The legendary Pat Williams announced his official retirement from the Orlando Magic on Monday, but can you really ever retire from being the father and founder of a franchise?

Yes, Williams announced his retirement as the Magic’s senior vice president on Monday, but he’ll always be the co-founder of the Magic and one of the most influential figures in Orlando sports history.

“We are so grateful to Pat Williams for what he has done for sports in Orlando,” Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos said in a statement released by the Magic. “Back in 1986 sat this beautiful city in the center of the state that was the perfect spot to bring what was missing — NBA basketball to the great people of Orlando. On behalf of our entire family, we thank Pat for making the Magic a reality.”

The story now is part of Orlando sports lore — how Williams, spurred on by fellow co-founder and Orlando businessman Jimmy Hewitt, sold the NBA on Orlando.

Back in 1986, Williams, then the GM of the Philadelphia 76ers and one of the most prominent executives in the NBA, had the ear of new commissioner David Stern. Two years earlier, Williams had become friends with Hewitt, who on that fateful day in ’86 was driving Williams back to the airport after a speaking engagement in Orlando. Williams relayed some inside information about how the NBA was planning to expand into the rapidly growing State of Florida.

“So," Williams asked out of curiosity, "which location in Florida would be the best for a potential NBA franchise — Miami, Tampa or Jacksonville?"

That's when Hewitt puffed out his Central Florida chest and uttered the proud, passionate words that would change the course of sports history in the City Beautiful.

"Orlando is the place to be," Hewitt told Williams.

That was the day big-time professional sports was conceived in Central Florida. A year later — with Williams and Hewitt zealously selling the idea — the Orlando Magic were born. On April 22, 1987, the NBA Board of Governors granted an expansion franchise to Orlando. Two years later, in 1989, the Magic began their inaugural season.

And, now, with the Magic’s 30th anniversary season completed, Williams is retiring from a long, illustrious career in professional sports.

Williams, who will turn 79 on Friday, has been in the NBA for more than 50 years. A former college baseball player, he actually started his sports management career as a minor league baseball executive, but jumped to the NBA as the Philadelphia 76ers’ business manager in 1968.

He would go on to become GM with the 76ers, the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and, of course, the Magic. He served as the Magic’s first GM from the inaugural season in 1989 until 1996, when he became the senior vice president.

Williams isn’t just the father of the Orlando Magic, he is the father of 19 children — 14 of whom he and his wife Ruth adopted from foreign countries. He is also the author of more than 100 books, has run 58 marathons and is a survivor of multiple myeloma — a serious form of bone-marrow cancer.

Williams is more than just an Orlando sports icon, he is a national basketball treasure who was honored with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

"Pat's many accomplishments will always be remembered, but ultimately he was a visionary who helped transform the world of sports in multiple ways," Magic CEO Alex Martins said in statement. “From bringing the Magic to Orlando, to transforming sports marketing and promotions, he was always one step ahead. Pat forever changed the sports landscape in Orlando. He shined a light on what has been known for so long from native Central Floridians, that this is a fabulous place to live, work and play. We all owe him a debt of gratitude."

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on Twitter @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on FM 96.9 and AM 740.