Wearing long hair and floppy gray socks, Pistol Pete Maravich arrived on The LSU campus like a tornado.In 1967.
The Pistol would light up arenas around the country with never seen before shots, passes, and dribbling. In three years he would set the career scoring record of 3,667 points averaging 44.5 points per game. It’s doubtful the record will ever be broken. Pete accomplished this scoring feat before there was a three point line. It has been calculated that, if he’d had the benefit of the three pointer, he would have averaged 57 points per game.
Maybe once or twice a year, I’ll view Pistol Pete highlights online. I would guess every excellent basketball player has watched these tapes over the years. I imagine they respond just as I do with laughter at his no look passes and uncanny shots only he, at the time, could create.
Pete played for his dad at LSU and he shot a lot…really a lot. I’ve come to believe that Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history. He, like Maravich, can make you laugh out loud at his amazing ability shooting, passing, and dribbling. It’s a clinic each time he steps on the floor. I heard that once in practice he made 103 three pointers in a row.
Three stories stick with me about The Pistol.
Freshman were not eligible for varsity play at LSU. They played before the varsity games. At most colleges, there would be family members and a few fans to watch these games prior to the main event. Not so with Pete. The field house was jammed to the rafters for Pete and the freshman and then hundreds would depart after watching him create magic knowing no such wizardry would occur during the varsity game.
Pete was in the middle of a fast break with wing men on each side. The fans knew to expect the unexpected. The Pistol appeared to dribble behind his back but quickly passed the ball between his legs…through the legs of a defender and into his teammate’s hand for an easy layup. Guarantee you this has only happened once in basketball history.
I believe this story happened after Pete retired. He went to a carnival and stopped by one of the booths where you could try to win a stuffed animal by shooting baskets. A fella with missing teeth would take your money and give you a misshapen ball. The guy didn’t recognize Pete when the long haired customer forked over the cash. Pete smiled at the odd ball he was given. It’s reported that he missed his first shot. He then began swishing shot after shot as a crowd gathered to watch. The funny thing was that he would take a step back after each make. Pretty soon the wind starts blowing wildly and he’s still only missed the first shot. The booth operator cannot believe what he’s witnessing as Pete is now 35 feet away draining one shot after another.
I think he got his well deserved teddy bear and lucky were we who got to see this magician do his thing.
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