A lot of people think Pete retired after the 1980 season due to injuries. In fact he reported to training camp for the 1980-81 in fantastic shape and was playing great. But Fitch and Maravich never really got along and Pete got disenchanted and just quit to spend more time with his family. And of course that was the year he missed out on a championship. If you see footage of Pete into the mid 80s he absolutely could have played a 6th man role all the way up to the 86 championship year. But considering what happened to Pete it's just as well he had time to do what he wanted before he left the world.

@Amick44

12 күн бұрын

I don't know if his knees could've help up til 86'. But I think a couple of years was quite possible. Red wanted to sign Pete to a 2 year deal. Pete later said "And I foolishly said no." He wanted prove to coaching and management he could still play first. And ironically, just a few years before, when Fitch was coaching at Cleveland, he was very complimentary toward Pete. The Cavs had been steadily improving and Pete was in his prime. Fitch said "we'd win the whole thing with Pete in our lineup."

The guy was living with one coronary artery his entire life. Incredible.

Watch him score 68 (no 3 pt line ) against defensive specialists guarding him.Red called him "the best play maker in the game today"

Even this season, his last, he showed flashes of greatness and prolific scoring.

I was at Pete's first home game at the Garden with the Celtics against Detroit. I believe he had 15 points. Not sure if seeing him live was a bucket list moment but I will always remember it.

This is incredibly great stuff, thanks!! Red Auerbach always loved and praised Pete’s game, even saying he wished the Celtics got Maravich earlier. Well, Pete didn’t win a ring but - like he said - he was inducted into the Hall of Fame (and was alive for it), plus he’s one of the best ever and even more than that, he’s easily one of the most influential ever…

@1avardac

17 күн бұрын

The best proof of his influence is that we're still talking about him 44 (!) years after his last NBA game. Red Auerbach understood the game very well and he would allow his players to use their special skills and abilities, however unorthodox, as long as they worked.

@BasketballJones48021

17 күн бұрын

@@1avardac Definitely!

@Amick44

17 күн бұрын

Red said later he would've played Pete more. But also that he didn't interfere in the coach's decision, regardless of how he felt.

@michaelconnor5378

17 күн бұрын

@@Amick44watching Bird and Pete playing for that precious short time was like seeing DiMaggio and Mantle playing together in the same outfield at the end of DiMaggio’s career.

@RoyPage1970

15 күн бұрын

​@@1avardacman this dude would have had a hundred points or more once in a game when he played for the jazz if the three-point line would have existed people that brag about that weak 81 points that the rapist Bryant had against Toronto who won a whole 14 or 15 games that year cracks me up they have no idea how much better pistol Pete was as a player

one of the best basketball players ever and a good man RIP

I'm no expert on Maravich, but he seemed like such a troubled soul. He did not emanate joy. There was this sadness about him. Too bad, too, because in his younger days, he was so much fun to watch on the basketball court.

@Amick44

16 күн бұрын

His father (and playing for him in college) put tremendous pressure on him. It was his Dad's dream first, for Pete to become a collegiate and then pro star. While it is well documented Press geared the LSU offense thru Pete, Pete himself wasn't always thrilled with it. Pistol said at one point he was tired of carrying the load and informed Press. He asked Pete "do you have the ability?" Pete replied "yes." Press' response "then do it!" Press seemed to feel Pete didn't appreciate the "opportunity" in his mind, anyway, he gave Pete. Pete was tired of the burden of having to most of the scoring and distributing every game. Press made it clear he didn't want to hear Pete's "complaint." Adding that to the well known issues in Atlanta, making more as a rookie, than likely the other starters combined and one can see the turmoil brewing. Lou Hudson did say of Pete's enormous (at the time) rookie contract "that said more about management than it did about Pete", but nonetheless there was gonna be reaction to it. On the court and off. And in the off-season after Pete's 4th season in Atlanta, he felt deceived by management when he was dealt to the 1st year expansion NO Jazz. His mother also committed suicide that off season! Such incidents happening about the same time, could make the most solid, grounded individuals depressed!

@Jim_L

15 күн бұрын

@@Amick44 Thanks for the background. This really explains a lot. 😥

@burtonaka___

10 күн бұрын

Larry Birds father committed suicide. Is there a pattern? Ya-he got into transcendental meditation, yoga-did Pete. He got to explore what he wanted to explore later in life. His full -circle in life: to die of a heart attack in a pick-up game of all things. It was his destiny but yea he was basically drilled by his father to become like a globetrotter.

WOW. As a lifelong Celtics fan, that is something that the Celtics did forever to win championships. Bring in "old broken down past champions." Maravich, Walton, etc.

Damn pistol pete looks like a young Ralph Nader 😮

@TheGlass50

14 күн бұрын

Haha.. true

Maravich was the lone superstar on that short-lived New Orleans Jazz franchise. That has meaning in and of itself. If you interviewed him a year or so later he would have expressed gratitude for that. Not every hall-of-famer needs to star on an east coast team to have a meaningful career:

Pete with the frodo baggins hair

This dude AVERAGED 44.5 pts. a game in college, an unbreakable NCAA record.

@kathleenmink2110

13 күн бұрын

With no 3 point line!!!!

@barryweston4887

13 күн бұрын

Before 3 pt line

I was at that Bullet game where he hit the game winning 3 against a still potent Washington team. Shame he couldn't get a ring that year. A Bird/Magic final had to wait until '84...

Wow. This guy was good. I remember reading about how throughout his career he played with only about 2 all-stars on his teams. Here he is with Bird. Bird was great. But they brought Pete in because they were in a war for 1st place and Pete helped them get there. He was actually very instrumental in those games. - It was his caring for people that actually got the best of him. Nate Archibald told the story of how During one practice N. Archibald got mad and kicked the basketball and it went in coach Fitch direction. Fitch at this time was always getting on to Pete for ridiculous reasons. He brought Pete over and griped him out. Pete took it and just left the game for good. Nate asked him why he did it. Afterall, Nate was the one that kicked the ball. He was going to admit up to it. Pete told Nate no, that he was a good young player, and did not want him to get in trouble. He took the yelling for him. --- And with that. I am subscribing to your channel. Great video. ---- OH. I already did.

@1avardac

17 күн бұрын

Thanks! Even from this short clip you can see what great camaraderie there was on the Celtics and that the players really appreciated Pete (unlike on the Hawks).

@Amick44

17 күн бұрын

I heard it was ML Carr that actually kicked the ball.

@Amick44

17 күн бұрын

Lou Hudson was an excellent offensive player and scorer at Atlanta. He was the only All Star Pete played with in his prime. The NO Jazz did sign free agent Truck Robinson, but unfortunately in his first year, Pete suffered the knee injury (which would prematurely end his career) and could not finish out the season. Too bad cause Truck would lead the league in rebounding and was entering his prime.

@johnd2330

16 күн бұрын

Source for this story?

@1avardac

16 күн бұрын

@@johnd2330 It's described in Pete's biography (Maravich by Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill, page 313). And it was indeed ML Carr who kicked the ball, not Nate Archibald - good call, @Amick44

He was only 31 in 1980 ! Damn !! Should have been his prime. Wow Larry Bird and Pistol Pete on the same team ! Can you imagine if they could have played together with each other during eaches prime ?

@Amick44

4 күн бұрын

He probably still would've been in his prime, if not for the knee injury 2 yrs earlier. Isiah Thomas was forced to retire relatively early as well (33 I believe) from an Achilles heel injury.

How he ended up dying. Is still troubling for me to this very day.

Pistol Pete one of the greats in basketball history.

Could you imagine a healthy Pete Marovich along the side of Larry Bird in his prime that'd been dramatic

Having text on the guy's face really adds something

If Maravich Would Have Started Out With Boston Under Auerbach He Would Seriously Be Considered The GOAT! PERIOD! Maravich Faced Jealousy, Reverse Racism And Shitty Coaching As A Trifecta Against Him In Atlanta. This Totally Changed His Game And Wasted His Talent. In New Orleans At Least He Had Elgin As Coach And Started To Shine, But He Never Had Any Help!

@davanmani556

17 күн бұрын

Should have gone to the ABA.

@NameCallingIsWeak

14 күн бұрын

Wilt had two good coaches, and two rings. I believe you.

People forget how great Pistol pete was,he was injured most of his career,if he could have been healthy,he would have been great,he taught Bird alot about basketball.

Pistol Pete you where Mr entertained and the most under rated player in Basketball the Joker reminds me of your style of play and he is a center.

Averaged what 60 ppg at lsu before the 3pt line...amazing player ..knees...the hard court is tough on them

Thank you so so much!

The Fleet Center doesn't have the same soul as the Garden did

I hope Pistol enjoyed his last stop in an incredible career. R.I.P. Pete!

The Pistol.

Imagine if they had the 3 point shot in college ball when he played.no one would have caught him.

@patrickmorgan4006

9 күн бұрын

And the rules didn't allow freshmen to play, so add another year onto his scoring records and they are absolutely untouchable.

Great video, thank you

Keep in mind, he was THE sixth man of that Celtics squad, and was instrumental in helping them turn around.

@johnd2330

16 күн бұрын

ML Carr was the 6th man for the 1979-80 Celtics.

@johnd2330

16 күн бұрын

Also, @Jessemathes5126, he only played 26 games for the Celtics. They were already terrific in 1979-80 due in large part to Larry Bird and did not need anyone to help turn them around.

@jessemathes5126

16 күн бұрын

@@johnd2330 Pete helped, you're probably right, for I was only 5 at the time.

@jessemathes5126

16 күн бұрын

@@johnd2330 I'm wrong, I'm sorry, but he helped. I was only five at the time.

@jessemathes5126

16 күн бұрын

@@johnd2330 Also too that the WHOLE team including Cedric Maxwell were essential. Robey AND the rest of them.

Had he played in today's Era with constant uncalled walking and palming the ball... he would have averaged 20 assists a game..He was the greatest ball handler of all time, why he wasn't used as a point guard I'll never understand..

Breaks my heart remembering this awesome talent. Sad that he never was crowned a champion, but let's face it. If he hadn't retired, you would never see a Bird fly.

Thank you

RIP Pete you are in the kingdom now.

2:27 Pete Maravich looks like Ralph Nader

First time I ever saw him he scored

@paulheaphy4228

13 күн бұрын

64 points at Kentucky....against Dan Issell . Pete was raw.

I don't know why he didn't stick around with the Celtics one more year he would have got his championship

@mr.sinjin-smyth

15 күн бұрын

You can thank Bill Fitch for that. He pestered Pete to regain is "old form", and when Pete worked back to shape in the 1980 off season, Fitch was still not impressed. That's when Pete decided to hang it up.

@NameCallingIsWeak

14 күн бұрын

@@mr.sinjin-smyth What did the roster space give Fitch? Who got Pistols spot?

@mr.sinjin-smyth

14 күн бұрын

@@NameCallingIsWeak Gerald Henderson took over Pistol's spot with more minutes.

..... and he died 8 years later

@joeborromeo8693

11 күн бұрын

And his last were “I feel great”

Pete Maravich was much better than Larry Bird.

@1avardac

17 күн бұрын

Bird was great in his own right. Pete was probably a better ballhandler, though.

@michaelconnor5378

17 күн бұрын

@@1avardacMaravich was the basketball version of Archie Manning playing for all those horrible Saints teams. In fact they might have both played in New Orleans at the same time. On the Saints and the Jazz.

@hull5768

16 күн бұрын

​@@michaelconnor5378good point

@RoyPage1970

15 күн бұрын

​@@michaelconnor5378he was way better as a basketball player than Manning was a quarterback

@mr.sinjin-smyth

15 күн бұрын

Larry Bird was a better teammate and leader.