Pat Williams, co-founder of the Orlando Magic and a veteran of the NBA for more than half a century, died Wednesday from complications related to viral pneumonia, the team announced.
Williams was 84 years old.
He began his NBA career in 1968 as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers and later served as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and 76ers, helping the team win the championship in 1983.
A few years later, Williams helped start the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando, the league's Board of Governors approved the expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989.
“Pat Williams brought magic to Orlando,” Orlando Magic chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said in a joint statement. “He will be forever remembered for his achievements. With his constant optimism and unmatched energy, he was a brilliant visionary who transformed the sports world in so many ways. From bringing the Magic to Orlando to revolutionizing the marketing and promotion of sports, he was always ahead of his time.”
Williams served as Orlando's general manager until 1996, when he was promoted to senior vice president.
“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.”
Williams has never stopped pushing for more development in Orlando: He frequently spoke about why he wanted to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to the city (which it eventually did), and just last year he was trying to build momentum to bring a Major League Baseball franchise to the city.
Williams' first love was baseball, which he played at Wake Forest University. In 1962, he signed to play for the Philadelphia Phillies organization, eventually moving into their front office and being named Minor League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News in 1967.
“He loved a challenge, and when he moved with his family to Orlando to start the Magic, he was filled with excitement and energy every day,” Williams' family said in a statement. “His unwavering enthusiasm for the things he was passionate about led us all to grow up believing we could do anything. Those who attended games, saw him at church or spent time with him in social situations know he never met a stranger and was always quick to offer a word of encouragement. He was a giver, a teacher, the ultimate cheerleader and a lifelong learner.”
Williams was once called the “King of the Lottery” after he represented the Magic in deciding who would win the first pick at the league's annual event and led the team to success. Williams' luck in the lottery came three times, bringing Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee Hardaway and Dwight Howard to Orlando.
“Most teams have trophy cases full of trophies,” Williams once told The Associated Press. “We have a case full of ping-pong balls.”
There was much more to his case than that: Williams has written more than 100 books and run 58 marathons, including 13 Boston Marathons. Since being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in February 2011, Williams has become an avid fundraiser for cancer research and served on several boards of directors for national cancer groups, including the board of directors for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
He was also a motivational speaker, often speaking to groups about leadership, teamwork and the mental challenges that come with being diagnosed with cancer.
Williams was born in Philadelphia and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. He received the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, was an inaugural member of the Magic Hall of Fame in 2014, and is a member of the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.
“The Vann Lifetime Achievement Award was created to honor colleagues like Pat Williams who have demonstrated a passion for basketball throughout their lives,” Hall of Fame Chairman Jerry Colangelo said when Williams received the award in 2012. “Not only did Pat have a major impact with his leadership in growing the Chicago Bulls organization and bringing championships to the Philadelphia 76ers, he also put in incredible effort to bring a successful franchise to Central Florida.”
Williams is survived by his wife, Ruth, and 19 children, 14 of whom were adopted from abroad.
“Pat changed the Orlando sports world forever,” DeVos and Martins said. “He highlighted what Orlando residents 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 never forgotten.”
The Magic announced that arrangements for a memorial service were still pending as of Wednesday night.
