What others are saying …

“Once he gets behind something he puts every ounce of energy into it to get it done. He truly took a situation where the NBA wasn’t on anyone’s radar in Orlando and he created the momentum in the community to rally around the NBA. Without his efforts, the Magic is not in Orlando.”

“Pat asked me where would the NBA [expand] in Florida and I told him right here in Orlando. We didn’t have anything but were growing by leaps and bounds, and we needed him. He became interested and was a great promoter. He knew the NBA inside and out.”

“We took the same paths, to some degree. He got involved in the Magic, I got involved in the Miami Heat, and we experienced some wonderful joys together. To some degree, we became a little envious of Pat on how he could get so lucky on getting those No. 1 [NBA lottery] picks.”

“It was Pat’s show in Philadelphia, and he was also strong on the basketball side. He was a promotional leader before the NBA become standardized, where every halftime and every dance team is the same.”

“You could just see Pat had the charm to relate to the fans, and some of the promotions he used to draw local people to the park were unprecedented. He was a version of Bill Veeck.”

“The NBA would never have come to Orlando without Pat. He sold the league on its potential, and that is the best thing he ever accomplished in his career.”

“Pat is always very positive and direct in his management style. He is a very good evaluator of people and talent. Pat’s biggest strength is the ability to start something and build it. The Orlando Magic is a great example of that.”

“If Pat is calling, he must be writing another book, and it will either be funny, moving or business-related. I don’t know how he does it. He is somebody you want on your side.”