Not So Magical Now For Ex-sixers Execs

ORLANDO — The reminders were everywhere. While the 76ers were involved in their first playoff game in eight years Sunday, every corner of the Orlando Arena seemed to have another reminder of the Sixers' glory days.

There was Julius Erving staring out from one corner, John Gabriel from another. That was Chuck Daly on the bench and Pat Williams holding court before the game.

Orlando began to become Philadelphia South the moment Williams took the biggest risk of his life in 1986 and signed on to run a franchise that didn't exist in a community that had no professional sports history and no arena. Gabriel, who would become the general manager, was one of his first hires. Williams brought Jack Swope with him to do the marketing. More recently, he brought Doctor J and Daly to central Florida.

Now, Philadelphia South is playing Philadelphia and Philadelphia leads, 1-0. Game 2 is tonight.

"This is almost supernatural," Williams said before Game 1. "But I'll tell you in the closing days [of the regular season], we were rooting against the supernatural. I think we'd rather be chasing [Milwaukee's] Ray Allen around than Allen Iverson. But so be it. We will accept the supernatural and go with it.

"Everywhere you turn there's another story. From Matt Guokas [who has coached the Sixers and Magic] to the mascot [a protege of the Phillie Phanatic]."

Williams, of course, is always a story. The former Sixers general manager can't really be described. His newest in a long line of books is entitled "Ahead of the Game: The Pat Williams Story." He has a story and he's got stories.

Then-Sixers owner Harold Katz called Williams after his raid on Sixers executives 13 years ago.

"He was not happy," Williams said.

"In the NBA, we do not do this," Williams said Katz told him.

Williams's response?

"Harold, we'll offer them more than a multiday contract."

Thirteen years later, the Orlando Magic is a highly successful NBA franchise. RDV Sports, the Magic's parent company, is named after zillionaire Rich DeVos. RDV owns the Orlando Solar Bears, of the International Hockey League, and the Orlando Miracle, the new WNBA franchise that will begin play this summer. The Magic practice in the RDV Sportsplex, a $50 million, 365,000- square-foot facility that opened in February 1998.

Williams is RDV's senior executive vice president. Which means he does what he always has done - a little of everything.