Pat Croce Biography
Pat Croce is an American TV personality, entrepreneur, author, sports team executive and owner. Croce served as the team president of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s Philadelphia 76ers from 1996 to 2001.
He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the year 1977.
Pat Croce Age
He was born (Pasquale “Pat” Croce) on November 2, 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He is 68 years old as of 2022.
Pat Croce Height
Croce stands at a height of about 5 feet 9 inches tall.
Pat Croce Family
Croce is the son of an Italian American father and Irish American mother. He has tree brothers Joe Croce, Vincent Croce, and John Croce.
Pat Croce Wife | Pat Croce Children
He is married to Diane Croce from 14 January 1978. The couple has two children a son called Michael and a daughter named Kelly Croce Sorg.
Pat Croce Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $300 million which he has earned through his career and businesses.
Pat Croce 76ers
Croce is the former 76ers owner and president from 1996 to 2001. He first joined as an athletic trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers for more than 10 years, originally hired to help thin 7’6″ center Shawn Bradley bulk up.
In 1996, Croce became president of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team as part of a group led by Flyers founder Ed Snider and Comcast that bought the team. He took part in two major milestones with the Philadelphia franchise: drafting Allen Iverson No. 1 overall in the 1996 draft and also overseeing the 76ers’ NBA finals run in 2001.
In June 2001, he refused to allow former President Bill Clinton into his private box in game 3 of the NBA Finals. Croce resigned from Philadelphia 76ers after the 2001 season.
He appeared on the cover of Success magazine as the first trainer to rise from the training room to an ownership position with a professional sports team. Croce has also been featured in Sales & Marketing Management and in Inc.
Pat Croce Key West | Pat Croce Pirate Museum
In January 2005, Croce opened the $10 million St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum in Key West, Florida. The museum features authentic pirate artifacts, many of them been from Croce’s personal collection.
In February 2010, it was announced that the museum was being moved from Key West, Florida to St. Augustine, Florida. The museum opened on December 8, 2010.
Pat Croce Restaurants Key West
In February 2006, he opened the pirate-themed Rum Barrel restaurant next to the museum.
Pat Croce Career
He started his career as a physical therapist and was a physical conditioning and rehabilitation coach for the Philadelphia Flyers and an administrative director of the Sports Medicine Clinic of Haverford Community Hospital.
In 1984, he founded Sports Physical Therapists and grew the business into a chain of 40 centers spanning 11 states before selling it in 1993 for $40 million.
In October 2011, he financed and served on the monumental expedition that located the shipwrecks of Sir Francis Drake.
Croce is a black belt in Taekwondo, and in 2004, he was a commentator on the NBA on NBC for the Summer Olympic games of Taekwondo.
He was one of the four judges for the second season of ABC’s reality television series, American Inventor, which ran from June to August 2007. As of January 2010, he serves on the board of directors for Movitas, a mobile technology company focused on the hospitality industry
Pat Croce House
Croce is currently living in peace and tranquility just outside Philadelphia on his 53-acre private retreat which he calls his”meditation hill.”
Pat Croce Books
Croce is an author of several books. He has written books on pirates, some of which include My Pop Pop Is A Pirate (2008), and Pirate Soul (2006). He has also written a series of historic fiction books based on the lives of pirates such as Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan.
Croce has also written self-help books such as; 110% (2001), Pat Croce’s Victory Journal (2002), Lead Or Get Off The Pot (2004), and the Do It Now! Journal (2004), three of which topped The New York Times best-seller list.
Book listing;
- Conditioning for ice hockey, year round – 1983
- Stretching for Athletics – 1984
- Arthritic’s Guide to Sports and Fitness – 1985
- Tennis Player’s Guide to Sports Medicine – 1985
- The baseball player’s guide to sports medicine – 1987
- I Feel Great and You Will Too! An Inspiring Journey of Success with Practical Tips on How to Score Big in Life – 2000
- 110%: 110 Strategies For Feeling Great Every Day – 2001
- 110%-110 Strategies for Feelin – 2001
- Pat Croce’s Victory Journal – 2003
- Do It Now! – 2004
- Lead Or Get Off the Pot! The Seven Secrets of a Self-Made Leader – 2004
- My Pop-Pop Is a Pirate: A Swashbuckling Tale with a Treasure Trove of Interactive Extras – 2008
- Blackbeard – 2011
- Pirates of St. Augustine – 2011
- The Pirate Handbook: A Rogue’s Guide to Pillage, Plunder, Chaos & Conquest – 2011
- Drake’s Quest – 2012
- Sir Francis Drake – 2013
- Plunder ARC – 2015
Pat Croce Motorcycle Accident
In 1999, Croce was involved in a motorcycle accident where he nearly lost his leg in the accident, 40 miles into an “Ocean to Ocean” motorcycle tour.
Pat Croce Moving In
In 2004, Croce hosted his own syndicated self-help television show, Pat Croce: Moving In, which premiered on September 13, 2004.
In this series, Croce went to homes across the United States in a customized Prevost bus to help people in need and deal with issues that affected their private lives.
During its run it was shown on a majority of CBS affiliates, where it aired between ratings giants The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless. The show was canceled in 2005.