Passing of 84-Year-Old Pat Williams, Co-Founder of Magic, Mourned

Pat Williams, co-founder of the Orlando Magic and a member of the basketball Hall of Fame, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 84.

According to a statement from the Magic, Williams died due to complications from viral pneumonia.

In 1986, Williams and businessman Jimmy Hewitt began working towards bringing an NBA franchise to Orlando. The following year, the NBA Board of Governors granted the city an expansion franchise and on December 22, 1988, the Magic sold their 10,000th ticket, officially joining the league.

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This was just a small part of Williams' 51-year career in the NBA, with over 30 years spent with the Magic.

In a joint statement, Magic chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said, "Pat Williams brought magic to Orlando. His achievements will always be remembered. With his constant optimism and unmatched energy, he was a visionary who helped revolutionize the world of sports in many ways."

After serving as the business manager for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, Williams went on to become the general manager for the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks before returning to the 76ers for 12 years as their GM.

With Williams' help, the 76ers won a championship in 1983. He then left Philadelphia to join the Magic in 1986.

In a statement, Williams' family said, "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. We all grew up believing that anything is possible because of his unwavering enthusiasm for what he was passionate about."

Before his successful career in basketball, Williams had a notable career in baseball, starting at Wake Forest University where he was a three-year letterman as a catcher.

Aside from his accomplishments in sports, Williams was also an author, having written over 100 books.

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He also completed 58 marathons from 1996 to 2011, finishing the Boston Marathon 13 times.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, "There is no Orlando Magic without Pat Williams. He was highly respected in the basketball community and was a friend to me and many other league executives. Pat always had kind and supportive words and brought great enthusiasm, energy, and optimism to everything he did during his more than 50 years in the NBA."