Pistol Pete Maravich Biography

Over the course of basketball history, there is little doubt that one of the most storied and successful players of all time goes by the nickname "Pistol".

That player was known on the court for his tremendous ball handling skills, his top flight shooting ability, an uncanny knack for getting his teammates the ball at the right time in the right place. This player was also known as a tremendous leader, and also has the title "Hall of Famer" on his resume.

The player's name was Pete Maravich.

Maravich grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and from an early age, was a basketball marvel. The son of a former professional player himself, he amazed even his father with his abilities, and soon was playing organized basketball in high school, before eventually choosing to attend LSU for his collegiate basketball playing years.

While at LSU, Pistol Pete Maravich set the basketball world on fire, and quickly became one of the most popular players in the Southeastern Conference. He eventually went on to score more points as a collegian than any other player in the history of college basketball.

In his three seasons at the varsity level (freshmen did not play varsity basketball at that time), he scored an incredible 3,667 points; an average of well over 44 points a game. He set a slew of SEC basketball records (34 to be exact), and nearly every LSU record imaginable. One of the most remarkable factors to consider when looking at that point total is that he scored that many points without the benefit of the three point line.

During his time at LSU, Maravich won a number of individual awards, being named The Sporting News player of the year, the USBWA College Player of the Year, and the Naismith Award winner.

Following his college career, Maravich went on to be drafted in the 1st round of the 1970 NBA Draft (he was the 3rd player taken overall) by the Atlanta Hawks. Maravich quickly picked up in the NBA where he left off in the NCAAs, rapidly ascending to star status in the professional league.

He was named to the All-Rookie team in his first season, scoring over 23 points per game. Eventually, during a rebuilding period for the Hawks, they dealt him to the New Orleans Jazz for 8 players, one of the largest recoups for a single player in NBA trade history.

In New Orleans, Maravich truly excelled and elevated to the level of NBA superstar. He made the All NBA First team in 1976 and 1977, and made the All NBA second team in 1973 and 1978. The 1976-1977 is considered by many to be his finest statistical season the NBA, when he scored a league high 31.1 points per game.

Maravich was traded to the Boston Celtics prior to the 1980 season, where he played alongside future superstar Larry Bird during Bird's rookie campaign. Following that season, in which he managed 11.5 games in only 26 games, he was forced to retire due to a nagging leg injury.

After retiring from the game, Maravich eventually found a second life in religion, eventually proclaiming himself a born again Christian, and spending much of his free time trying to spread the word of Christianity.

Maravich died in 1988 of a heart attack after playing a pickup basketball game in Pasadena, California. He was only 40 years old at the time of his death.

Pistol Pete Maravich has recently been named to All Time SEC Basketball Team. For current information about Pistol Pete Maravich, go to LSU Tigers Basketball and LSU Basketball History.

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