Pete Maravich in 1977. He scored 68 points that
night against a defensively sound Knicks team.
Pete Maravich in 1977. He scored 68 points that
night against a defensively sound Knicks team.
by MIKE GALLAGHER
I never saw him play, never saw him pass a ball or take a shot. When he died unexpectedly from a seizure on January 5, 1988, at the age of 40, even then I really didn't know that much about him. To me he was faded video clip from the 70s of a thin, shaggy-haired forward making crazy passes. I mean insane passes: behind the back, though the legs, no look, slapping the ball at others. As time grew on he and Larry Bird became focal points of a basketball obsession for me. They were all around players that could dribble, pass, and shoot better than any of their peers. Bird I liked simply because he was a Celtic and a tough competitor, but Pete Maravich bordered on mystical. When he was on the court it wasn't about just skill it was also about entertainment. Before games he would often put a show on for the crowd, by twirling a ball on all of his fingers and making shots from half court.
For all of his flashiness he still remained fundamentally sound and a purer scorer. And I mean a purer scorer: in 1977 he led the NBA averaging 31.1 points a game, and he finished with a pro career average of 24.2 points a game. But it was in college that he really shined, averaging 44.2 a game for his career and 44.5 for a season-both NCAA records. He was College Player of the Year in 1970 and holds the records for points in a college career (3,667) as well as in a season (1,381). Keep in mind that when he played college ball there was no three-point line and freshmen were not eligible to play varsity basketball; you had be a sophomore, junior, or a senior. These are achievements and records that people seem to forget. As a pro he continued to be a prolific scorer and a tremendous passer. One night in 1977 he scored 68 points against a defensively sound Knicks club.
Through out his career Maravich was criticized as a player for showboating, hogging the ball, and not winning a championship, even though he was almost always on small-market teams that were unable to provide a supporting cast to compliment his abilities. Injuries and a drinking problem shortened his career. Now he has become a nearly forgotten member of the Hall of Fame. If it hadn't been for his intensity and the refreshing way he played the game, there may never have been players like Bird, Magic, and Isiah Thomas. Its too bad that a player that changed the face of the game and who was an inspiration to all that followed him has become a minor footnote in the history of the sport. To me he is still an icon that deserves more respect and admiration from the league that he helped to establish and make famous. He was a mop-headed showman in floppy, dirty socks (he never washed his socks over the course of season). Pete Maravich was the type of personality that makes sport special and magnificent.