The Magic Insider

Sports World Reflects: 'There Is No Magic Without Pat Williams'

"This is a sad day for basketball and for Orlando," said Nick Anderson, the first No. 1 draft pick in Orlando Magic history. He considered Pat Williams, who died Wednesday, a second father.

Kevin McGeever

February 24, 2012; Orlando FL, USA; NBA TV host Vince Cellini (left) speaks with winner of the John W. Bunn lifetime achievement award Pat Williams during the NBA Hall of Fame press conference at the Hilton Orlando. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
February 24, 2012; Orlando FL, USA; NBA TV host Vince Cellini (left) speaks with winner of the John W. Bunn lifetime achievement award Pat Williams during the NBA Hall of Fame press conference at the Hilton Orlando. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — There is no Orlando Magic without Pat Williams. There is no Benny the Bull in Chicago, no Dr. J and Moses Malone in Philadelphia. There is no Shaquille O'Neal or Penny Hardaway or Dwight Howard here without "the king of the (NBA Draft) lottery."

"Most teams have a trophy case full of trophies," Williams once told the Associated Press. "We have a case filled with ping pong balls."

Williams, who died Wednesday at age 84, was an Orlando icon. He was an NBA executive for 51 years, including 33 in Orlando, but there was so much more.

"Williams wrote more than 100 books and ran 58 marathons, including the Boston Marathon 13 times," the Washington Post wrote. "Diagnosed in February 2011 with multiple myeloma, Williams became an avid fundraiser for cancer research and sat on several boards for cancer groups throughout the country, including the Board of Directors for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation." He was father to 19 children, 14 of whom were adopted from four foreign countries.

Stories about Williams and praise for his achievements poured in from the sports world.

"RIP Pat Williams, dead at 84. From his time as Ferguson Jenkins’ first minor -eague battery mate to his days GMing 5 NBA teams (he launched the Magic) to his final days as a sports talk host, he was a sports exec unlike any other. And my oldest friend in the business."
— Bob Ryan, Boston Globe columnist emeritus

"There is no Orlando Magic without Pat Williams. 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."
— NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

"RIP Pat Williams - architect of the legendary world champion 1983 Sixers and one of the all-time great general managers with the 4th-most wins vs. losses in NBA history (1151 wins vs. only 817 losses)."
— Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations

"Pat Williams was a true NBA titan and synonymous with the Magic. One of the most gregarious, quotable, welcoming and positive figures that this league has ever seen."
— NBA Insider Marc Stein

"Pat Williams — who brought the Magic to Orlando as an expansion franchise — died at 84 years old today. He spent 56 years as an NBA executive and worked as a GM for the Magic, Sixers and Bulls. He played minor league baseball, authored over 100 books and ran 58 marathons."
— ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski

"Prayers to Pat Williams and his family!! A truly amazing man with a heart of Gold. May God comfort his loved ones! I know without a doubt he passed knowing Jesus Christ as his lord and Savior! A full life, lived well!!"
— Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic basketball player

“It’s hard to envision that it would have come to fruition without him and without Jimmy Hewitt,” Magic CEO Alex Martins told The Athletic in 2019 when Williams retired as a team executive. “If it were not for Pat’s efforts in rallying the community and helping people understand what the NBA and professional sports were all about, it’s very plausible that the team would not be here and the NBA would not be in Orlando.”

Related stories about Orlando Magic

  • PAT WILLIAMS DIES: Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams was an NBA executive for 51 years, including 30-plus with the Orlando Magic. He was general manager when the team reached the NBA Finals in 1995. CLICK HERE
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Kevin McGeever
KEVIN MCGEEVER

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