Pete Maravich

Peter Press "Pistol Pete" Maravich (Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, June 22, 1947 - Pasadena, California, January 5, 1988) was an American basketball player. Known as Pistol Pete for his great shooting ability, he (he averaged 24.2 points on average in the 688 games he played in the NBA). He played first for the Atlanta Hawks and then for the newly created New Orleans Jazz. Finally, after suffering a serious injury, he played one last season with the Boston Celtics. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He passed away months later after suffering a heart attack during a casual basketball game. He was the son of fellow professional player and coach Press Maravich, who coached him during his college days.

Sports career

University

He played for four seasons with the Louisiana State University Tigers, in which he averaged 44.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. As a college student, when rookies were not playing in official competition by NCAA standards, he had 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists against Southeastern Louisiana University.

Throughout his career he scored 3,667 points, a number that no one has ever managed to surpass in the history of university competition. He appears first, fourth, and fifth on the college scoring list by season, scoring 44.5 points in 1970, 44.2 in 1969, and 43.8 in 1968. He was named to the All-American Five in 1968, 1969 and 1970, SEC Basketball Player of the Year in all three seasons, as well as recipient of the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his last two years and chosen College of the Year in 1970.

Statistics

NBA

Maravich (right), defended by Tom Van Arsdale.

After finishing his successful university journey, Pete Maravich had to face the leap to professionalism. When the decisive moment of the draft arrived, he was tempted by the ABA and NBA, the two leagues at the time. Back then, Pistol was compared to Bob Cousy or Dick McGuire for his ball handling, although he was also an exceptional shooter.

The Atlanta Hawks, seeking to rejuvenate their roster, sent Zelmo Beaty to San Francisco in exchange for the number three pick in the draft. Once in it, Detroit chose Bob Lanier at number one, and surprisingly, the Rockets went for Rudy Tomjanovich, since it seems Elvin Hayes was not very willing to share the ball with anyone else. In this way, the Hawks had a free hand to choose our protagonist. Meanwhile, in the ABA, it was the Carolina Cougars who got the rights to Pete. The idea was to see if Maravich would lean towards the ABA show or the more consolidated NBA, which at that time was dominated by big egos in an era where individualism in the game has been greater. There is talk that in a game, Elvin Hayes made 28 shots having touched the ball in play 29 times. In addition, the money received by certain rookies was an obstacle, as it emphasized the envy of certain veterans with inferior contracts. For the first time in history, money was flowing into the NBA coffers, back in 1970, and the comparisons were hateful between old and new contracts.

Pete's first choice was always the NBA, since he had a 30-year pension plan and even then, 6 years before it happened, there were rumors of a merger between the two leagues. In addition, Pistol himself always wanted to play in the league where his greatest idols, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, shone. Even so, the Maraviches went to New York to talk to the Cougars. The negotiations were direct, without intermediaries involved, and the Maravichs did not have much money. After intense meetings that ended at 5 in the morning, both sides were scheduled for another meeting the following week. When they went to check out the hotel, they saw that the Cougars had not paid for their room. Press Maravich had $83 on him, Pete had $10. The hotel bill was $82, plus $10 for a cab to the airport and a tip for a cabbie... who looked at them as if they were beggars.

It was the end of Pete's history with the ABA. A few days later, Pistol would sign the contract of his life with Atlanta and he would become a millionaire: between 1,600,000 and 2,000,000 dollars to be distributed over 5 years, in addition to a brand new car. Maravich joined a team with seven players of color and would wear the number 44 in honor of his spectacular NCAA scoring average. The Hawks were a good team. His star was Lou Hudson, a fine forward with feline movements who easily exceeded 20 points every day. In addition to Sweet Lou were Bill Bridges, fourth rebounder in the league despite his six feet; Joe Caldwell, a prodigious defender who was said to be able to jump, without a run, over cars; point guard Walt Hazzard and center Walt Bellamy, 'Big Bells', a league superstar, who in his rookie year in 1961 went over 30 per game. His performance dropped progressively in his career. His coach was Richie Guerin, who had been a great player in the league and had alternated roles as player and coach since he joined the Hawks.

Maravich settled in Atlanta without his father, who had to return home as his wife's alcoholism problems were increasing. In addition, Joe Caldwell decided to ask for a dollar more than what Pistol earned in his renewal, with which he left the team seeking his fortune in the ABA. To make matters worse, the team did not understand him, which was predictable: they did not catch his passes and he received little help after each two against one. Also, Maravich was a quiet guy and quite shy, which he didn't connect with on a team with an atmosphere nothing like LSU's. The result was that Pete didn't start his first season as a starter. In preseason, they lost 50 points to the Alcindor and Robertson Bucks, who would be their first opponent in the regular season, after which the local chronicler wrote that it was "the worst display of basketball I have ever seen". They lost, already in the regular season, 97-108, and Maravich had a terrible game with 3/13 shooting. In fact, Pete had several lousy games, full of turnovers and missed shots. All those who envied him the money he earned came out against him. He was going to have to earn that money penny by penny. Ironically, Caldwell was signed by the Carolina Cougars in the ABA, the team that sought Pistol, and the Hawks, apparently, missed him. After 16 games, the balance was 4-12. The previous year they achieved a balance of 48-34 and the chemistry in the team did not exist. His colleagues boycotted the interviews, fed up with questions about Maravich: he was public enemy number 1.

Suddenly, Pete woke up: three straight games with 32 points, already as a starter, and 40 against the Knicks in the Garden, with the whole team cheering from the bench. Then he got Jerry West, who had two games against the Hawks to over 50 points last season, down to just 24. His average turnover per game started to drop midway through the season, just limiting all the risks. unnecessary, and his teammates eventually grudgingly accepted him into the locker room instead of looking for the hole left by Campbell. After the All-Star, the Hawks had a winning record, Maravich made several games around 40 points and was in the race to be rookie of the year against Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie, who finally tied for the award despite 23.2 points by game of Pistol Pete, who was third a long way from both.

The Hawks reached the playoffs, but were up against the defending champions: the Knicks, who beat them 4-1. Pete only shone in the last one, with 31 points, in which they had to stop him with blows and elbows. The last one, by Greg Fillmore, left him seeing double and the Hawks' advantage, with Pistol on the bench, vanished.

Maravich's next two years in the league were his toughest. He had no friends in Atlanta and his classmates thought he was a very strange guy. He started practicing martial arts in the summer to improve his mobility, but right at the end of the summer he contracted mononucleosis that caused him to lose more than 15 kilos. In fact Pete, with his eagerness to play, caused him to underperform for much of the season, as he returned to the field much earlier than he should have.

The situation with his father also influenced him. Press Maravich was fired for poor results at LSU after the departure of his son. His pride wounded and despite being considered one of the most prescient basketball minds of his generation, Press sought a job with any team, anywhere, rather than wait for a better opportunity, accepting the position of head coach at the tiny University of Appalachian State, where, due to its location in the mountains and many hours' drive from the nearest airport, it was unable to recruit good players. Maravich did not do well at all, either individually or collectively. His 19.3 points per game and almost 6 assists confirmed him as a good NBA player, but not a star. Despite everything, he was included in the second team NBA. Boston crossed the path of the Hawks, who eliminated them in the first round of the Playoffs

By her junior year in Atlanta, her mother was increasingly affected by her alcohol problems, despite having professional help. On top of that, Pete himself, once he had overcome his physical problems, noticed a strange "tick" in his mouth. in his right eye the night before a game at the Garden. His eyelid did not close and he was diagnosed with temporary facial paralysis, without knowing for sure how long it would take to disappear. Pistol tried to play the game, but the risk of contact with his eye that could blind him was significant. In addition, the fact that the very air of the pavilion made his eye practically burn withdrew him from the game. He managed to play with goggles in subsequent matches, greatly lowering his performance, until the paralysis wore off and Maravich regained his best level. Then the tragedy happened.

Pistol got a call from Ronnie, his brother. His mother had shot herself in the head and was in critical condition. By the time Pete arrived in Charlotte, where his family resided, his mother had passed away. For the first time in his life, Maravich found himself in a situation in which basketball could not remedy anything. Even so, he did bite the bullet, taking impossible passes, risking again on every play to get into the NBA first team after averaging 26.1 points and almost 7 assists per game. Collectively, things were neither better nor worse: the Hawks fell again, in the first round, again in six games... and again against the Celtics of Havlicek and Cowens.

Being blamed for his team not getting to the next level, it wouldn't take long for Pete Maravich to be traded in one of the strangest episodes of NBA trades, both in how it played out and in the end result of it. In the New Orleans Jazz there would be more lights and shadows, the constant of a great player who would recover for basketball in his new team. Even so, new problems were to come.

Last years in the NBA and death

Pete played several years at a high level, being a top scorer in the NBA with an average of 31 points and giving impossible shows and assists that, as he would admit years later, for example, Magic Johnson, were an inspiration to many players, passes looking at another site, with his back turned, bounce pass from the center of the field, dizzying counterattacks, Pistol Pete's repertoire was very large and despite his personal problems he was respected and treated as a genius or someone very special, his shooting contests are known in All STAR practicing the Horse and exemplified by Red Aurbach as an example of a player with great ball handling, in instructional and training videos. Pete retired pretty early considering the average age at which players tend to retire, his jersey having been retired by the Jazz who had just moved to Utah. His father just died and he, to explain his withdrawal, said: "I don't want to play until I'm 40 and die of a heart attack", words that ironically would unfortunately come true.

In 1988, 40-year-old Pete Maravich was playing a friendly game with some friends, including well-known evangelical Christian author James Dobson, when he suddenly collapsed to the ground and died instantly. Years before, Pete Maravich had contact with the evangelical sphere, which is why James Dobson was among his playmates on the day of his death. His last years, in fact, were focused on proclaiming what God had done in his life and reflecting God's love through his actions and words.

In 1996 he was chosen as one of the 50 greatest of all time, being the only one who died when the ceremony took place, and despite being younger than most of the honorees.

Statistics of his NBA career

Regular season

Playoffs

Achievements and recognitions

University

Maravich, in 1967, defending LSU's shirt.

• Player of the year for the magazine Sporting News (1970).
• Naismith Award winner to the best university in the year (1970).
• NCAA's highest scorer (3.667, 44.2 ppp, 3 years of career) in 83 matches.
• NCAA's best average race point (44.2 ppp)
• NCAA ' s record of more field shots (1,387) and attempted (3,166)
• NCAA's record of more free shots (893) and attempted (1,152).
• NCAA's most-games record score at least 50 points (28).
• NCAA record of more points in a season (1.381) and best average (44.5 ppg) in 1970.
• NCAA's regime of more free shots attempted (30 of 31) against Oregon State on 22 December 1969.
• His highest score in a match was 69 points against Alabama (7 February 1970).
• In 1988 the name of the game court was changed LSU for Maravich Assembly Center.
• His number 23 was withdrawn by his university, LSU.

Professional

• Chosen in the Ideal rookies equipment (1971).
• Chosen in the best quintet of the NBA (1976, 1977).
• Chosen in the second best quintet of the NBA (1973, 1978).
• 5 times All Star de la NBA (1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979).
• It scored 15,948 points (24.2 ppp) in 658 matches.
• Figure among the top 15 scorers of all NBA times (24.2)
• Maximum NBA scorer (31.1 ppp) in 1977, its maximum staff.
• His highest score in a match was 68 points against the New York Knicks on 25 February 1977.
• It shares the record of more free shots recorded in a quarter (14) on 28 November 1973 against Buffalo.
• It shares the record of more free shots tried in a room (16) on January 2, 1973 against Chicago.
• His T-shirt with number 7 was withdrawn by the Utah Jazz in 1985.
• Selected among the top 50 players of all time in the 50th Anniversary of the NBA 1996.
• His T-shirt with number 7 was withdrawn by the New Orleans Hornets in 2003.
• His shirt with the number 44 was withdrawn by the Atlanta Hawks in 2017.
• Elected on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.