The Orlando Magic's senior vice president and NBA executive Pat Williams has been diagnosed with bone cancer.

The 70-year-old told the Orlando Sentinel Tuesday that he has multiple myeloma, an aggressive cancer that attacks the blood plasma in the bone marrow.

"We have launched the treatment as fast and directly as possible," Williams said in a statement on the Magics's website. "The mission is remission. That's the goal."

Williams has authored more than 70 books and is a noted Christian motivational speaker.

"I've delivered many a motivational speech about the stuff you always hear about in sports," Williams said. "I've stood up there and told other people you can't give up and you've got to show courage, perseverance and will."

"Now, I get to live out the things I always talk about," he added. "That's a privilege."

The NBA executive said he's been forced to scale back on his some of his daily activities.

"The only pain that I have is in my lower back area and some days are better than others," Williams said. "I'm finding that there's a pattern of pain in my lower back and it's intense at times.''

Williams and his wife are the parents of 19 children.