Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams dies at 84
By Jacob Lev, CNN
(CNN) — Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams has died at the age of 84, the NBA team announced in a news release on Wednesday.
Williams died from complications of viral pneumonia, according to the team.
“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,” the Williams family said in a statement via the team.
“We all grew up believing that anything is possible because of his unwavering enthusiasm for what he was passionate about.”
Williams spent 51 years in the NBA including 30-plus years with the Magic. He helped the city of Orlando land an NBA team which became official in 1987 and the team began their inaugural season two years later.
Williams started his NBA career as the business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968. He also served as the general manager for the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and 76ers. He served as the general manager of the Magic until 1996 when he was promoted to team senior vice president.
“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” team chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said in a joint statement.
DeVos and Martins added: “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.”
He was also a talented baseball player and earned a scholarship to Wake Forest University to play the sport, securing himself a spot in the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame after a stint as catcher on the Demon Deacons baseball team, per NBA.com.
He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962 and spent two seasons with the Miami Marlins, a Class A club in the Florida State League, before moving on to front office jobs with Miami and the Spartanburg (S.C.) Phillies. He was named Minor League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News in 1967.
In his life, Williams authored over 100 books and completed over 50 marathons.
Williams is survived by his wife Ruth and their 19 children.
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