Orlando Magic co-founder and sports legend Pat Williams has died at the age of 84, the team announced.
Williams, who spent more than 30 years with the Magic after helping to launch Orlando’s expansion franchise in 1989, died Wednesday after a battle with viral pneumonia. He was said to have died “peacefully surrounded by family.”
In his career as a sports executive, he also helped the Philadelphia 76ers win the 1982-83 NBA championship as the team’s general manager, and was active in baseball as president of Philly’s minor league affiliate.
Yet it is Orlando where Williams is remembered most fondly, after he and local businessman Jim Hewitt convinced then-NBA commissioner David Stern to give their new franchise a spot in the league nearly 40 years ago.
“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.
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“Armed with his ever-present optimism and unmatched energy, he was an incredible visionary who helped transform the sports world in multiple ways. From bringing the Magic to Orlando to transforming sports marketing and promotions, he was always ahead of the curve.
“Pat changed the sports landscape in Orlando forever. He shed light on what those who called Orlando home already knew: that Central Florida was a great place to live, work and play.
‘We all owe him a great debt of gratitude and we will certainly miss him, but never forget him.’
Williams is survived by his wife, Ruth, and their 19 children, 14 of whom were adopted by the couple from four different foreign countries.
“He loved a challenge and when he moved to Orlando with our family to start the Magic, he was full of enthusiasm and energy, and he showed it every day,” his family said in a statement.
“We all grew up believing that anything was possible because of his unwavering enthusiasm for what he was passionate about. Those who attended games, saw him in 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 lifelong learner.”
Williams played 51 years in the NBA. He began his basketball career as a business manager for the 76ers and became general manager of the Chicago Bulls at age 29.
For the next 27 years, he served as general manager of the Bulls, the Hawks and, of course, the Sixers, the latter of which became NBA champions in 1983.
Just three years later, Williams set the wheels in motion for Orlando’s expansion franchise when he joined forces with Hewitt, who urged him to join his investment group and bring an NBA team to the city.
In 1987, the NBA Board of Governors awarded the expansion franchise to Orlando, and the Magic were officially formed the following December after selling their 10,000th season ticket and fulfilling their commitment to the league.
Williams, whose first love was baseball despite his iconic status in basketball, served as the Magic’s general manager until 1996, when he was promoted to senior vice president.
Outside of his running career, he ran 58 marathons and was the author of more than 100 books.