Pete Maravich

Pete Maravich
Maravich with the New Orleans Jazz in 1977
Personal information
Born(1947-06-22)June 22, 1947
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJanuary 5, 1988(1988-01-05) (aged 40)
Pasadena, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight197 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeLSU (1967–1970)
NBA draft1970: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career1970–1980
PositionShooting guard
Number44, 7
Career history
1970–1974Atlanta Hawks
1974–1980New Orleans / Utah Jazz
1980Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points15,948 (24.2 ppg)
Rebounds2,747 (4.2 rpg)
Assists3,563 (5.4 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Basketball Hall of Fame
Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

Peter Press Maravich (/ˈmɛərəˌvɪtʃ/ MAIR-ə-vitch; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. He starred in college at Louisiana State University's Tigers basketball team; his father, Press Maravich, was the team's head coach. Maravich is the all-time leading NCAA Division I men's scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game.[1] All of his accomplishments were achieved before the adoption of the three-point line and shot clock, and despite being unable to play varsity as a freshman under then-NCAA rules.[2]

Maravich was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1970 NBA draft, 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. Injuries ultimately forced Maravich's retirement in 1980 following a 10-year professional basketball career. He was named an All-Star five times and was named to four All-NBA Teams during his professional career.

One of the youngest players ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Maravich was considered to be one of the greatest creative offensive talents ever and one of the best ball handlers of all time.[3][4] He died suddenly at age 40 during a pick-up game in 1988 as a consequence of an undetected heart defect.[5] Maravich was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary team in 1996 and 75th Anniversary team in 2021.

  1. ^ Schroeder, Frank; Campbell, Darrel; Maravich, Pete (1987). Heir to a Dream. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 0840776098.
  2. ^ "Peter Maravich". Hoophall.com. Basketball Hall of Fame. March 10, 2019. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved September 17, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ "What If——-Pete Maravich?". Thomaston Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  4. ^ "Hall of Famers". Hoophall.com. Basketball Hall of Fame. January 5, 1988. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Federman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).