Pete Maravich

** Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.**

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.

Early life
Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. 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.

College
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.


NBA
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. 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.


Later life and Death
After a leg injury forced him to leave basketball in the fall of 1980, Maravich became a recluse for two years. Through it all, Maravich said he was searching "for life." He tried the practices of yoga and Hinduism, read Trappist monk Thomas Merton's The Seven Storey Mountain, and took an interest in the field of ufology, the study of unidentified flying objects. He also explored vegetarianism and macrobiotics. In 1982, he became a Christian and began traveling the country sharing his new found faith in Jesus Christ.

A few years prior to his death, Maravich said, "I want to be remembered as a Christian, a person that serves Him to the utmost. Not as a basketball player."

On January 5, 1988, while warming up to play a pickup basketball game with a group that included Focus on the Family head James Dobson, he collapsed and died of a heart attack. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a rare congenital defect; he had been born with a missing left coronary artery, a vessel which supplies blood to the muscle fibers of the heart. His right coronary artery was grossly enlarged and had been compensating for the defect.

"He'll be remembered always", former LSU head basketball coach Dale Brown said on hearing the news of Maravich's death. "When we see some tousled-haired kid with drooping socks standing on some semi-darkened court or in a yard after everyone else has gone home, he will be shooting a basketball, and we will remember Pete."

At the age of 25 and years before his death, Maravich told Pennsylvania reporter, Andy Nuzzo, "I don't want to play 10 years in the NBA and then die of a heart attack at 40."

Maravich is buried at Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Mausoleum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.


Legacy
Maravich was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in May 1987. He is the youngest player ever to be inducted.
After Maravich's death, Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer signed a proclamation officially renaming the LSU home court the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in 1988.
In 1991, a biographical film dramatizing his 8th grade season entitled, The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend, was released.
In 1996, he was named one of the 50 greatest NBA players in history by a panel made up of NBA historians, former players, and coaches. He was the only deceased player on the list.
In 2001, a comprehensive 90-minute documentary film debuted on CBS entitled, Pistol Pete: The Life and Times of Pete Maravich.
In 2005, ESPNU named Maravich the greatest college basketball player of all-time.
In 2007, two biographies of Maravich were released:
MARAVICH by Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill, and
Pistol by Mark Kriegel
Pete is survived by his two sons Jaeson and Josh who both carry on the Maravich name in collegiate play.
Jaeson at William Carey College and Josh at Louisiana State University.

Video game depictions
Is a legend in every NBA Live series made.
In NBA Ballers with a flashback haircut.
In NCAA March Madness as "LSU PG #12" on the All-Time LSU team.
In NBA Street Vol. 2. and NBA Street V3
In NBA Street Showdown
In NBA 2K7

Awards and records

Collegiate
The Sporting News College Player of the Year (1970)
USBWA College Player of the Year (1969, 1970)
Naismith Award Winner (1970)
The Sporting News All-America First Team (1968, 1969, 1970)
Three-time AP and UPI First-Team All-America (1968, 1969, 1970)
Holds NCAA career record for most points (3,667, 44.2 ppg, three-year career) in 83 games
Holds NCAA career record for highest points per game average (44.2 ppg)
Holds NCAA record for most field goals made (1,387) and attempted (3,166)
Holds NCAA record for most free throws made (893) and attempted (1,152)
Holds NCAA record for most games scoring at least 50 points (28)
Holds NCAA single-season record for most points (1,381) and highest per game average (44.5 ppg) in 1970
Holds NCAA single-season record for most field goals made (522) and attempted (1,168) in 1970
Holds NCAA single-season record for most games scoring at least 50 points (10) in 1970
Holds NCAA single-game record for most free throws made (30 of 31) against Oregon State on Dec. 22, 1969
Led the NCAA Division I in scoring with 43.8 ppg (1968); 44.2 (1969) and 44.5 ppg (1970)
Averaged 43.6 ppg on the LSU freshman team (1967)
Scored a career-high 69 points vs. Alabama (Feb. 7, 1970); 66 vs. Tulane (Feb. 10, 1969); 64 vs. Kentucky (Feb. 21, 1970); 61 vs. Vanderbilt (Dec. 11, 1969);
Holds LSU records for most field goals in a game (26) against Vanderbilt on Jan. 29, 1969 and attempted (57) against Vanderbilt
All-Southeastern Conference (1968, 1969, 1970)
In 1988, Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer signed legislation changing the official name of LSU's home court to the Maravich Assembly Center
#23 Jersey retired by LSU (2007)
One of only 4 players to have his number retired by a team he never played for (New Orleans Hornets)
In 1970, Maravich led LSU to a 20-8 record and a third place finish in the NIT

Professional
NBA All-Rookie Team
All-NBA First Team (1976, 1978)
All-NBA Second Team (1973, 1978)
Five-time NBA All-Star (1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979)
Scored 15,948 points (24.2 ppg) in 658 games
Top 16 scoring average NBA history (24.2)
Led the NBA in scoring (31.1 ppg) in 1977, his career best
Scored a career-high 68 points against the New York Knicks on Feb. 25, 1977
Shares NBA single-game record for most free throws made in one quarter (14) on Nov. 28, 1973 against Buffalo
Shares NBA single-game record for most free throws attempted in one quarter (16) on Jan. 2, 1973 against Chicago
#7 jersey retired by the Utah Jazz (1985)
#7 jersey retired by the Superdome (1988)
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996)
#7 jersey retired by the New Orleans Hornets (2003)