Ahead of the Game: The Pat Williams Story [Hardcover]

Pat Williams (Author), James D. Denney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999

Autobiography of Pat Williams of the Orlando Magic, in which he shares his ups and downs in professional sports as well as in his personal life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An intriguing and effective look at both [Williams's] professional life in and around the Orlando Magic and his private life.... Williams makes an honest attempt to face his mistakes and enrich his life. The lessons he has learned are in the book for the taking -- The Orlando Sentinel, February 12, 1999

Both an exhilarating success ride and a sad look inside a crumbling marriage....Readers will appreciate wonderful stories of sports promotions and stars. Yet they'll also hear the Gospel and how it impacted Williams' life during tough situations....Because he's a great storyteller and has been in many amazing situations, this is an exciting read -- CBA Marketplace, January 1999

I love biographies! This is the best one I've read in years! What honesty and what a challenging and exciting life. Pat is a true credit to sports and to the Lord! -- Bill Glass

It comes at you loud and clear with heart wrenching honesty from one of the most magical people in all of sports -- Dick Ebersol, president, NBC TV Sports

Ive always admired the skills and talent of the public side of Pat Williams. And I have been privileged over the past several years to become his friend and get to know him from the inside out. His integrity, passion, and heart will inspire and encourage you. I love Pat Williams and you will too after you read this book -- Dr. John C. Maxwell, author, speaker, and founder of INJOY

Pat Williams is a magician! He turns words into emotions, images, and laughter. Reading Ahead of the Game brought back memories of the most thrilling time of my life as if it were yesterday. Best of all, this book is more than an autobiography--it is filled with motivational insights and life lessons for finding happiness and success! -- Julius "Dr. J" Erving

We already knew that Pat Williams was an all-world general manager, wit, and dad. To that add: world-class memoirist. Ahead of the Game is a pure pleasure -- John Helyar, author of Lord of the Realm and coauthor of Barbarians at the Gate

What a ride! Pat Williams is unbelievable! -- Jerry B. Jenkins, author

Williams digs deep into his soul and bares it to the world in truthful, passionate, sometimes inspirational, oftentimes compelling ways -- The News Journal, April 5, 1999

About the Author

Pat Williams is senior executive vice president of the Orlando Magic and is a popular motivational speaker. He is the author of numerous books, including Making Magic, Go for the Magic, and The Magic of Teamwork. James D. Denney is a collaborative writer who has worked on numerous best-sellers, including Reggie White: In the Trenches (with Reggie White) and The City on a Hill (with Michael Reagan).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 348 pages
• Publisher: Fleming H Revell Co (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800717635
• ISBN-13: 978-0800717636
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,439,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Pat Williams is the senior vice president of the NBA's Orlando Magic. As one of America's top motivational, inspirational, and humorous speakers, he has addressed thousands of executives in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies and national associations to universities and nonprofits. Clients include AllState, American Express, Cisco, Coca-Cola, Disney, Honeywell, IBM, ING, Lockheed Martin, Nike, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Tyson Foods to name a few. Pat is also the author of over 55 books, his most recent title being "Bear Bryant on Leadership."

Pat served for seven years in the United States Army, spent seven years in the Philadelphia Phillies organization--two as a minor league catcher and five in the front office--and has also spent three years in the Minnesota Twins organization. Since 1968, he has been in the NBA as general manager for teams in Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia--including the 1983 World Champion 76ers--and now the Orlando Magic, which he co-founded in 1987 and helped lead to the NBA finals in 1995. Twenty-three of his teams have gone to the NBA playoffs and five have made the NBA finals. In 1996, Pat was named as one of the 50 most influential people in NBA history by a national publication.

Pat has been an integral part of NBA history, including bringing the NBA to Orlando. He has traded Pete Maravich as well as traded for Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Penny Hardaway, and he has won four NBA draft lotteries, including back-to-back winners in 1992 and 1993. He also drafted Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney and Darryl Dawkins. He signed Billy Cunningham, Chuck Daly, and Matt Guokas to their first professional coaching contracts. Nineteen of his former players have become NBA head coaches, nine have become college head coaches while seven have become assistant NBA coaches.

Pat and his wife, Ruth, are the parents of 19 children, including 14 adopted from four nations, ranging in age from 23 to 36. For one year, 16 of his children were all teenagers at the same time. Pat and his family have been featured in Sports Illustrated, Readers Digest, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, The Wall Street Journal, Focus on the Family, New Man Magazine, plus all of the major television networks, The Maury Povich Show and Dr. Robert Schuller's Hour of Power.

Pat teaches an adult Sunday school class at First Baptist Church of Orlando and hosts three weekly radio shows. In the last 13 years, he has completed 53 marathons--including the Boston Marathon 12 times--and also climbed Mt. Rainier. He is a weightlifter, Civil War buff and serious baseball fan. Every winter he plays in Major League Fantasy Camps and has caught Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins, Rollie Fingers, Gaylord Perry, Phil Niekro, Tom Seaver and Goose Gossage.

Pat was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, earned his bachelors degree at Wake Forest University, and his master's degree at Indiana University. He is a member of the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame after catching for the Deacon baseball team, including the 1962 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship team. He is also a member of the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS MAN HAS DONE IT ALL!!, March 28, 1999

By 

John DiPietro,[e-mail] (Boston, Masschusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ahead of the Game: The Pat Williams Story (Hardcover)

This is my third Pat WIlliams book and unlike the others which are "teaching books," this book tells the story of the story behind the stories! Pat Williams is a person with goals, dreams and objectives and without stepping on others, he sets out to achieve them. But like most people who have gained a degree of success in their life, the road has not always been smooth and paved with gold. This is a book that mirrors the "teaching books" in that it shows that Pat Williams actually has practiced what he preaches. Although filled with sports related stories, this book is also for those in businesses and careers that have nothing to do with the world of sports. Warning: Once you pick the pick the book up, you will have a hard time putting it down.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An In Depth Walk with Mr. Williams, November 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ahead of the Game: The Pat Williams Story (Hardcover)

This is a well-written and enjoyable book to read. Contains interesting stories that make you really feel like you know Mr. Williams by the end. Great reading for a sports enthusiast. You sense the enthusiasm in which Mr. Williams lives his life. However, you also sense that this enthusiasm stems from his ego, which literally oozes off the pages. This leaves the reader questioning whether Mr. Williams, despite all of his religious speaking engagements, is a humble Christian or an ego-driven people pleaser.

He frequently mentions his ex-wife and 18 children (14 foster children). I would like to read his biography from their perspective.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Extraordinary Book by an Extarordinary Person, August 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ahead of the Game: The Pat Williams Story (Hardcover)

Pat Williams has done it again! This autobiography gives the reader a courtside seat to Williams wonderful life. He takes us from his boyhood, to his days playing with a Miami farm club (baseball), all the way to his current position with the Orlando Magic. He has many great stories, and lessons to share upon the way. He also gives a detailed account of how becoming a Christian has fullfilled all that was missing in his life. Pat Williams is the master motivator, and once again encourages the reader to reach for the stars, and go for it! A must read for everyone.