Pat Williams, whose over 50 years of working in the NBA including help form,, give life to and run the Orlando Magic in the late 1980s, passed away Wednesday at the age of 84.
The team made the announcement late Wednesday night, saying he passed away from complications from viral pneumonia.
“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” said Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins in the announcement posted at 11:26 p.m. “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. We all owe him a debt of gratitude and he will certainly be missed, but never forgotten."
But Williams was about more than sports. He and his wife Ruth had five children, and adopted 14 others, most from four foreign countries. He authored some 100 books, focusing on figures from sports, politics and ordinary life.
"He was the best husband, father and grandfather and brother anyone could ask for — a warrior, a hero, a visionary, but most importantly, a larger than life follower of Jesus," a note from the Williams family shared by the Magic's website read.
"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. 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 ... The Lord rewarded his hard work and faithfulness, and we will miss him dearly, but his legacy will live on. He loved Orlando and will forever be etched into the heart of who we are."
An idea to bring a team in the expanding NBA to Orlando was the brainchild of Williams and business partner Jimmy Hewitt. When the two had a conversation on where the league would expand into Florida in 1988-89, the cities brought up included Tampa, Miami and Jacksonville -- until Hewitt impressed on Williams that Orlando was "the place to be" based on future growth projections and ties to the tourism industry with Disney and Universal -- the latter which was just in its infancy and was still building out major parts of its initial theme park at the time.
Williams, the utmost of promoters, was quickly sold on the idea, got into the community to sell season tickets, convinced the city to build the Orlando Area, and on April 22, 1987, the NBA Board of Governors granted an expansion franchise to Orlando for the 1989-90 season, when experts thought the league would only place one team in Florida. The Magic entered the NBA in 1989 with the Minnesota Timberwolves, after the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets joined in 1988.
Williams was the Magic's general manager through 1996. During that time, he oversaw its roster through early expansion years, when the team was lean on talent big on fan excitement. But the team won the NBA Draft Lottery in both 1992, getting Shaquille O'Neal, and 1993, getting Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway after a draft-day trade with the Golden State Nuggets for Chris Webber. That last No. 1 pick was notable in that the Magic had just a 1-in-66 chance of getting the top pick. Williams' incredulous reaction to the announcement is an indelible memory in Magic franchise history. With the combination of O'Neal and Hardaway, the Magic became a dominant team in the NBA, and the team made it to the 1995 NBA Finals. In 1996 he became the team's senior vice president and served until 2011, when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
Before working with the Magic, Williams had a brief minor-league baseball career and got into sports management with the Spartanburg (S.C.) Phillies in 1965 and was later elevated to the position of president of the organization in 1967. In 1967, he was chosen the Minor League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News.
He started his basketball career with the Philadelphia 76ers as the club's business manager in 1968. He followed that with his first general manager role in the NBA joining the Chicago Bulls as their GM at the age of 29. He remained a general manager in the league for 27 years in stints with the Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Sixers, returning to his birthplace to work with what was a doormat franchise in the late 1960s and early '70s, and played a major role in bringing the NBA title to Philadelphia in 1983 -- it was the last championship title among the city's four major sports franchises until the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. He left the 76ers in 1986 to start the Orlando NBA effort.
After his basketball career, he continued to advocate for Orlando as a major-league sports town, leading a pushing to get a Major League Baseball team to town, either by getting the Tampa Bay Rays to leave the Bay area or through expansion. He called the concept team the "Orlando Dreamers" an encouraged local leaders to build a $1.7 billion domed stadium within the tourism corridor.
