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Professional basketball player Pete Maravich photo by Robert Kingsbury –

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Pete Maravich

In the 1970s, Pete Maravich, a magnificent performer, contributed to the expansion of basketball. After a storied college career, he played in the NBA, achieving milestones that would have been difficult for the average person to imagine.

He produced tremendous numbers and was a formidable force for both the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Jazz because of his crazy moves, shots, and passes throughout his period. Pete Maravich was a maestro with the ball, but many of his incredible feats have been drowned in the veil of history.

His capacity to perform essentially any function you could ask of someone on the court at the highest tempo allowed him to bring constant pressure to the defences of his opponents. Check out the top 10 fascinating facts about Pete Maravich.

1. Maravich was introduced to basketball by his father

Maravich was born in Aliquippa, a steel town in Beaver County in western Pennsylvania, not far from Pittsburgh, to parents Peter Maravich and Helen Gravor Maravich. From a young age, Maravich’s basketball skills astounded his family and friends. He had a tight yet demanding relationship with his father, which inspired him to succeed and become successful in the sport.

His father was a former professional player who was a coach then. When Pete was seven years old, he began teaching his son the basics of playing basketball. Young Maravich practised head fakes, passes, ball control manoeuvres, and long-range shots obsessively for hours on end until he mastered to play effectively.

2. He played high school ball at Daniel High School in South Carolina

Basketball player Pete Maravich’s photo sourced from

Between 1961 through 1963, Maravich attended Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina, and participated in the institution’s first-ever game versus an all-black squad. Maravich went to Needham B. Broughton High School while he was a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina. Following his graduation from Broughton High School in 1965, he enrolled in Edwards Military Institute, where he averaged 33 points per game.

Find out: 30 Best High School Basketball Players of all time.

3. Maravich was nicknamed “Pistol” during his time in High School

Before he attained any form of significant prominence, Pete received the infamous moniker “Pistol” while still a high school athlete. Maravich frequently passed the ball from his side, much as if he was firing a gun from the hip, as his teammates and coaches had seen. They then gave him the nickname “Pistol,” and he was known by that name for the rest of his life, both while he was a professional and in college.

In terms of what he could do on a basketball floor, Maravich was a bizarre ball handler, passer, and scorer, and his influence endures long after his passing.

4. He played for Louisiana State University during his university career

Professional basketball player Pete Maravich received the United Press International Player of the Year trophy in 1970. photo by Desert Sun –

His father extended an invitation for Pete Maravich to play basketball at Louisiana State University. Pete Maravich, however, was compelled to play on the freshman squad since first-year students were not permitted to compete at the varsity level. In his debut game, which he played against Southeastern Louisiana College, he had an astounding 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. It was during the National Invitation Tournament in 1970 that he played his last college game. 

5. Maravich holds the record for the most points made at Louisiana State University

Maravich scored 3,667 points in just three seasons while playing for LSU’s varsity squad.  He had 1,138 of those points i48 in 1968–69, and 1,381 in 1969–70—while averaging 43.8, 44.2, and 44.5 points per game, respectively. He averaged 44.2 points per game throughout his undergraduate competition. He finished each of his three seasons as the NCAA’s top scorer.

No one has since surpassed these records. Since Pete did not participate in varsity competitions during his first year in college due to NCAA regulations prohibiting him from doing so, these records could have been higher.

Check out: 60 Best College Basketball Players of all times.

6. He was drafted third overall in the 1970 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks

Professional basketball player Tom Van Arsdale (left) and Pete Maravich (right) photo by Frank Bryan –

Maravich was selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the third overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft. Being unaccustomed to the team’s playing style made it difficult for him to blend in. He played in 81 games, and his 23.3 points per game allowed him to be named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Compared to his first season, his second was not as impressive. His points per game average dropped to 19.3.

In his third season, Pete Mahas was able to rediscover his scoring prowess, scoring an average of 26.1 points and dishing out 6.9 assists per game. He qualified for the NBA All-Star Game having had   2,063 points at the season’s end. 

7. He led the NBA in scoring for the 1976-77 season

With an average of 31.1 points per game for the New Orleans Jazz in 1976–1977, Maravich topped the league in scoring. On February 25, 1977, Pete Maravich stunned everyone with a  career-high of a 68-point performance against the Knicks. This was Maravich’s best professional season. He participated in 73 games and scored 31.1 ppg, a career-high, to lead the NBA in scoring.

Read more: Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about LeBron James.

8. Maravich is a five-time NBA All-Star

Coach Richie Guerin and star Pete Maravich photo sourced from

Maravich is a five-time NBA All-Star. He had a breakthrough year in 1973, scoring 26.1 points and 6.9 assists per game. The Hawks had a stellar season, finishing 46-36, but once more they were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs. The season, however, was successful enough for Maravich to be selected for the All-NBA Second Team and to make his first-ever appearance in the NBA All-Star Game.

When playing the New York Knicks on February 25, 1977, he scored 68 points. In 1977, he participated in the NBA All-Star Game for the fifth time and was named to the All-NBA First Team for the second consecutive season. This was only in a span of 10 illustrious seasons in the NBA.

9. He became a recluse for two years after retiring from the NBA

Maravich spent two years as a recluse after being forced to quit playing due to injury in the fall of 1980. He experimented with Hinduism and yoga, studied Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain as a Trappist monk, and developed an interest in ufology, the study of unidentified flying objects.

In addition, he researched vegetarianism and macrobiotics before switching to a vegetarian diet in 1982. He eventually adopted evangelical Christianity and was born-again.

10. Maravich was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987

Pete Maravich in the Cross Hall photo sourced from

He was admitted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Maravich was regarded as one of the greatest offensive minds of all time and one of the best ball handlers of all time. He was among the youngest player ever to be elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Maravich averaged 24.2 points and 5.4 assists per game during his ten-year NBA career while playing in 658 games. He sadly passed on in 1988 at the age of 40 due to heart failure.