Pat Williams, Magic co-founder and longtime NBA team executive, dies at 84

Pat Williams, who was a co-founder of the Orlando Magic, died Wednesday from complications from viral pneumonia, the team announced. Williams was 84.

“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” 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. We all owe him a debt of gratitude and he will certainly be missed, but never forgotten.”

Williams spent 56 years in the NBA, a career that started when he became the business manager for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968. He then became the general manager of the Chicago Bulls, where in addition to revamping the roster, he also brought about the creation of arguably the most famous NBA mascot, Benny the Bull. Williams also spent time as the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks, before returning to the Sixers in 1974 as general manager, a role that he kept until 1986.

During his time as GM of the Sixers, Williams orchestrated the trades that brought Julius Erving and Moses Malone to Philadelphia and drafted Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney, which would be the nucleus of the team that won the franchise’s third championship in 1983. One of Williams’ final moves as general manager of the Sixers was drafting Charles Barkley as the fifth overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft.

After leaving the Sixers in 1986, Williams joined Orlando-area businessman Jimmy Hewitt to try and bring an NBA franchise to the city. The following year in 1987, Orlando was awarded an expansion franchise, and their first season took place in 1989. During the early years of the Magic, Williams was the team’s first general manager until 1996. Similar to his time in Philadelphia, Williams got to work building a championship-contending team, drafting Shaquille O’Neal with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. He then paired Shaq with Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway a year later by trading for him, and together, the duo reached the 1995 NBA Finals.

Throughout his NBA career, Williams’ teams went to the playoffs 23 times and reached the NBA Finals five times. He remained in a role with the Magic until 2019, when he retired. 

“Even though I’m retired from basketball, I am not retiring from life,” Williams said in 2019 via The Athletic.

Williams was honored with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He’s also a member of the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, where he attended college on a baseball scholarship. And when the Magic unveiled their inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2014, he was one of the two inductees, in addition to the franchise’s first draft pick, Nick Anderson. 

“There is no Orlando Magic without Pat Williams,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He was held in such high regard in the basketball community and was a friend to me and so many generations of league executives.  Pat was never at a loss for a kind and supportive word and always brought great enthusiasm, energy and optimism to everything he did throughout his more than 50 years in the NBA.”