Pat Croce Biography
Pat Croce (born – Pasquale Croce) is an American Entrepreneur, TV personality, Author, and Sports Team Executive, well-known as a former president of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. He is also known for his books, such as “I Feel Great and You Will Too!”, “110%”, “Victory Journal”, “Blackbeard”, and “Stretching for Athletics”.
Pat Croce Age
Croce was born on November 2, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He is therefore 68 years old as of 2023. He celebrates his birthday on the 2nd of November every year.
Pat Croce Height
Croce stands at an approximate height of 6 feet and 2 inches.
Pat Croce Family
Croce was born to his loving parents, whose names are unknown. His mom is Irish American and his dad is Italian American. He grew up alongside his 3 brothers; Joe Croce, Vincent Croce, and John Croce.
Pat Croce Wife / Children
Croce is married to his lovely spouse, Diane Croce. They tied the knot in the year 1978. They first met at the University of Pittsburgh. The couple takes great pride in being dad and mom to their 2 children, Kelly Croce Sorg (daughter) and Michael (son).
Pat Croce Net Worth
Croce has an estimated net worth of $300 Million which he has earned through his successful career as an Entrepreneur, TV personality, Author, and Sports Team Executive.
Pat Croce Career | Pirate
Croce’s career started as a physical therapist. He worked with the Philadelphia Flyers as a coach for rehabilitation and physical conditioning. He also had a position at the Sports Medicine Clinic of Haverford Community Hospital, where he served as an administrative director. Besides, he is skilled in taekwondo and has a black belt. He provided commentary on taekwondo during the Summer Olympics in the year 2016.
In the year 1984, he started Sports Physical Therapists. He worked hard and expanded the business to have 40 centers in 11 states. Later, in the year 1993, he sold it for a huge amount of $40 million. Some famous people he worked with were Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, and Mike Schmidt. After that, he went to work for NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers as the president. He held that role for 5 years (1996 – 2001)
After leaving the Philadelphia 76ers, he went to work as a TV commentator for NBC’s National Basketball Association (NBA). He also commentated on taekwondo during the 2004 Summer Olympics. In that same year, he had his own TV show called “Pat Croce: Moving In,” which was about self-help. The show started on September 13, 2004, but unfortunately, it got canceled in the year 2005.
Croce started the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum in Key West, Florida, in January 2005. The museum cost $10 million and has real pirate things, some from his own collection. Then, in February 2006, he opened a pirate-themed restaurant called Rum Barrel next to the museum. Later, in February 2010, it was decided to move the museum to St. Augustine, Florida. Finally, on December 8, 2010, the museum opened there.
Croce is the owner and manager of the Colonial Quarter Living History Museum in St. Augustine, Florida. This museum is in partnership with the University of Florida and started on March 16, 2013. Since January 2010, he has been a member of the board of directors for Movitas, a mobile technology company that focuses on helping the hospitality industry.
In the past, he was one of the four judges for the second season of a TV show called American Inventor. This show aired from June to August 2007 on ABC. In October 2011, he founded and took part in a significant expedition that discovered the shipwrecks of Sir Francis Drake. When coming to his education, Croce is a proud alumnus of West Chester University. He is also a 1977 alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
Pat Croce Philadelphia 76ers
Croce worked as an athletic trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers for over a decade. His original job was to help the 7’6″ tall center Shawn Bradley get stronger. Later, in the year 1996, he became the president and a partial owner of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team. He was part of a group led by Comcast and Ed Snider that purchased the team. During their ownership, the team improved significantly, going from last place in 1996 to making it to the NBA Finals in the year 2001.
Regarding his management and ownership, Croce has said that his main goal was not just about basketball success. He wanted to change the perception of the city from a “can’t do” attitude to a “can do” mindset.
Croce is also famous for personally welcoming and meeting fans. He even made sure to get a front-row seat for low-level 76ers staff members like maintenance workers, ushers, and people who worked at the concessions. He got a lot of attention for being the first trainer ever to become an owner of a professional sports team. Success magazine even featured him on their cover.
He also appeared in Inc. magazine. In June 2001, he made a bold decision by refusing to let former President Bill Clinton into his private box during an important game of the NBA Finals. He did this because he didn’t want to inconvenience his friends, family, and dedicated Sixers fans. After the 2001 season, Croce resigned as president of the 76ers. The reason for his resignation was a disagreement with Ed Snider, who was part of the group that owned the team.
Pat Croce Cancer / Health
In the year 2020, Croce had T-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer. After surgery and radiation, he was left with a big scar on his chest, around 58 stitches long. Instead of seeing cancer as a curse, he believes it was a blessing in disguise.
After being away from public life for six years, Croce has teamed up with the American Cancer Society for a new project called HEALED (Health and Energy through Active Living Every Day). In just the last month, they have already raised $1.7 million, but they plan to do much more.
Croce reached this point by becoming more self-aware. At the age of 60, he decided to find true happiness, and he found it through mindfulness and introspection while traveling to Bhutan. Now, he spends his days in peace and quiet on a 53-acre private retreat near Philadelphia, which he calls “meditation hill.”
Pat Croce Motocycle Accident
In the year 2020, just before being diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma, he had a serious motorcycle accident. The accident was a result of fog on the road. He explained that after the fog cleared, he saw that his left leg was badly broken, and pieces of it were spread on the wet road. His motorcycle was on the ground next to him, and his boot was off. It was strange because it seemed like he had been knocked right out of his boot. When he picked it up, he was shocked to discover that his foot was still inside it! However, he recovered from the serious injuries, and he is now well.
Pat Croce House
In the year 2014, Croce sold a big mansion in Villanova for $3,081,164 in an auction. The mansion, built in the year 1925, has a grand entrance with a double staircase and a fancy chandelier. Inside, there is a luxurious kitchen, a library, an office, 6 bedrooms, 3 half bathrooms, and 5 full bathrooms. The house also has 5 fireplaces, unique woodwork, and beautiful Italian marble carvings. Outside, there are tennis courts and a pool. The master suite has separate bathrooms for him and her and a dressing room that any woman would love to have.
Pat Croce Books
Croce has authored a number of books, which are:
- Stretching for Athletics
- Conditioning for Ice Hockey: Year ‘Round
- A Baseball Player’s Guide to Sports Medicine
- 110%
- I Feel Great and You Will Too!
- Victory Journal
- Do It Now Journal
- The Pirate Handbook
- Lead or Get Off the Pot!!
- Pirate Soul – A Swashbuckling Journey Through the Golden Age of Pirates
- Blackbeard
- My Pop-Pop is a Pirate
- Pirates of St. Augustine
Pat Croce Social Media Platforms
He is active on his social media accounts and often posts on his Facebook and Twitter. He has over 12.4K followers on Twitter.