Greatest College Player Pistol Pete

On December twenty second, nineteen sixty nine, in Portland, Oregon, in the middle of winter, Oregon State host the LSU Tigers, and all eyes are on one player from LSU who has turned the LSU program around and become insensation, and that man is Pete Marivitch, better known as Pistol. And on this night he goes on to set a record that has not been broken since, and not one that anyone expected him to break. He was known for his great shooting and his dazzling passing, but tonight he broke a record at the free throw line, being calm and collected the whole night, getting fouled multiple times as he went to shoot thirty one free throws and make thirty of them. And despite this, Oregon State was able to get a victory. But the record books will remember Pete Maravich not only for this, but many other accomplishments that made him arguably the greatest college basketball player ever. Join us today as we I having a pistol Pete in his amazing college career and how he set this crazy record today on Daily Sports History. Welcome to Daily Sports History. I'm Ethan Reese, your guide because a free throw is really the only shot I can make him in playing basketball. Now, most of us have heard the name Pistol Pete. He's had movies named after him. He's known by one name of Pistol and most people know you're talking about Pistol Pete. He's kind of a legend and almost a mythologic figure. But how did they become that way, Well, it all starts with his father, who was named Peter Maravich, but had a crazy nickname as well in press as he was known for pressing when he played basketball, and when his wife got pregnant with Pete, he decided to give up playing basketball professionally. We go on to be a coach and he was obsessed with basketball, and his son became obsessed as well. And really this combination of having basketball be at home and at school and everywhere really led to Pistol Pete being incredible. See the fact that his dad was a coach meant Pete would go with him and practice drills, do all this stuff with the basketball, want to be a part of the team. Even though these were teenagers and he was just a little kid. It would really encourage him to work on dribbling drills, work on both hands do these crazy, crazy drills that made him so good with the basketball that he could do things no one else could. He even joined his varsity basketball team a year early because he was that good, and even though he was small and skinny, he still had success because he had been practicing with his dad, who was coaching at Clemson at the time, practicing with those players and would go on to get scholarship offers from everywhere after he was done in high school. But his dad didn't think he was physically ready for a full season against men in college basketball because at the time most people in college basketball were juniors and seniors, and because he was small. He did grow up to be six', five but he was always very, skinny and while he was, younger he actually got the Nickname. Pistol, now this came from the way he shot because he was facing against, bigger taller guys and he would kind of shoot quickly from the hip like he was drawing a pistol from a holster during a. Duel so this is where he got his nickname and it stuck with him throughout his. Life so after he was done with high, school he went To edward's military company to basically prep for, college and he averaged thirty three points a game, there not surprising with what he would go on to do in. College now he had a decision to. Make where was he going to go to? College, well, now, honestly it wasn't very hard and it was kind of cheating for the. Time so his dad was actually the head coach AT. Lsu, NOW lsu was a terrible basketball program at the time and just did not care about. Basketball they were completely a football. School but him being his, Dad pete, said, OKAY i will go and play with you if you buy me a. Car, now technically this is not against the rules then because he was his, father but it kind of was and wouldn't be an issue to in today's, landscape but at the time air tourism was, important but you get around it because he was his. Father so he started his freshman year and he took the team by, storm putting up over fifty points a game multiple, times putting up crazy stats for the freshman. Team because at the, time freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity. Team so after his great freshman, season he would finally get moved up to the varsity, team where his first. Game he put up fifty points fourteen rebounds in elevensis get a triple double his very first, outing and it just showed what was to. Come he showed great poise with the ball and would do things that were. Crazy he would go on to average over forty three points a game every year his three years in. College forty three points a. Game this Is Wilt chamberlain type, numbers and we really haven't seen these type numbers Since wilt And Pete. Merrivitge these were crazy, numbers and he wasn't just. Scoring he was also passing the ball all, around getting. Rebounds he was an all around good. Player those defense was a little, lacking but on, offense no one was. Better and remember this was before the three point line was adopted in college. Basketball experts have gone back kind of estimated how many of his shots probably would have factored into his point, total and they actually estimate he would have averaged over fifty five points a game if there was a three point line at the, time because he was not just driving the lane getting layups and. Things he was shooting from all over the. Court he Was Steph curry And Magic johnson in one, person all before either of those players even took the. Court he was a transcendent. Player he would go on to be a three Time All. American but the problem was as good as he, was as crazy as those. Numbers see the first couple of, years they barely were a five hundred. Team in his senior year he was able to get them to twenty two and ten and get them an invite to the Ni Pete marrivige never played in THE ncaa turn and they finished fourth in the Un so part of what his legacy lacked was. Championships but you can't control. It we have to remember this is a team game and not one player can take you all the. Way so he set multiple. Records for one we talked about at the, opening he set the record for the most free throws made in a single game in, thirty only missing, one and no one else since has broken this. Record he also the record for the most point, scored not including freshman. Eligibility the record for the highest career scoring average of forty two point three is still, his he holds to this, day and he is still the only one to lead the nation in scoring for three straight. Years he also holds the record in his senior year of having the most fifty point games in the season of, ten and he has the most fifty point games in a career of twenty, eight most forty eight point games in a career of fifty. Six and at the, time he set the record for the most points scored in game at sixty six in nineteen sixty, nine and then he would break that record the following year and set the record at sixty nine and that was only broken By Kevin bradshaw in nineteen ninety one who scored seventy. Two And pete is still second on that. List and now the question is was he the greatest college basketball player of all? Time now there's many out, there AND i went to the chat gbteam machine and, said who are the ten greatest college basketball players of all? Time and they Had Pistol pete behind Kream al Dul jabbar And Bill. Walton creamo Do jabar And Bill walton won championships One national players of the. Years they were. Great pistol p didn't have the same teams around him THAT ucla. DID ucla was a powerhouse back. Then they were other players that were on the list For Christian, Laitner Oscar, Robinson Bill, Russell Larry, Bird Magic, Johnson Michael, jordan And David. Thompson but you can definitely argue if you want to include championships in what makes the players so, great you can do. That kareem Al george bar was so good they banned dunking because of. Him SO i think the argument is really Between kareem And Pistol. Pete kareem has the championships in the. Clout pistol had the flash that but also the. MYSTERY i think If Pistol pete was ON, ucla he probably would have averaged something around the. Same it would have been winning national titles and without a, doubt would have been the greatest college basketball player of all. Time he just wasn't on a great. Team he went to go play with his, dad who he had been with. Forever the problem with, that, though is when he had to go to THE nba and for the first time he was playing in THE nba without his. Dad he was drafted by The Atlanta hawks with the third pick in the first round in the nineteen seventy, draft and he was not a natural. Fit pistol b was known for these, crazy fun passes that were almost like The Harlem globetrotters at the, time and that wasn't the style they really played. With he appeared in eighty one game first, year averaging twenty three, points making The All rookie, team but the team struggled, overall so he eventually got things figured out in his third season with, them averaging twenty six points a, game fifth in THE nba at the. Time with averaging almost seven assists and really kind of starting to, gel they were able to have a winning, record though they did lose in the first, round but he made The All star, team made second Team ALL, nba and the next year would be even, better averaging twenty seven points and fishing second in the league in points, scored becoming Another All. Star but, However atlanta again fizzled as he didn't get along with his coach as he didn't let him just run the. Show so the following, year The New Orleans jazz were a new team and they wanted a big, player big, splash so they Acquired Pete merevich in a big. Trade they traded two players and four draft picks too to Get pete to come back To, louisiana where he had great success as a college, player but he was coming to a bad. Team they gave away two, players they had no draft. Picks he was a part of a bad. Team they only won twenty three. Games his first, year he averaged twenty one. Points Now they did work the next year to get a little better of a, squad but he started to struggle with, injuries play in just sixty two games that, season but did average twenty six points a game that would make first Team ALL nba that. Year the following year was his most productive season in THE. Nba he would average thirty one points a, game including a sixty eight point game against The New York, knicks which at the time was the most points ever scored by a guard in a single, game only Behind Wilt chamberlain And Algin, baylor who coincidentally was his coach at the. Time despite him breaking out this, season he still had a losing. Record he was able to Make ALL Nba All star, again but the following season he again started to have more knee. Injuries he missed thirty two games but averaged twenty seven points a. Game for another losing, team he played just forty nine, games averaging twenty two points a, game would be An All, star and after this he would be released by The jazz as they were moving To Salt lake and he wasn't the draw that he was In louisiana In Salt, lake so they released him and The Boston celtics actually picked up his, rights but he was a shell of his own. Player he only played twenty six games for The Boston, celtics where he averaged eleven, points and he would go on to retire at the age of thirty. Two despite him not having success in THE, nba he was a five Time All, star two time first Team ALL, nba led the league in the scoring in nineteen seventy six and nineteen seventy, seven would be inducted into The Basketball hall Of, fame but he barely made the, playoffs so you could say maybe he wasn't a team. Player, now he did average pretty good assists throughout his. Career he would pass the ball even though he was a great, scorer but his team's never had success around. Him whether that was pistol and his. Mentality maybe he just wasn't a winning. Mentality he was just really good and really, skilled or he was put in really bad. Situations Nick leanna on a team that didn't fit, him and then The jazz traded everything just to get, him and he didn't have a good team around, him and then, injuries which is kind of the reason many people in their basketball. Career it's, sad but his numbers in college will always be remembered and put up there against the best of all, time, because for my, Money Pete merrivich is the best college player that ever stepped on the. Court the question is who do you think might be. BETTER i want to thank you for listening today's day of the sports. History if you like, this please share it with the friends so they can learn all about the sports that you're learning every. Day all the, nuances the, stats the craziness that happens in. Sports they can learn just. Along. You love to hear from, you love to continue. 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