Current:Home > InvestOrlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams dies at 84-InfoLens
Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams dies at 84
View Date:2024-12-23 14:14:24
Pat Williams, Orlando Magic co-founder and recipient of the Basketball Hall of Fame's lifetime achievement award, 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 Dec. 22, 1988, the Magic sold their 10,000th ticket to officially bring the team to the league.
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 endeavors 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 receiving the Basketball Hall of Fame's John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, 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, who were a Class A club in the Florida State League. Williams eventually joined their front office in 1964 as business manager, later taking over as general manager of the Spartanburg (South Carolina) 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.
veryGood! (62)
Related
- Here's what 3 toys were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame this year
- Asian economies must ramp up wind and solar power to keep global warming under 1.5C, report says
- Landlord arrested after 3 people found stabbed to death in New York City home
- BBC says 2 more people have come forward to complain about Russell Brand’s behavior
- Burger King is giving away a million Whoppers for $1: Here's how to get one
- Renowned Canadian-born Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver is confirmed killed in Hamas attack
- Texans LB Denzel Perryman suspended three games after hit on Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase
- An ethnic resistance group in northern Myanmar says an entire army battalion surrendered to it
- Appeals Court Affirms Conviction of Everglades Scientist Accused of Stealing ‘Trade Secrets’
- John Harbaugh: Investigators 'don't have anything of substance' on Michigan's Jim Harbaugh
Ranking
- Review: 'Emilia Pérez' is the most wildly original film you'll see in 2024
- More parks, less money: Advocates say Mexico’s new budget doesn’t add up for natural protected areas
- Gwyneth Paltrow says her husband is similar to late Bruce Paltrow: 'I finally chose my dad'
- An ethnic resistance group in northern Myanmar says an entire army battalion surrendered to it
- NFL playoff picture Week 10: Lions stay out in front of loaded NFC field
- Watch Dakota Johnson Get Tangled Up in Explosive First Trailer for Madame Web
- Iraq’s top court rules to oust the speaker and a rival lawmaker from Parliament
- BBC says 2 more people have come forward to complain about Russell Brand’s behavior
Recommendation
-
Satellite images and documents indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for new aircraft carrier
-
5 years after bankruptcy, Toys R Us continues comeback with store inside Mall of America
-
Deion Sanders addresses speculation about his future as Colorado football coach
-
Live updates | Israeli tanks enter Gaza’s Shifa Hospital compound
-
Eva Longoria Shares She and Her Family Have Moved Out of the United States
-
John Harbaugh: Investigators 'don't have anything of substance' on Michigan's Jim Harbaugh
-
Many parents don’t know when kids are behind in school. Are report cards telling enough?
-
Detroit officer to stand trial after photojournalists were shot with pellets during a 2020 protest