Maravich, Pete (1947-1988), was one of the greatest scorers in basketball history. His sensational shooting earned him the nickname “Pistol Pete.” Maravich’s brilliant passing and behind-the-back dribbling also made him one of the game’s most exciting players.
Peter Press Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, on June 22, 1947. Maravich, a guard, played at Louisiana State University from 1967 to 1970. He led all college players in scoring during each of his three varsity seasons. His total of 3,667 points is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s career record. Maravich’s average of 44.2 points a game ranks as the overall NCAA record, which covers both men’s and women’s basketball.
The Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) selected Maravich as the third pick in the 1970 NBA draft. He joined the New Orleans Jazz prior to the 1974-1975 season. Maravich led the league in scoring during the 1976-1977 season with an average of 31.1 points per game. The Jazz moved to Utah before the 1979-1980 season. The team waived Maravich, who had been suffering from injuries, in January 1980. Maravich then signed with the Boston Celtics, where he played before retiring at the end of the season. Maravich averaged 24.2 points a game during his NBA career.
Maravich was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He died on Jan. 5, 1988, at the age of 40, from heart failure caused by a natural heart defect.
