Magic Co-Founder Pat Williams Left Lasting Impact on Franchise, Former Players

From Penny Hardaway to Dennis Scott, Pat Williams left an everlasting legacy on the Orlando Magic and their former players.

Nathaniel Marrero | Jul 26, 2024

Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams passed away from pneumonia on July 17. / Photo courtesy of patwilliams.com

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The impact of a person often isn't truly realized until they've retired or they're gone.

For Pat Williams, legacy goes well beyond how his teams played during his time as an NBA exec. Without Williams, the Orlando Magic likely wouldn't have ever become an NBA franchise and many of the players who came through the Magic organization in the late 1980s and 1990s wouldn't have met a man who was much more than a co-founder and executive.

“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. 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."

Williams died at the age of 84 on July 17 due to complications from viral pneumonia. A celebration of life will be held for him on Friday at 3 p.m. ET at First Baptist Orlando.

He was in the NBA for 51 years and spent over 30 years as an executive for the Magic. The former Magic general manager helped put the wheels in motion for Orlando to land an NBA franchise alongside Jimmy Hewitt. The work they put in ultimately led to Orlando being granted an NBA franchise on April 22, 1987.

“There is no Orlando Magic without Pat Williams," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. "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."

Before leading the Magic's organization, he was also a general manager for the Chicago Bulls (1969-1973), Atlanta Hawks (1973-74) and Philadelphia 76ers (1974-1986). Williams enjoyed his most success with the 76ers, as they made the NBA Finals four times and won it once.

Williams was the Magic's first general manager in 1989 and served in that role until he was promoted to senior vice president in 1996 and he held that role until he retired in 2019. In his tenure, Orlando made the playoffs three times, including the first NBA Finals appearance in its history. His career in the NBA earned him the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

In the Magic's first draft in franchise history, they took Nick Anderson with the No. 11 overall pick. For Anderson, Williams was so much more than the guy who made him the first draft pick in the franchise's history.

“I’m totally devastated," Anderson wrote in an Instagram post. "This is a sad day for Basketball and for Orlando. My kids asked ‘Why you crying Daddy and I told them because I lost a father for the second time.’ The last time I felt this tore up was when my father passed away. And now my basketball father Pat Williams has gone to join my dad in Heaven. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that a young kid from the streets of Chicago would get picked to be the very first player ever in the history of an NBA team. Pat Williams made that happen."

Two players who were also drafted by Williams were Dennis Scott and Penny Hardaway. They each shared similar sentiments on the role Williams had in their careers and the emotions they felt when they learned of his passing.

"I was hurt," Hardaway said. "Just shed a tear because he's been so impactful in so many different ways in all our lives. Not only for the city of Orlando, for the DeVos family, for us as players but for anybody that came in his path. He was such a smart guy, such a touching guy and a guy that saw things before it happened."

"When someone touches you, and it's sincere and genuine, it never leaves," Scott said. "When I graduated from Georgia Tech in December, I called him and said 'You always told me to go back to school, and I finally did.' And now I'm getting my number retired at Georgia Tech, he said "I'm going to be there.' He can't be there so that's why it hurts so much right now."

It's one thing for someone to make a team better, but it's another to leave a lasting impact on the players who have crossed their path. Williams' role with the Magic went beyond being their co-founder and executive.

He was like a father to many of the players he brought to the Magic's organization, and for that, his legacy and impact make him one of, if not the most important figure in the franchise's history.

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