Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. He starred in college at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

's Tigers basketball team; his father,

Press Maravich Peter "Press" Maravich (August 29, 1915 – April 15, 1987) was an American college and professional basketball coach. He received the nickname "Press" as a boy, when one of his jobs was selling the '' Pittsburgh Press'' on the streets of his hom ...

, was the team's head coach. Maravich is the all-time leading

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

men's scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game. All of his accomplishments were achieved before the adoption of the three-point line and

shot clock A shot clock is a countdown timer used in a variety of games and sports, indicating a set amount of time that a team may possess the object of play before attempting to score a goal. Shot clocks are used in several sports including basketball, w ...

, and despite being unable to play varsity as a freshman under then-NCAA rules. Maravich was selected by the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

in the

1970 NBA draft The 1970 NBA draft was the 24th annual NBA draft, draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 23, 1970, before the 1970–71 NBA season, 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amate ...

, playing four seasons for the team. He was traded to the New Orleans Jazz, then an expansion team, with whom he spent the majority of the rest of his career. His final season was split between the Jazz and the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

. Injuries ultimately forced Maravich's retirement in 1980 following a 10-year professional basketball career. He was named an

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

five times and was named to four

All-NBA Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

s during his professional career. One of the youngest players ever inducted into the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

, Maravich was considered to be one of the greatest creative offensive talents ever and one of the best ball handlers of all time. He died suddenly at age 40 during a pick-up game in 1988 as a consequence of an undetected heart defect. Maravich was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary team in 1996 and 75th Anniversary team in 2021.

Early life

Maravich was born to Petar "Press" Maravich (1915–1987) and Helen Gravor Maravich (1925–1974) in

Aliquippa Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 9,238 at the 2020 census. It is located northwest of Pittsburgh and is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Formerly the location ...

, a steel town in Beaver County in

western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the Unite ...

, near

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. Maravich amazed his family and friends with his basketball abilities from an early age. He enjoyed a close but demanding father-son relationship that motivated him toward achievement and fame in the sport. Maravich's father was the son of

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

immigrants and a professional player–turned-coach. He showed his son the fundamentals starting when Pete was seven years old. Obsessively, young Maravich spent hours practicing ball control tricks, passes, head fakes, and long-range shots. Maravich played high school varsity ball at Daniel High School in

Central, South Carolina Central is a town in Pickens County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,159. Contrary to its name, it is not near South Carolina's center. It received its name from being halfway or the central point betw ...

, a year before being old enough to attend the school. While at Daniel from 1961 to 1963, Maravich participated in the school's first-ever game against a team from an all-black school. In 1963, his father departed from his position as head basketball coach at

Clemson University Clemson University () is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Clemson, South Carolina, United States. - The blue-shaded pattern denotes university property. This shows Clemson University is ''out ...

and joined the coaching staff at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

. While living in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, Maravich attended

Needham B. Broughton High School Needham B. Broughton High School (commonly known as Broughton High School) is one of thirty-two high schools in the Wake County Public School System. It is located at 723 St. Mary's Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Broughton was ...

, where his famous moniker was born. From his habit of shooting the ball from his side, as if holding a

revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...

, Maravich became known as "Pistol" Pete Maravich. He graduated from Broughton in 1965 and then attended Edwards Military Institute, where he averaged 33 points per game. Press Maravich was known to be extremely protective of Maravich, and would guard against any issue that might come up during his adolescence; Press threatened to shoot Maravich with a .45-caliber pistol if he drank or got into trouble. Maravich was 6 feet 4 inches in high school and was getting ready to play in college when his father took a coaching position at Louisiana State University.

College career

At that time, NCAA rules prohibited first-year students from playing at varsity level, which required Maravich to play on the freshman team. In his first game, Maravich put up 50

points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...

, 14

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

, and 11 assists against

Southeastern Louisiana College Southeastern Louisiana University (Southeastern) is a public university in Hammond, Louisiana. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims as Hammond Junior College. Sims succeeded in getting the campus moved to north Hammond in 1928, when it beca ...

In only three years playing on the varsity team (and under his father's coaching) at

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

, Maravich scored 3,667 points—1,138 of those in 1967–68, 1,148 in 1968–69, and 1,381 in 1969–70—while averaging 43.8, 44.2, and 44.5 points per game, respectively. For his collegiate career, the guard averaged 44.2 points per game in 83 contests and led the NCAA in scoring for each of his three seasons. Maravich's long-standing collegiate scoring record is particularly notable when three factors are taken into account: *First, because of the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

rules that prohibited him from taking part in varsity competition during his first year as a student, Maravich was prevented from adding to his career record for a full quarter of his time at LSU. During this first year, Maravich scored 741 points in freshman competition. *Second, Maravich played before the advent of the three-point line. This significant difference has raised speculation regarding just how much higher his records would be, given his long-range shooting ability and how such a component might have altered his play. Writing for

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...

, Bob Carter stated, "Though Maravich played before ..the 3-point shot was established, he loved gunning from long range." It has been reported that former LSU coach

Dale Brown Dale Brown (born November 2, 1956) is an American writer and aviator known for aviation techno-thriller novels. At least thirteen of his novels have been ''New York Times'' Best Sellers. Early life Brown was born in Buffalo, New York, and wa ...

charted every shot Maravich scored and concluded that, if his shots from three-point range had been counted as three points, Maravich's average would have totaled 57 points per game and 12 three-pointers per game. *Third, the

had also not yet been instituted in NCAA play during Maravich's college career. (A time limit on ball possession speeds up play, mandates an additional number of field goal attempts, eliminates stalling, and increases the number of possessions throughout the game, all resulting in higher overall scoring.) More than 50 years later, however, many of his NCAA and LSU records still stand. Maravich was a three-time

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

. Though he never appeared in the NCAA tournament, Maravich played a key role in turning around a lackluster program that had posted a 3–20 record in the season prior to his arrival. Maravich finished his college career in the

1970 National Invitation Tournament The 1970 National Invitation Tournament was the 1970 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. It was unique in that coach Al McGuire of 8th ranked Marquette University, unhappy with his team's NCAA tournament placement in the M ...

, where LSU finished fourth.

NCAA career statistics

Freshman

At this time, freshmen did not play on the varsity team and these stats do not count in the NCAA record books. , - , style="text-align:left;", 1966–67 , style="text-align:left;", Louisiana State , 19 , , 19 , , ... , , .452 , , ... , , .833 , , 10.4 , , ... , , ... , , ... , , 43.6

Varsity

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1967–68 , style="text-align:left;", Louisiana State , 26 , , 26 , , ... , , .423 , , ... , , .811 , , 7.5 , , 4.0 , , ... , , ... , , 43.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1968–69 , style="text-align:left;", Louisiana State , 26 , , 26 , , ... , , .444 , , ... , , .746 , , 6.5 , , 4.9 , , ... , , ... , , 44.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1969–70 , style="text-align:left;", Louisiana State , 31 , , 31 , , ... , , .447 , , ... , , .773 , , 5.3 , , 6.2 , , ... , , ... , , 44.5 , - , style="text-align:left;" colspan=2, Career , 83 , , 83 , , ... , , .438 , , ... , , .775 , , 6.5 , , 5.1 , , ... , , ... , , 44.2

Professional basketball career

Atlanta Hawks

The

selected Maravich with the third pick in the first round of the

, where he played for coach

Richie Guerin Richard Vincent Guerin (born May 29, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) New York Knicks from 1956 to 1963 and was a player-coach of the St. Louis/Atla ...

. He was not a natural fit in Atlanta. The Hawks already boasted a top-notch scorer at the guard position in

combo guard A combo guard is a basketball player who combines the attributes of a point guard (1) and shooting guard (2), but does not necessarily fit the standard description of either position. In men's basketball, such guards are usually within the 6' 3" ...

Lou Hudson Louis Clyde Hudson ("Sweet Lou") (July 11, 1944 – April 11, 2014) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player, who was an All-American at the University of Minnesota and a six-time NBA All-Star, scoring 17,940 total points in 1 ...

. In fact, Maravich's flamboyant style stood in stark contrast to the conservative play of Hudson and star center

Walt Bellamy Walter Jones Bellamy (July 24, 1939 – November 2, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. He played 14 seasons as a center in the National Basketball Association, playing for four different teams. As a star for Indiana University ...

. It also did not help that many of the veteran players resented the $1.9 million contract that Maravich received from the team—a very large salary at that time. Maravich appeared in 81 games and averaged 23.2 points per contest—good enough to earn

NBA All-Rookie Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

honors. He managed to blend his style with his teammates, so much so that Hudson set a career high by scoring 26.8 points per game. But the team stumbled to a 36–46 record—12 wins fewer than in the previous season. Still, the Hawks qualified for the playoffs, where they lost to the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

during the first round, as Maravich averaged 22 points a contest in the five-game series. Tom Van Arsdale and Pete Maravich

Maravich struggled somewhat during his second season. His scoring average dipped to 19.3 points per game, and the Hawks finished with another disappointing 36–46 record. Once again they qualified for the playoffs, and once again they were eliminated in the first round. However, Atlanta fought hard against the

, with Maravich averaging 27.7 points in the series. Maravich erupted in his third season, averaging 26.1 points (fifth in the NBA) and dishing out 6.9 assists per game (sixth in the NBA). With 2,063 points, he combined with Hudson (2,029 points) to become only the second set of teammates in league history to each score over 2,000 points in a single season. The Hawks soared to a 46–36 record, but again bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. However, the season was good enough to earn Maravich his first-ever appearance in the

NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...

, and also All-NBA Second Team honors. The following season (1973–74) was his best yet—at least in terms of individual accomplishments. Maravich posted 27.7 points per game—second in the league behind

Bob McAdoo Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. ( ; born September 25, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Mos ...

—and earned his second appearance in the All-Star Game, where he would start for the Eastern Conference and score 15 points. However, Atlanta sank to a disappointing 35–47 record and missed the postseason entirely. By this point, he and head coach

Cotton Fitzsimmons Lowell Gibbs "Cotton" Fitzsimmons (October 7, 1931 – July 24, 2004) was an American college and NBA basketball coach. A native of Bowling Green, Missouri, he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal, ...

did not get along, with the latter giving him a two game suspension at one point.

New Orleans Jazz

In the summer of 1974, the expansion New Orleans Jazz franchise was preparing for its first season of competition in the NBA and was looking to generate excitement among its new basketball fans. With his exciting style of play, Maravich was seen as the perfect man for the job. Additionally, he was already a celebrity in the state due to his accomplishments at LSU. To acquire Maravich, the Jazz traded two players and four draft picks to Atlanta. The expansion team struggled mightily in its first season. Maravich managed to score 21.5 points per game, but shot a career-worst 41.9% from the floor. The Jazz posted a 23–59 record, worst in the NBA. Jazz management did its best to give Maravich a better supporting cast. The team posted a 38–44 record in its second season (1975–76), but did not qualify for postseason play despite the dramatic improvement. Maravich struggled with injuries that limited him to just 62 games that season, but he averaged 25.9 points per contest (third behind McAdoo and

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...

) and continued his crowd-pleasing antics. He was elected to the

All-NBA First Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

that year. The following season (1976–77) was his most productive in the NBA. He led the league in scoring with an average of 31.1 points per game. He scored 40 points or more in 13 games, and 50 or more in four games. His 68-point masterpiece against the Knicks was at the time the most points ever scored by a guard in a single game, and only two players at any position had ever scored more:

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...

and

Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lak ...

. Coincidentally, Baylor was head coach of the Jazz at that time. Despite Maravich's performance, the team finished at 35–47 (three wins shy of the previous season) and once again failed to make the playoffs. Maravich earned his third All-Star game appearance and was honored as All-NBA First Team for the second consecutive season. Injuries to both knees forced him to miss 32 games during the 1977–78 season. Despite being robbed of some quickness and athleticism, he still managed to score 27.0 points per game, and he also added 6.7 assists per contest, his highest average as a member of the Jazz. Many of those assists went to new teammate

Truck Robinson Leonard Eugene "Truck" Robinson (born October 4, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Washington Bullets (1974–77), Atlanta Hawks (1977), New Orl ...

, who had joined the franchise as a free agent during the off season. In his first year in New Orleans, Robinson averaged 22.7 points and a league-best 15.7 rebounds per game. Robinson's presence prevented opponents from focusing their defensive efforts entirely on Maravich, and it lifted the Jazz to a 39–43 record—just short of making the club's first appearance in the playoffs. Knee problems plagued Maravich for the rest of his career. He played in just 49 games during the 1978–79 season. He scored 22.6 points per game that season and earned his fifth and final All-Star appearance, but his scoring and passing abilities were severely impaired. The team struggled on the court, and faced serious financial trouble, as well. Management became desperate to make some changes. The Jazz traded Robinson to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

, receiving draft picks and some cash in return. However, in 1979, team owner Sam Battistone moved the Jazz to

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

Final season

The Utah Jazz began play in the 1979–80 season. Maravich moved with the team to

, but his knee problems were worse than ever. He appeared in 17 games early in the season, but his injuries prevented him from practicing much, and new coach

Tom Nissalke Thomas Edward Nissalke (July 7, 1932 – August 22, 2019) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association. He coached several teams in both leagues, and had an overall coa ...

had a strict rule that players who did not practice were not allowed to play in games. Thus, Maravich was parked on the bench for 24 straight games, much to the dismay of Utah fans and to Maravich himself. During that time,

Adrian Dantley Adrian Delano Dantley (born February 28, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dantley is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection an ...

emerged as the team's franchise player. The Jazz placed Maravich on waivers in January 1980. He signed with the Celtics, the top team in the league that year, led by rookie superstar

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...

. Maravich adjusted to a new role as part-time contributor, giving Boston a "

hired gun A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather th ...

" on offense off the bench. He helped the team post a 61–21 record in the regular season, the best in the league, and for the first time since his early career in Atlanta, Maravich was able to participate in the NBA playoffs. He appeared in nine games during that postseason, but the Celtics were upended by

Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...

and the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

in the Eastern Conference finals, four games to one. Realizing that his knee problems would never go away, Maravich retired at the end of that season. The NBA instituted the three-point shot just in time for Maravich's last season in the league. He had always been famous for his long-range shooting, and though injury-dampened, his final year provided an official statistical gauge of his abilities. Between his limited playing time in Utah and Boston, he made 10 of 15 three-point shots, giving him a career 66.7% completion rate. During his 10-year career in the NBA, Maravich played in 658 games, averaging 24.2 points and 5.4 assists per contest. In 1987, he was inducted into the

, and his number- jersey has been retired by both the Jazz and the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

, as well as his number-44 jersey by the

. In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary, ''

The Athletic ''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...

'' ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Maravich as the 73rd-greatest player in NBA history.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1970–71 , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, 81 , , , , 36.1 , , .458 , , , , .800 , , 3.7 , , 4.4 , , , , , , 23.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1971–72 , style="text-align:left;",

, 66 , , , , 34.9 , , .427 , , , , .811 , , 3.9 , , 6.0 , , , , , , 19.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1972–73 Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 197 for this y ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , , , 39.1 , , .441 , , , , .800 , , 4.4 , , 6.9 , , , , , , 26.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1973–74 , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , , , 38.2 , , .457 , , , , .826 , , 4.9 , , 5.2 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 27.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1974–75 , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, 79 , , , , 36.1 , , .419 , , , , .811 , , 5.3 , , 6.2 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 21.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1975–76 , style="text-align:left;",

, 62 , , , , 38.3 , , .459, , , , .811 , , 4.8 , , 5.4 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 25.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1976–77 , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , , , 41.7 , , .433 , , , , .835 , , 5.1 , , 5.4 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 31.1* , - , style="text-align:left;", 1977–78 , style="text-align:left;",

, 50 , , , , 40.8 , , .444 , , , , .870 , , 3.6 , , 6.7 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , 27.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1978–79 , style="text-align:left;",

, 49 , , , , 37.2 , , .421 , , , , .841 , , 2.5 , , 5.0 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , 22.6 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, 1979–80 , style="text-align:left;",

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, 17 , , , , 30.7 , , .412 , , .636 , , .820 , , 2.4 , , 3.2 , , .9 , , .2 , , 17.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 26 , , 4 , , 17.0 , , .494 , , .750 , , .909 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .1 , , 11.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 658 , , , , 37.0 , , .441 , , .667 , , .820 , , 4.2 , , 5.4 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , 24.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 4 , , 4 , , 19.8 , , .409 , , , , .778 , , 2.0 , , 3.8 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 10.8

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , , , 39.8 , , .377 , , , , .692 , , 5.2 , , 4.8 , , , , , , 22.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , , , 36.5 , , .446 , , , , .817 , , 5.3 , , 4.7 , , , , , , 27.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , , , 39.0 , , .419 , , , , .794 , , 4.8 , , 6.7 , , , , , , 26.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , , , 11.6 , , .490 , , .333 , , .667 , , .9 , , .7 , , .3 , , .0 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 26 , , , , 29.1 , , .423 , , .333 , , .784 , , 3.6 , , 3.8 , , .3 , , .0 , , 18.7 , -

Later life and death

After injuries forced his retirement from the game in 1980, Maravich became a

recluse A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion and solitude. The word is from the Latin , which means 'to open' or 'disclose'. Examples of recluses are Symeon of Trier, who lived within the great Roman gate Porta Nigra with permissio ...

for two years. Through it all, Maravich said he was searching "for life". He tried the practices of

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

, read

Trappist The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a Religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious o ...

monk

Thomas Merton Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915December 10, 1968), religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, Christian mysticism, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. He was a monk in the Trapp ...

's ''

The Seven Storey Mountain ''The Seven Storey Mountain'' is the 1948 autobiography of Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk and priest who was a noted author in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Merton finished the book in 1946 at the age of 31, five years after entering Get ...

'' and took an interest in the field of

ufology Ufology, sometimes written UFOlogy ( or ), is the investigation of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) by people who believe that they may be of extraordinary claims, extraordinary origins (most frequently of extraterrestrial hypothesis, extrate ...

, the study of unidentified flying objects. He also explored

vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

and

macrobiotics A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics) is an unconventional restrictive diet based on ideas about types of food drawn from Zen Buddhism. The diet tries to balance the supposed yin and yang elements of food and cookware. Major principles of macrobio ...

, adopting a vegetarian diet in 1982. Eventually, he became a born-again Christian, embracing

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. A few years before his death, Maravich said, "I want to be remembered as a Christian, a person that serves

esus Esus is a Celtic god known from iconographic, epigraphic, and literary sources. The 1st-century CE Roman poet Lucan's epic ''Pharsalia'' mentions Esus, Taranis, and Teutates as gods to whom the Gauls sacrificed humans. This rare mention of Cel ...

to the utmost, not as a basketball player." On January 5, 1988, Maravich collapsed and died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

at age 40, while playing in a pickup basketball game in the gym at First Church of the Nazarene in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

, with a group that included evangelical author

James Dobson James Clayton Dobson Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelicalism, evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the m ...

. Maravich had flown out from his home in

Covington, Louisiana Covington is a city in and the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 11,564 at the 2020 United States census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River. Covington is part ...

, to tape a segment for Dobson's radio show that aired later that day. Dobson has said that Maravich's last words, less than a minute before he died, were "I feel great." An

autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...

revealed the cause of death to be a rare congenital defect: his

left coronary artery The left coronary artery (LCA, also known as the left main coronary artery, or left main stem coronary artery) is a coronary artery that arises from the aorta above the left cusp of the aortic valve, and supplies blood to the left side of the ...

, a vessel that supplies blood to the muscle fibers of the heart, was missing. His

right coronary artery In the coronary circulation, blood supply of the heart, the right coronary artery (RCA) is an artery originating above the right cusp of the aortic valve, at the Aortic sinus, right aortic sinus in the heart. It travels down the right coronary su ...

was grossly enlarged and had been compensating for the defect. Maravich was survived by his wife, Jackie, and their sons Jaeson, then 8 years old, and Josh, then 5 years old. Maravich's children were very young when he died, and Jackie Maravich (also known as Jackie McLachlan) initially shielded them from unwanted media attention, not even allowing Jaeson and Josh to attend their father's funeral. His sons still developed a love for the game, though. During a 2003 interview, Jaeson told ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' that, when he was still only a toddler, "My dad passed me a (

Nerf Nerf is a toy brand formed by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. Most of the toys are a variety of Foam weapon, foam-based weaponry, with other Nerf products including balls for sports such as American football, basketball, an ...

) 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." Despite some setbacks coping with their father's death and without the benefit that his tutelage might have provided, both sons eventually were inspired to play high school and collegiate basketball—Josh at his father's alma mater, LSU. On June 7, 2024, Josh Maravich died in the family home in Covington, Louisiana, at 42 years old.

Legacy

On June 27, 2014, Louisiana governor

Bobby Jindal Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 55th governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Republican Party, Jindal previously served as a U.S. representative from Louisiana from 2005 t ...

proposed that LSU erect a statue of Maravich outside the

Pete Maravich Assembly Center The Pete Maravich Assembly Center is a 13,215-seat multi-purpose arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The arena opened in 1972. It was originally known as the LSU Assembly Center, but was renamed in honor of Pete Maravich, a Tiger basketball legend, ...

. Jackie McLachlan said that she had been promised a statue after the passing of her husband. Others opposed a Maravich statue because he had fallen a few credits short of graduation, so did not meet the requirements for monuments to student-athletes.

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...

admitted to taking the "Showtime" name from Maravich, as well as studying all his moves. Meanwhile,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

wrote of idolizing Pete Maravich when he was playing for New Orleans. In February 2016, the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee unanimously approved a proposal that a statue honoring Maravich be installed on the campus, revising the stipulations required. On July 25, 2022, the statue was unveiled to the public outside of the Assembly Center.

Memorabilia

Maravich's untimely death and mystique have made memorabilia associated with him among the most highly prized of any basketball collectibles. Game-used Maravich jerseys bring more money at auction than similar items from anybody other than

George Mikan George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (; June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of ...

, with the most common items selling for $10,000 and up and a game-used LSU jersey selling for $94,300 in a 2001 Grey Flannel auction. The signed game ball from his career-high 68-point night on February 25, 1977, sold for $131,450 in a 2009

Heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...

auction.

Honors, books, films, and music

*In 1970, during his LSU days, Acapulco Music/The Panama Limited released "The Ballad of Pete Maravich" by Bob Tinney and Woody Jenkins. *He appeared as himself in Alessandro De Gaetano's 1979 film ''Scoring'' (originally titled ''Dribbling''), where he leads a men's military basketball team against an all-girl squad. *In 1987, roughly a year before his death, Maravich co-authored ''Heir to a Dream'', an award-winning (Gold Medallion) autobiography, with Darrel Campbell. It devotes considerable focus to his life after retirement from basketball and his later devotion to Christianity. *In 1987, Maravich and Campbell produced the four-episode basketball instructional video series ''Pistol Pete's Homework Basketball''. *In 1988, Frank Schroeder and Darrel Campbell produced the documentary ''Maravich Memories: The LSU Years'', based on Maravich's college career. *After Maravich's death, Louisiana Governor

Buddy Roemer Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III (October 4, 1943 – May 17, 2021) was an American politician, investor, and banker who served as the 52nd governor of Louisiana from 1988 to 1992, and as a member of the United States House of Representatives fro ...

signed a proclamation officially renaming LSU's basketball court the

. *Bob Dylan wrote about the day he heard Maravich died in his memoir, '' Chronicles: Volume One''. The news startled him, bringing back memories of the time Maravich made a deep impression on him when he saw Maravich play in New Orleans. Referring to him as "the holy terror of the basketball world" and a "magician of the court," Dylan added that "Pistol Pete hadn’t played professionally for a while, and he was thought of as forgotten. I hadn’t forgotten about him, though. Some people seem to fade away, but then when they are truly gone, it’s like they didn’t fade away at all." Dylan then remembers that it was in the early afternoon, when news of Maravich's death began to wear away, that he started writing a new song called "

Dignity Dignity is a human's contentment attained by satisfying physiological needs and a need in development. The content of contemporary dignity is derived in the new natural law theory as a distinct human good. As an extension of the Enlightenment- ...

." Though it would remain unreleased for several years, many would regard it as one of Dylan's greatest compositions from that era. *In 1991, '' The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend'', a biographical film written and produced by Darrel Campbell dramatizing Maravich's 8th-grade season, was released. *In

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, Maravich was named one of the

50 Greatest Players in NBA History The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...

by a panel made up of NBA historians, players, and coaches. He was the only deceased player on the list. At the ceremony during halftime for the 1997 All-Star Game in Cleveland, he was represented by his two sons. *Alternative rock band

Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. ...

mentions "Pistol Pete" in their song "The Tale of Dusty and Pistol Pete". *In 2001, a comprehensive 90-minute documentary film, '' Pistol Pete: The Life and Times of Pete Maravich'', debuted on CBS. *In 2005, rapper Lil Wayne mentioned Maravich in his song "Best Rapper Alive". *In 2005,

ESPNU ESPNU is an American multinational digital cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remain ...

named Maravich the greatest college basketball player of all time. *In 2007, two biographies of Maravich were released: ''Maravich'' by

Wayne Federman Wayne Federman (born June 22, 1959) is an American comedian, actor, author, writer, comedy historian, producer, and musician. He is noted for numerous stand-up comedy appearances in clubs, theaters, and on television; his book on '' The History o ...

and

Marshall Terrill Marshall Terrill (born December 17, 1963, in Texarkana, Texas) is an American author and journalist. He is noted for biographies on Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Billy Graham and Pete Maravich. Early years: 1963-1982 Terrill is o ...

; and ''Pistol'' by Mark Kriegel. Also in 2007, to promote Kriegel's book, Fox Sports conducted a contest to find "Pete Maravich's Biggest Fan". The winner was Scott Pollack of Sunrise, Florida. *In 2021, Maravich was named one of the members of the

NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...

by a panel made up of NBA historians, players, and coaches. *The Ziggens, a band from Southern California, wrote "Pistol Pete", a song about Maravich. * Hip-hop artist

Aesop Rock Ian Matthias Bavitz (born June 5, 1976), better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer from Long Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerg ...

mentions "Pistol Pete" in his song "Citronella".

Collegiate awards and records

Awards * The Sporting News College Player of the Year (1970) * USBWA College Player of the Year (1969, 1970) * Naismith Award Winner (1970) *

Helms Foundation Player of the Year The Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year was an annual men's college basketball award given to the most outstanding men's player in the United States. It was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation, an organization founded in 19 ...

(1970) * UPI Player of the Year (1970) * ''Sporting News'' Player of the Year (1970) * AP College Player of the Year (1970) * The Sporting News All-America First Team (1968, 1969, 1970) * Three-time AP and UPI First-Team All-America (1968, 1969, 1970) * 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 (); 66 vs. Tulane (); 64 vs. Kentucky (); 61 vs. Vanderbilt () * Holds LSU records for most field goals made (26) and attempted (57) in a game against Vanderbilt on * All-Southeastern Conference (1968, 1969, 1970) * #23 Jersey retired by LSU (2007) * In 1970, Maravich led LSU to a 20–8 record and a fourth-place finish in the

National Invitation Tournament The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...

Records * Highest scoring average, points per game, career: 44.2 (3,667 points/83 games) * Points, season: 1,381 (1970) * Highest scoring average, points per game, season: 44.5 (1,381/31) (1970) * Games scoring 50 or more points, career: 28 * Games scoring 50 or more points, season: 10 (1970) * Field goals made, career: 1,387 * Field goals made, season: 522 (1970) * Field goal attempts, career: 3,166 * Field goal attempts, season: 1,168 (1970) * Free throws made, game: 30 (in 31 attempts), vs. Oregon State, :*Tied by Ben Woodside,

North Dakota State North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural Colle ...

, on

NBA awards and records

*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) *Led the league in scoring (31.1 ppg) in 1977, his career best *Scored a career-high 68 points against the New York Knicks on February 25, 1977 *#7 jersey retired by the Utah Jazz (1985) *#7 jersey retired by the Superdome (1988) *NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996) *

(2021) *#7 jersey retired by the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) (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; Maravich did play professionally for the New Orleans Jazz, however, and has remained a greatly admired figure amongst New Orleans sports fans ever since. *#44 jersey retired by the Atlanta Hawks (2017) Free throws made, quarter: 14, Pete Maravich, third quarter, Atlanta Hawks vs. Buffalo Braves, *Broken by

Vince Carter Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 22 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, b ...

on Free throw attempts, quarter: 16, Pete Maravich, second quarter, Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls, *Broken by Ben Wallace on Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Clippers – Recap – December 11, 2005 – ESPN
''NB: While this link only backs up the fact that Wallace attempted 20 free throws in a quarter, there is no mention of any records broken or set.'' Second pair of teammates in NBA history to score 2,000 or more points in a season: 2, Atlanta Hawks ()
Maravich: 2,063

: 2,029 Third pair of teammates in NBA history to score 40 or more points in the same game: New Orleans Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets,
Maravich: 45

Nate Williams Nate Williams may refer to: * Nate Williams (basketball, born 1950) * Nate Williams (basketball, born 1999) * Nate Williams (FreeBSD) See also * Nathaniel Williams (disambiguation) {{hndis, Williams, Nate ...

: 41
David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets also scored 40 points in this game. Ranks 4th in NBA history – Free throws made, none missed, game: 18–18, Pete Maravich, Atlanta Hawks vs. Buffalo Braves, Ranks 5th in NBA history – Free throws made, game: 23, Pete Maravich, New Orleans Jazz vs. New York Knicks, (2 OT)

References

Notes Footnotes

External links

*
Pete Maravich biography
at NBA.com

at ESPN *

at powertochange.ie
‘68 All College MVP - 4 Days with Pistol Pete
at Oklahoman.com *
Pete Maravich Bio LSU Tigers Athletics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maravich, Pete 1947 births 1988 deaths 20th-century evangelicals 20th-century American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American evangelicals American men's basketball players American people of Serbian descent Atlanta Hawks draft picks Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Raleigh, North Carolina Boston Celtics players Carolina Cougars draft picks College basketball announcers in the United States LSU Tigers men's basketball players Macrobiotic diet advocates Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees NBA All-Stars NBA broadcasters NBA players with retired numbers Needham B. Broughton High School alumni New Orleans Jazz players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Sportspeople from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania Basketball players from Beaver County, Pennsylvania Shooting guards Sigma Alpha Epsilon members Utah Jazz players

Early life

College career

NCAA career statistics

Freshman

Varsity

Professional basketball career

Atlanta Hawks

New Orleans Jazz

Final season

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Later life and death

Legacy

Memorabilia

Honors, books, films, and music

Collegiate awards and records

NBA awards and records

See also

References

Further reading

External links