Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams dies at 84

Pat Williams, the man who helped kickstart professional sports in Central Florida, died Wednesday afternoon at age 84 from viral pneumonia complications.

The Orlando Magic co-founder’s energy, accomplishments and vision will always be remembered, said Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins in a joint statement.

“Pat forever changed the sports landscape in Orlando,” the statement reads. “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.”

Williams got his start in the NBA as business manager for the Philadelphia 76ers at age 28. He then became general manager for the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks before returning to the 76ers, where he built the team that won the 1982-83 championships.

Williams left Philadelphia in 1986 to work with local businessman Jimmy Hewitt to bring the NBA to Orlando. The two men received an expansion grant from the NBA Board of Governors in 1987 and successfully sold 10,000 tickets in order to meet the deposit requirement by the following year.

Williams served as general manager for the Magic until becoming senior vice president in 1996 — a role he held until retiring in 2019.

As general manager, Williams drafted Shaquille O’Neal in 1992 and traded for Penny Hardaway in 1993.

Though best known by Central Floridians for basketball, Williams also led a successful baseball career before moving to the NBA. He attended Wake Forest University on a baseball scholarship and later played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins.

In 2019, Williams started up an effort to bring a MLB team to Orlando. He hoped to build a 45,000-person capacity stadium on I-Drive to host the city’s first professional baseball team, which he wanted to call the Orlando Dreamers. Plans for the Dreamers are still up in the air as the MLB waits to announce where it will target its upcoming expansion.

When not managing or playing sports, Williams authored more than 100 books, completed 58 marathons and, after receiving a multiple myeloma diagnosis in 2011, served on boards for cancer groups including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Williams is survived by his wife Ruth, 76, and their 19 children, 14 of whom are adopted from four foreign countries.

Williams raised his children to believe anything was possible, said his family in a statement. As a “life-long learner,” he loved to read and inspired his children with his enthusiasm for his passions.

“In true Pat fashion, we can see him standing inside the gates of heaven ready to welcome everyone and shake their hand, just as he did at Magic games,” the statement said.

Memorial information has yet to be announced.

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