Former NBA executive Pat Williams passed away on Wednesday at the age of 84.
Williams was diagnosed in 2011 with multiple myeloma, but through perseverance, had defeated it.
He recently had been dealing with an aggressive viral pneumonia, and was in the Intensive Care Unit at Advent Health in Orlando, F.L.
Williams began his NBA career in 1968 with the Philadelphia 76ers, before joining the Chicago Bulls where he traded for future Hall of Fame forward Chet Walker. In 1973, Williams was hired by the Atlanta Hawks to be their General Manager, before returning to Philadelphia and taking over the 76ers’ General Manager position, which he held until 1986. His noteable moves in Philadelphia included trading for Julius Erving and Moses Malone, and drafting Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney, all four providing the core of the 1983 76er championship team. He also drafted Charles Barkley in 1984.
Williams helped bring the Orlando Magic to the NBA in 1989 as the team’s co-founder, the architect behind the successful Magic teams of the 1990s after drafting Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal.
Williams’ impact and legacy will be one of one of the most seminal figures in NBA history - responsible for a championship in the 1980s with a team that he constructed that included four Hall of Famers, while also being the reason for the NBA being brought to Orlando.
Rest In Peace, Pat Williams.
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