In New Orleans, it’s still known as the Louisiana Purchase.
It’s not the 530 million acres purchased by the United States from France in 1803. It’s the trade of Pete Maravich.
The deal that sent Maravich, the future Basketball Hall of Famer, from the Hawks to the expansion New Orleans Jazz in 1973 was orchestrated by Pat Williams.
Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died Wednesday from complications related to viral pneumonia, the team announced. He was 84.
He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Hawks and the 76ers.
Williams succeeded Richie Guerin as general manager of the Hawks on Aug. 6, 1973. He spent one year in Atlanta before moving on to the 76ers. His most notable move with the Hawks was to trade Maravich.
The haul was two players and five draft picks. The Hawks got a 1974 first-round pick (No. 10, Mike Sojourner), 1975 first-round pick (No. 1, David Thompson), 1975 second-round pick (No. 19, Bill Willoughby), 1976 second-round pick (No. 23, Alex English), and the second (Bob Kauffman) and third (Dean Meminger) selections in the 1974 expansion draft.
The Hawks had drafted Maravich with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft. He played four seasons with the Hawks before the trade. The Hawks retired Maravich’s No. 44 in 2020.
Williams was involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989.
“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said 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.”
Williams was general manager in Orlando until being promoted to senior vice president in 1996.
“There is no Orlando Magic without Pat Williams,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “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.”
Williams never stopped pushing for more in Orlando, either. He spoke often about why he wanted the city to get an MLS franchise — it eventually did — and as recently as last year was trying to build momentum to get an MLB franchise for the city.
Baseball was Williams’ first sporting love; he played at Wake Forest. He signed to play in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization in 1962, eventually became a front-office worker and was picked as the Minor League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News in 1967.
“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. Those who attended the games, saw him at church, or spent time with him in a social setting know that he never met a stranger and was always quick with an encouraging word. He was a giver, a teacher, the ultimate cheerleader, and he was a lifelong learner.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
About the Author
