eventually becoming a front-office employee. He moved to basketball in 1968, first as a freshman in the NBA. Philadelphia 76ers As the club’s business manager.
Williams also served as general manager of the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks before returning to the 76ers and helping the team win the 1983 championship.
“Philadelphia native Pat Williams served as general manager of his hometown team for 12 years, including a stint at the helm of the 1983 champion 76ers,” the team said in a statement.
Orlando Magic general manager Pat Williams won the draft lottery on May 23, 1993 in Secaucus, New Jersey, and was selected first overall in the 1993 NBA Draft. (Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
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“A true NBA legend, Williams helped found the Orlando Magic in the late 1980s. In total, he was involved in the game of NBA for more than 50 years. Our deepest condolences go to Mr. Williams’ family and friends.”
Williams’ influence extended beyond the NBA community: He’s written more than 100 books and run 58 marathons, including 13 in Boston. Since being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2011, he’s been an avid fundraiser for cancer research and a motivational speaker.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth, and 19 children, 14 of whom were adopted from abroad.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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