Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams dies at 84 after battle with viral pneumonia

Orlando Magic co-founder and sports legend Pat Williams has died at age 84, the team announced.

Williams, who spent more than 30 years with the Magic after helping the Orlando expansion franchise get off the ground in 1989, died Wednesday after a battle with viral pneumonia. He reportedly died “peacefully surrounded by his family.”

During his sports executive career, he also helped the Philadelphia 76ers win the 1982-83 NBA championship as the team’s general manager, while also spending time in baseball as president of Philadelphia’s minor league affiliate.

Yet it is in Orlando that Williams is best known after he and local businessman Jim Hewitt helped convince then-NBA commissioner David Stern to grant their expansion 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 unparalleled energy, he was an incredible visionary who helped transform the world of sports in countless ways. From bringing the Magic to Orlando to transforming sports marketing and promotions, he was always one step ahead.

“Pat forever changed the Orlando sports landscape. He illuminated what those who lived in Orlando already knew: Central Florida was a great place to live, work and play.

“We all owe him a debt of gratitude and he will certainly be missed, but never forgotten.”

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

“He loved a challenge, and when he moved our family to Orlando to start the Magic, he was full of enthusiasm and energy that he displayed 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 to offer a word of encouragement. He was a giver, a teacher, a cheerleader par excellence and a lifelong learner.”

Williams spent 51 years in the NBA, starting his basketball career as a business manager for the 76ers before becoming general manager of the Chicago Bulls at the age of just 29.

He spent the next 27 years as general manager of the Bulls, Hawks and of course the Sixers, helping the latter become NBA champions in 1983.

Just three years later, Williams set the wheels in motion for the Orlando franchise’s expansion when he partnered 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 this expansion franchise to Orlando, and in December of the following year, the Magic were officially born 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, was the Magic’s general manager until 1996, when he was promoted to senior vice president.

Outside of his career, he has also run 58 marathons and is the author of over 100 books.