ORLANDO, Fla. - Pat Williams turns 79 years old this Friday, and knows he's been around for it all.
- Williams is retiring after more than fifty years in the NBA
- Served as general manager for three teams prior to founding the Magic
- Plans to spearhead effort for a monument dedicated to fans
“I was thinking recently that every key person in NBA history, well, I’ve got a story about them," the Orlando Magic co-founder said at a press conference Tuesday. "An anecdote. A little quip. A memory.”
He is a tome of basketball knowledge, and utilized it in a career that lasted more than fifty years in the NBA. Now, it's coming to a close.
“Even though I’m retiring from basketball, I’m not retiring from life,” he said.
Williams officially announced his retirement Monday, noting that he is healthy and ready to close this chapter of his life. He described himself as a builder though, and said he intends to continue to pursue his passions in writing and leadership development.
“I’m jumping into the building part again while I still have good heatlh," Williams, who has battled multiple myeloma over the years, said. "And I think the best decade for me is still ahead.”
Prior to coming to Orlando, he spent time across three teams (76ers, Bulls, and Hawks) as a general manager. Then in 1986, he and business partner Jim Hewitt attempted to recruit an NBA team to the City Beautiful.
“It’s an absolute miracle that we’re even here,” Williams said at the press conference, which he also used to thank Magic fans for their support over the years. His business team had the odds stacked against it with five other teams in the mix for a franchise, but they were able to present something no other city could.
“We could go in front of the owners and tell them that we had deposits, $100 deposits, on 14,000 season tickets," he remembered fondly. "That got their attention.”
Williams would go on to serve as general manager and senior vice president for the team. He said one of his first endeavors post-retirement will be to erect a monument outside of Amway Center in commemoration of those ticket-holders who gave the team a chance.
“Orlando is growing as a sports community, and the Magic spearheaded all of that," he said. "The Magic proved to many that this town could be a good sports town.”