"Pistol" Pete Maravich

Peter "Pistol Pete" Maravich (June 22, 1947 - January 5, 1988) was an American basketball player known for his dazzling ballhandling, incredible shooting abilities, and creative passing. He learned at a very young age fundamental basketball and ball handling drills from his father coach Press Maravich. He would follow his father and coach throughout the eastern and gulf seaboards as a young man before exploding onto the National Basketball Association (NBA) in his own right.

Also known as "Pistol Pete", he starred in college at Louisiana State University and for three NBA teams. Maravich is still the all-time leading NCAA scorer, averaging a staggering 44.2 points per game, without the benefit of a three-point line and excluding the records of his freshman year due to the fact that when Pete was in his first year of college, the NCAA had separate freshmen and varsity basketball teams and freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity team. It was calculated by LSU coach Dale Brown that Maravich would have averaged 57 points per game with the benefit of a college three-point line.

Position - Guard
Nickname - "Pistol" Pete
Height - 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight - 198 lb (90 kg)
Nationality - USA
Born - June 22, 1947(1947-06-22)
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Died - January 5, 1988 (aged 40)
Pasadena, California
College - Louisiana State University
Draft - 3rd overall, 1970
Atlanta Hawks
Pro career - 1970 thru 1980
Former teams - Atlanta Hawks (1970-1974)
New Orleans Jazz (1974-1979)
Utah Jazz (1979-1980)
Boston Celtics (1979-1980)
Awards - 1969-70 USBWA College Player of the Year
Hall of Fame - 1987

Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a small steel town in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, that is part of the Pittsburgh metro area. Maravich amazed his family and friends with his basketball abilities from an early age. His father Press Maravich, a former professional player turned coach, showed Pete the fundamentals starting when Pete was seven years old. Pete would obsessively spend hours practicing ball control tricks, passes, head fakes, and long range shots. The elder Maravich required his son to make 100 shots from the free throw line in their driveway every night after dinner before he would be allowed to go to bed. Maravich claimed he often made 99 straight before deliberately missing the next several shots just so he could continue playing ball outside. Maravich's father claims that at the age of 11 the younger Maravich once succeeded in making 500 consecutive free throws one evening after school, stopping only when it became too dark to see the rim, illuminated only by the elder Maravich's flashlight. How Pete got his nickname the Pistol was back in elementary school he would shoot the ball from the side like he was holding a pistol. Since he wasn't strong enough to shoot it from the front someone from a newspaper said "He shoots like he's holding a pistol"

When he took the court for his first freshman game at LSU, a large crowd turned out to see what all the fuss was about.

In those days, freshman players did not play with the varsity squad. So, after Maravich put up 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists on Southeastern Louisiana College, the crowd got up and went home, ignoring the varsity game. And so it would go the rest of the season, as LSU's freshman squad lost only one game, while the varsity team won only three.

Noted for his mop of brown hair and floppy socks, Maravich scored more points in college than any other player in history. In only three years playing for his father Press Maravich at LSU, Maravich scored 3,667 points - 1,138 points in 1968, 1,148 points in 1969 and 1,381 points in 1970 while averaging 43.8, 44.2 and 44.5 points per game. In the process, "Pistol Pete" set 11 NCAA and 34 Southeastern Conference records, as well as every LSU record in points scored, scoring average, field goals attempted and made, and free throws attempted and made, and assists. In his collegiate career, the 6' 5" (1.96 m) guard averaged an incredible 44.2 points per game in 83 contests and led the NCAA in scoring three times. He also set an NCAA record by scoring more than 50 points 28 times. He was named a three-time All-American and still holds many of these records, more than 35 years later. Notably, his 3,667 points don't factor in the 741 he scored his freshman year, or the fact that they played without a three-point line.

Maravich was a three time first team All-American and was named The Sporting News' player of the year in 1970, and received the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith Award as well. He scored a personal record of 69 points versus Alabama during a game that year, and garnered numerous other awards and college records.

Maravich shone on the court and LSU slowly turned around a lackluster program. The year before he arrived, the varsity posted a 3-20 record. In Pete's senior season, LSU was 20-8 and participated in the NIT, where they were defeated by Marquette 101-79 in the semi-finals. Maravich was also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon while at LSU

After graduating from LSU in 1970, Maravich was the third selection in the first round of that year's NBA player draft and made league history when he signed a $1.6 million contract - one of the highest salaries at the time - with the Atlanta Hawks. He wasted little time becoming a prime time player by averaging 23.2 points per game his rookie season and being named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. After spending four seasons in Atlanta, Maravich was traded to the New Orleans Jazz for 8 players, where he peaked as an NBA showman and superstar. He made the All-NBA First Team in 1976 and 1977 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1973 and 1978. He led the NBA in scoring in 1976-1977 with 31.1 points per game. Prior to the 1979-80 season, Maravich moved with the team to Utah. He was waived by the Jazz on January 18, 1980 and was quickly picked up by the Boston Celtics where he played the rest of the season alongside Larry Bird.[3] Maravich retired in the fall of 1980.

In ten NBA seasons, Maravich, a five time NBA All-Star, scored 15,948 points in 658 games for a 24.2 points per game average (16th All Time). He led the league in scoring with 31.1 points per game in 1976-1977. His NBA single game high, a 68-point explosion while fouling out, came against the New York Knicks on February 25, 1977.

In college, "Pistol Pete" Maravich scored at least 50 points 28 times, an NCAA record that has never been challenged. But his most memorable game occurred in the NBA, when he scored 68 points against the New York Knicks on February 25, 1977. At the time, it was a record for a guard and only Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor had ever scored more points in an NBA game.

The 68 points against New York was remarkable because the Knicks' backcourt, featuring Walt Frazier, was renowned for its defense. Maravich made 26 field goals and 16 free throws. Had the 3-point rule been in effect & had he not fouled out, he would have scored close to 80 points.