Peter Press Maravich (June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), nicknamed "Pistol Pete", was an American basketball player. A native Pennsylvanian, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University (LSU) and for three NBA teams. He is still the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game.[1] He accomplished this without the benefit of a three-point line and despite the fact that NCAA rules prohibited him from playing on the varsity team as a freshman.
Years later former LSU head basketball coach Dale Brown charted every college game Maravich played, taking into consideration all shots he took. The coach calculated that at the NCAA rule of a three-point line at 19-foot (5.8 m), 9-inches from the rim, Maravich would have averaged thirteen 3-point scores per game, which would have given the player a career average of 57 points per game.[2]
Maravich died suddenly at age 40 as a consequence of a previously undetected congenital heart defect. His last words, spoken less than a minute before he was stricken and died in the arms of James Dobson, were "I feel great."[3]
Early life
Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a small steel town in the Pittsburgh metropolitan 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 Maravich the fundamentals starting when he was seven years old. Maravich would obsessively spend hours practicing ball control tricks, passes, head fakes, and long range shots.
Maravich got his nickname "Pistol" in high school. He would shoot the ball from the side like he was holding a pistol. Maravich attended and played basketball at Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina from 1961 to 1963. While at Daniel, Maravich participated in the school's first ever game against a team from an all-black school. In 1963, the family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where he attended and played for Needham B. Broughton High School.[4]
College
While Maravich would tell friends later in life he always desired to play basketball for West Virginia University and was all set to be a Mountaineer, his father was the varsity coach at LSU and his father offered the "Pistol" a spot at LSU. In his first game on the LSU freshman team Maravich put up 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists against Southeastern Louisiana College.[5]
In only three years playing for his father 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 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 in each of his three seasons.[6] He was a three-time All-American and, more than 35 years later, many of his records still stand.
Notably, his 3,667 points don't factor in the 741 he scored his freshman year (at the time, freshmen were not allowed to play on varsity teams) or the fact that he did not have the benefit of the three-point line (instituted much later).
Pete Maravich was classified as one of the greatest players in college basketball history who never played in the NCAA tournament.
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.
NBA
After graduating from LSU in 1970, Maravich was the third selection in the first round of that year's NBA player draft[7] and made league history when he signed a $1.9 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 the 1976-77 season 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.[8] Maravich retired in the fall of 1980. He was known for the fake wrist pass "the pistol".
Later life and death
A leg injury during the 1977-78 NBA season started a downward spiral that prompted the decline of his career. After the 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.
A few years before 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."[9]
Pete Maravich was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in May 1987. At age 39, he was one of the youngest players ever to be inducted.
On January 5, 1988, Pete Maravich collapsed and died, at age 40, of a heart attack[10] while playing in a pickup basketball game in the gym at the First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena with a group that included Focus on the Family head James Dobson. (Maravich had flown out from his home in Louisiana to tape a segment for Dobson's radio show later that day.) Dobson has said that his last words, less than a minute before he died, were "I feel great." 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.[11]
"He'll be remembered always", former LSU head basketball coach Dale Brown said on hearing the news of Maravich's death.[cite this quote]
At the age of 25 and years before his death, Maravich had 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."[12][13]
Maravich is buried at Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Mausoleum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Legacy
In addition to his wife, Jackie, Pete Maravich was survived by his two sons Jaeson, who was 8 years old, and his younger brother, Josh, aged 5. At home, Pete Maravich would take his sons up to the third floor of their home where they would perform the dribbling and shooting drills Pete had learned from his father. Only the previous year, Pete had taken Jaeson to the 1987 NBA All-Star Game in Seattle, Washington and introduced him to Michael Jordan.
Since Maravich's children were very young when he died, Jackie Maravich initially shielded them from unwanted media attention, even not allowing Jaeson and Josh to attend their father's funeral.[14] However, a proclivity to basketball seemed to be an inherited trait. During a 2003 interview, Jaeson told USA Today that, when he was still only a toddler, "My dad passed me a (Nerf) basketball, and I've been hooked ever since...My dad said I shot and missed, and I got mad and I kept shooting. He said his dad told him he did the same thing." [15] Despite some setbacks coping with their father's death and without the benefit his tutelage might have provided, each eventually was inspired to play high school and collegiate basketball, Josh at his father's alma mater, LSU. [15] As of 2008, both men had also signed to play professional basketball with the Santa Barbara Breakers (West Coast Basketball League).[16][17]
Honors, books and films
- After Maravich's death, Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer signed a proclamation officially renaming the LSU home court the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
- In 1991, a biographical film dramatizing his 8th grade season entitled, The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend, was released.[18]
- In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History by a panel made up of NBA historians, and coaches. He was the only deceased player on the list. At the 1997 All-Star Game at halftime in Cleveland, he was represented by his two sons.
- 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:
Video game depictions
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 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
- Shares 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)
- #23 Jersey retired by LSU (2007)
- In 1970, Maravich led LSU to a 20-8 record and a third place finish in the NIT
| Team |
Year |
Games |
Points |
PPG |
Rebounds |
RPG |
Assists |
APG |
| LSU |
1966-67[19] |
17 |
741 |
43.6 |
| LSU |
1967-68 |
26 |
1138 |
43.8 |
195 |
7.5 |
105 |
4.0 |
| LSU |
1968-69 |
26 |
1148 |
44.2 |
169 |
6.5 |
128 |
4.9 |
| LSU |
1969-70 |
31 |
1381 |
44.5 |
164 |
5.3 |
192 |
6.2 |
| TOTALS |
1967-70[20] |
83 |
3667 |
44.2 |
528 |
6.4 |
425 |
5.1 |
Professional
- NBA All-Rookie Team
- All-NBA First Team (1976, 1977)
- 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 (2002), even though he never played for them—one of only four players to have a number retired by a team they did not play for.
See also
References
- ^ "Peter P. "Pete" Maravich". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/bhof-pete-maravich.html. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
- ^ Levine, Les. "James' 55 were Pistol Pete-esque", The News-Herald (Ohio), February 22, 2009. Acecssed June 14, 2009.
- ^ "Years later, shock still lingers over Pete Maravich's death". Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2003752122_maravich18.html. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ http://www.nba.com/history/players/maravich_summary.html
- ^ Federman, Wayne; Terrill, Marshall; Maravich, Jackie (2006). Maravich. p. 68. ISBN 1894963520.
- ^ Rogers, Thomas. "Pete Maravich, a Hall of Famer Who Set Basketball Marks, Dies", The New York Times, January 6, 1988. Accessed June 14, 2009.
- ^ "1970 NBA Draft". Basketball Reference. http://www.databasebasketball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?lg=N&yr=1970. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
- ^ Deseret Morning News | 25 years later the Jazz are going strong
- ^ Federman, p. 367
- ^ New York Times, 1988/01/10: MARAVICH IS EULOGIZED
- ^ Pistol Pete 23
- ^ Federman, p. 224
- ^ ESPN.com Bob Carter. "Maravich's creative artistry dazzled" Accessed 06 February 2008
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/17/sports/ncaabasketball/17MARA.html?ex=1392354000&en=b05e4e15f6eb9dca&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND
- ^ a b http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/2003-02-12-maravich-sons_x.htm
- ^ http://www.breakersbasketball.com/pdfs/2008-03-27-Breakerssignhigh-scoringJaesonMaravich.pdf
- ^ http://louisianastate.scout.com/a.z?s=107&p=8&c=1&nid=1613214
- ^ PistolMovie.com - The Home of "The Pistol" on DVD
- ^ At this time, freshmen did not play on the varsity team and these stats do not count in the NCAA record books.
- ^ These stat totals do not include Maravich's freshman year stats.
Further reading
- Berger, Phil (1999). Forever Showtime: The Checkered Life of Pistol Pete Maravich. Taylor Trade. ISBN 0-87833-237-5.
- Federman, Wayne and Terrill, Marshall (2007). Maravich. SportClassic Books. ISBN 1-894963-52-0.
- Federman, Wayne and Terrill, Marshall (2008). Pete Maravich: The Authorized Biography of Pistol Pete. Focus on the Family/Tyndale House Publishers. ISBN 1589975359.
- Gutman, Bill (1972). Pistol Pete Maravich: The making of a basketball superstar. Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 0-448-01973-6.
- Kriegel, Mark (2007). Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich. Free Press. ISBN 0743284976.
- Maravich, Pete and Campbell, Darrel (1987). Heir To A Dream. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. ISBN 0840776098.
- Towle, Mike (2000). I Remember Pete Maravich. Nashville: Cumberland House. ISBN 1-58182-148-4.
- Towle, Mike (2003). Pete Maravich: Magician of the Hardwood. Nashville: Cumberland House. ISBN 1-58182-374-6.
- Brown, Danny (2008).Shooting the Pistol: Courtside Photographs of Pete Maravich at LSU .Louisiana State University Press ISBN 978-0-8071-3327-9
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| Persondata |
| NAME |
Maravich, Pete |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES |
Maravich, Peter Press (full name) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION |
Serb-American basketball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH |
June 22, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH |
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania |
| DATE OF DEATH |
January 5, 1988 |
| PLACE OF DEATH |
Pasadena, California |
