Pat Williams, Orlando Magic co-founder and basketball Hall of Famer, died on Wednesday. He was 84.
Williams died of complications from viral pneumonia, the Magic said in a release.
Along with businessman Jimmy Hewitt, Williams started to work toward getting Orlando an NBA franchise back in 1986. A year later, the NBA Board of Governors gave an expansion franchise to the city, and on December 22, 1988, the Magic sold its 10,000th ticket to bring the team to the league officially.
That was just a sliver of Williams’ NBA career, which lasted 51 years and included over 30 with the Magic.
“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” Magic chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said in a joint statement. “His accomplishments will always be remembered. Armed with his ever-present optimism and unparalleled energy, he was an incredible visionary who helped transform the world of sports in multiple ways.
“From bringing the Magic to Orlando to transforming sports marketing and promotions, he was always ahead of the curve. Pat forever changed the sports landscape in Orlando. He shined a light on what those who called Orlando home already knew -- that Central Florida was a fabulous place to live, work and play.”
After serving as the 76ers’ business manager in 1968, Williams ended up being general manager of the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks before returning to Philadelphia -- where he spent 12 years as the Sixers’ GM.
With Williams’ help, the 76ers won a championship in 1983. Williams moved on from Philadelphia three years later to begin his endeavours with the Magic.
“He loved a challenge, and when he moved our family to Orlando to start the Magic, he was full of excitement and energy that he displayed every day,” Williams’ family said in a statement. “We all grew up believing that anything is possible because of his unwavering enthusiasm for what he was passionate about.
“Those who attended the games saw him at church or spent time with him in a social setting know that he never met a stranger and was always quick with an encouraging word. He was a giver, a teacher, the ultimate cheerleader, and he was a life-long learner.”
Before his success in basketball, Williams put together a memorable career in baseball, starting with his time at Wake Forest. Williams got a scholarship to attend the university, and he was a three-year letterman as a catcher for the Demon Deacons.
In addition to being a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., Williams is also in the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Williams in 1962. The catcher spent two seasons with the Miami Marlins, which was a Class A club in the Florida State League. Williams eventually joined its front office in 1964 as business manager, later taking over as general manager of the Spartanburg (S.C.) Phillies in 1965.
Outside the sporting world, Williams was an author, writing over 100 books.
Williams also ran 58 marathons from 1996 to 2011, finishing the Boston Marathon 13 times.
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