Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams had an extended battle with pneumonia.
ORLANDO — Pat Williams, the longtime basketball executive and co-founder of the Orlando Magic franchise, died on Wednesday, the club announced in a press release. Williams was 84.“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” said Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins in a joint statement. “His accomplishments will always be remembered.
Williams, who spent more than 51 years in the NBA, was a driving force in Orlando getting an expansion franchise on April 22, 1987. The Magic's first NBA season, with Williams serving as their general manager, was 1989. "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," Williams' family said in a statement. "We all grew up believing that anything is possible because of his unwavering enthusiasm for what he was passionate about."
Under Williams, the Magic made the playoffs three times, including an NBA Finals appearance. He was eventually promoted to senior vice president in 1996 and held that role until he retired in 2019. His career in the NBA earned him the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Prior to helping co-found the Magic, Williams was also the general manager for the Chicago Bulls , Atlanta Hawks , and Philadelphia 76ers . Philadelphia made four NBA Finals appearances and won one championship in his tenure.: Xavier Moon's basketball travels have taken him to Europe, the Middle East, and Canada. An accomplished G League player, Moon has had multiple short stays with the Los Angeles Clippers. Now his love of the game brings him to the Orlando Magic.
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