On February 7, 1970, Louisiana State University basketball star Pete Maravich scores 69 points in a game against Alabama, setting a Division I record that would stand for 21 years.
Peter Press Maravich was born June 22, 1947, in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. As a child, he learned to play basketball from his father, Press Maravich, a former professional player with the Basketball Association of America. Press became the head coach at LSU in 1966, the same year his son Pete entered the school as a freshman. Maravich dazzled crowds with his performance on the freshman team (at the time, NCAA rules prevented first-year students from competing at the varsity level), scoring 43.6 points per game. During his three years as a member of LSU’s varsity squad, Maravich continued to impress and set a number of NCAA records, some of which still stand today, including most career points (3,667) and highest career scoring average (44.2 points per game). Nicknamed “Pistol Pete,” he was known for his big numbers and his incredible ball-handling skills and showmanship, as well as his droopy socks. Maravich was named College Player of the Year in his senior season.
In 1970, Maravich was the third overall pick in the NBA draft and signed with the Atlanta Hawks for the then-astronomical sum of $1.9 million. He played for the Hawks from 1970 to 1974, the New Orleans/Utah Jazz from 1974 to 1980 and spent the final season of his career, 1980, with the Boston Celtics. During his 10 years in the NBA, Maravich was a five-time NBA All-Star and averaged 24.2 points per game. In 1977, he led the league in scoring, with an average of 31.1 points per game. In February 1977, Maravich scored 68 points in a single game against the New York Knicks, led by superstar Walt Frazier.
Despite the impressive numbers he racked up throughout his career, Maravich never played on a championship team during college or the NBA and critics claimed he put himself above his team. He retired from the NBA in 1980 and was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Maravich died of a heart attack at age 40 on January 5, 1988, during a pickup game of basketball in California.
A little more on "Pistol" Pete, including his Clemson years...
This dedication and inventiveness manifested itself in early success: Maravich played high school varsity ball at Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina a year before being old enough to attend the school. While at Daniel from 1961 to 1963, Maravich participated in the school's first ever game against a team from an all-black school. In 1963 his father departed from his position as head basketball coach at Clemson University and joined the coaching staff at North Carolina State University. The Maravich family's subsequent move to Raleigh, North Carolina allowed Pete to attend Needham B. Broughton High School.[9] His high school years also saw the birth of his famous moniker. From his habit of shooting the ball from his side, as if he were holding a revolver, Maravich became known as "Pistol" Pete Maravich. From there "Pistol" then transferred to Edwards Military Institute where he averaged 33 points per game.
While Maravich would tell friends later in life he always desired to play basketball for West Virginia University and was all set to be a Mountaineer, his father was the varsity coach at LSU and his father offered the "Pistol" a spot at LSU. In his first game on the LSU freshman team Maravich put up 50 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists against Southeastern Louisiana College.[10]
Maravich in 1967
In only three years playing for his father at LSU, Maravich scored 3,667 points—1,138 of those in 1968, 1,148 in 1969 and 1,381 in 1970 while averaging 43.8, 44.2 and 44.5 points per game. In his collegiate career, the 6' 5" (1.96 m) guard averaged 44.2 points per game in 83 contests and led the NCAA in scoring in each of his three seasons
