- 2 days ago
The NCAA's all time leading scorer in basketball, Basketball HOFer, a life and career cut far too short
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00I have a 6th goal of all!
00:02Down goes Frazier!
00:04Down goes Frazier!
00:06Down goes Frazier!
00:09United to Omicii!
00:11Omicii for the men!
00:13A down from the corner!
00:15A down from the corner!
00:20That's a close close!
00:22They've won their 6th NBA championship!
00:25That's a swing!
00:26This is going to be a home run!
00:28Unbelievable!
00:30Don't believe what I just saw!
00:44Hello, I'm Chris Fowler for SportsCentury.
00:47If Pete Maravich hadn't played basketball,
00:50he might have played Vegas as a sleight-of-hand artist,
00:52either on the stage or at the gaming tables.
00:55He could make anything disappear,
00:57even a basketball with his lightning moves.
01:00Beyond his ball-handling skills,
01:02Pistol Pete shot with deadly accuracy,
01:05becoming the most prolific scorer
01:06in the history of college basketball.
01:09A droopy-eyed virtuoso,
01:11Maravich was born to entertain.
01:13Hey, those are his kids.
01:21Those are his sons.
01:28You're looking at Pistol Pete Maravich,
01:32in my opinion,
01:33the greatest playmaker playing today.
01:36Pistol Pete Maravich was born to be a fan of Pistol Pete Maravich.
01:39Pistol Pete Maravich was born to be a fan of Pistol Pete Maravich.
01:40Pistol Pete Maravich was born to be a fan of Pistol Pete Maravich.
01:41Excitement, enthusiasm,
01:44greatness.
01:46That was Pete Maravich.
01:48He was unstoppable.
01:50It was as if you had melted down
01:52all 12 Harlem Globetrotters
01:56and then filled up this skinny 6-6
01:58white frame
02:00with everything they had.
02:02Everything just stopped.
02:05It was like,
02:06wait a second.
02:08Did he just do what I think he did?
02:11You were never quite sure
02:13what he was going to do
02:14with the ball in the open court
02:16because he had a thousand moves
02:18to either shoot it or pass it.
02:21Give it that much room
02:22and he'll burn you.
02:24He faked with his right hand
02:25like he was going to the player on his left
02:28and he just whiffed it
02:29and then he hit it,
02:30tipped it with his left hand
02:31to the player on his right.
02:32He went in for a layup
02:33and the officials caught traveling.
02:34Pete went crazy.
02:35He went to the official
02:36and said,
02:37you can't call that.
02:38You've never seen that move before.
02:40Nobody handled the ball
02:41better than Pistol
02:43but he wasn't just satisfied with that.
02:45He had to put a little show on
02:47for the fans.
02:49I asked him once
02:50if he'd ever played
02:50a perfect game.
02:52He said,
02:52no,
02:52but I'm going to.
02:54Some night I'm going to take 40 shots
02:56and I'm going to make them all.
02:58He was an entertainer at heart
03:00and his ability to pass the ball
03:02and dribble the ball
03:03and do outlandish things on the court
03:06which sometimes even overruled the game.
03:09That was Pete Maravich.
03:13Pete Maravich was showtime
03:15before there was showtime.
03:16I think that the only problem
03:19with Pete Maravich
03:22was the four other guys.
03:25He just didn't relate
03:26to the rest of the team.
03:28He was the ultimate outsider.
03:30He was the great white player
03:32in a black man's sport.
03:34He was an individualist
03:36in a team game.
03:38He didn't really understand basketball
03:39other than the dribbling ball
03:41through his legs behind the back
03:42and pass behind the back
03:43which almost everyone could do.
03:44He didn't understand
03:45in the game of basketball.
03:46People just salivated
03:48by getting him
03:48in a one-on-one situation.
03:50He had 250 players
03:52in the league
03:52that he was going to compete against
03:54that were going to try
03:55to knock him down
03:56every time he put the ball
03:57between his legs
03:58or did something
03:58that was flamboyant.
04:00Pistol was way ahead of the game.
04:01Pistol got the reputation
04:02of being a hot dog
04:03because he was so talented
04:05that he was bored with the game.
04:07People would point fingers at him.
04:08Well, he's too selfish.
04:10He takes too many shots.
04:11That's why they don't win.
04:12Drafted by Atlanta in 1970,
04:16Pete Maravich entered the pros
04:17as a high-dollar,
04:18high-profile player
04:20whose flamboyant talent
04:21belied the pressures
04:23that were building within.
04:24I can remember him
04:25in training camp
04:26in Baton Rouge
04:27and one year
04:28when he was with the Hawks
04:29and how isolated he was
04:31from the rest of the team.
04:33Pete was in his own world.
04:35With teammates,
04:36he was aloof.
04:36With opposing players
04:38like myself,
04:38he was aloof.
04:39You just knew
04:39of the legend of Pistol Pete,
04:41but you didn't know
04:43Pete Maravich.
04:44There was a wild streak in him
04:46and you could tell it.
04:48The PR man at LSU said,
04:51you know something,
04:52if he doesn't change,
04:53something's gonna happen.
04:54He'll never live to be 30.
04:56He got wrecked
04:57in the cocktail lounge
04:59and he's ranting and raving
05:00and of course he jumps up
05:01and cracks his head on the table,
05:03splits his head wide open.
05:05I remember waking up
05:06early in the morning
05:07to a phone call
05:08and heard the girl
05:09that I was with talking
05:10and she said,
05:10that was my husband on the phone.
05:12I said, your husband?
05:13She said, yes, I'm separated
05:14and so was the other girl.
05:16Well, I immediately hollered
05:17upstairs for Pete.
05:18Finally got him to wake up.
05:19I said, man,
05:20we gotta get out of here.
05:21So we got our clothes on
05:22and we're running
05:23and we're starting to go
05:24out the front door
05:24and we see this car pulling up
05:26or I think it was a pickup truck
05:28actually with two guys in it.
05:29So we go running
05:30and it was on the second floor already.
05:33So we open this window
05:34and we're looking down
05:34and it's about a 10 foot,
05:3612 foot drop to the ground
05:37and so we didn't have any choice.
05:39Boom, we're out there.
05:42I've thought about suicide
05:44many times in my life.
05:45It would have been easy for me.
05:46I used to take my Porsche
05:47135 miles an hour
05:48across a bridge
05:49called the Lake Pontchartrain
05:50just to air myself out
05:52and air the car out.
05:53It would have been so easy
05:54just to take that wheel
05:54and turn it to the right
05:55just about 10 degrees
05:58and it would have been
05:58history for me.
05:59In a lifelong search
06:01for stability
06:01Merovich wandered
06:03into bizarre realms.
06:05He claimed
06:06that he believed
06:07in visitors
06:08from outer space
06:09and that on his condo
06:11in Atlanta
06:12he had gone up
06:12on the roof
06:13and painted in red paint
06:14take me.
06:16UFOs,
06:18karate,
06:19transcendental meditation,
06:22vitamins,
06:24fasting,
06:24being a vegetarian.
06:25and he was always
06:26searching for some
06:27kind of peace
06:28that he couldn't find
06:29in basketball.
06:30He tried to change
06:31his personality
06:32and he tried to please
06:34so many people
06:35that he was a different
06:36person all the time
06:38and when that happens
06:39you eventually
06:40lose your identity
06:41and that's what
06:42happened to Pistol
06:43at one point.
06:44He lost his identity
06:45and because of it
06:46things started
06:47falling apart for him.
06:48The seeds of Merovich's
06:50eventual disconnection
06:51were planted
06:52in childhood
06:52by a father
06:53whose only means
06:54of self-expression
06:55was a game.
06:58Really?
07:00When I was seven years old
07:01my dad sat me down
07:03and he said
07:03Pete,
07:04if you'll listen to me
07:05you might be able
07:07to get a scholarship
07:07in basketball
07:08because we can't
07:09pay your way.
07:10And maybe you
07:11not only get a scholarship
07:12but maybe you'll go
07:13to the pro level
07:13and you'll play on a team
07:15that wins a world championship
07:16and you'll make a million dollars
07:18playing basketball
07:19and they'll give you
07:20a big diamond ring
07:21and they'll have your name
07:21on it
07:22and say world champions
07:23until a seven year old
07:24my eyes lit up
07:25and I said dad
07:26that's what I want.
07:27He said if you'll let me teach you
07:28you just commit
07:29you dedicate your life
07:30to basketball
07:31and that's all you have to do
07:32and you'll live happily
07:33the rest of your life
07:34and that's what I did.
07:36I became a human basketball.
07:38I was a basketball android.
07:41Pete Merovich's father
07:42Press
07:43grew up in Pennsylvania
07:45Steel Country.
07:46Back in Aliquippa
07:47there were
07:48you really had three things.
07:49You had the steel mill
07:50you had the family
07:51we had sports.
07:52Press took up basketball
07:54from the day
07:55he first knew how to bounce it.
07:57Completely obsessed
07:58with the game
07:58loved it
07:59played it with all his heart.
08:02Press
08:02was really known
08:04as Mr. Basketball
08:06around Aliquippa.
08:07If anything
08:07we all looked at him
08:09as a basketball hero.
08:10After a short
08:11professional career
08:12in the 1940s
08:14Press moved on
08:15to coaching
08:15high schools
08:16and small colleges.
08:18He was very precise
08:19in everything he did.
08:21He knew what he was doing
08:22and he knew
08:22what he wanted.
08:24And you played
08:25for him that way
08:26and you practiced
08:27for him that way.
08:28Everybody thought
08:29Press Merovich
08:30as this mock scientist
08:32about basketball.
08:33I mean he was so
08:34involved in the game
08:35you know
08:36about the fundamental
08:37parts of the game
08:39and how it should be played.
08:40Already a stepfather
08:42when his first born son
08:43Pete arrived
08:44in 1947
08:45Press Merovich
08:46charted a course
08:47straight to the gym.
08:49Press was talking
08:50one time about
08:51how some people
08:52are born to play a piano
08:53some people are born
08:54to be painters
08:54some people are born
08:55to be writers
08:56and said
08:56he thought Pete
08:57was born to play basketball
08:58because he had
09:00basketball genes.
09:02Pete would come
09:02on the court
09:03in the backyard
09:03and say
09:04let me shoot
09:05give me the ball
09:05and Press would say
09:07no go back in the house
09:08you're too small
09:08and Press said
09:09on one occasion
09:11he'd left the ball
09:11on the court
09:12and went back in the house
09:13and looked back
09:14through the kitchen window
09:15and he saw
09:15that Pete had slipped
09:16onto the court
09:17picked up the ball
09:18and started shooting
09:19and Press said
09:20I knew at that moment
09:21I had him.
09:22It was like
09:22his dad was dangling
09:24something out in front of him
09:25and would intrigue him
09:26and Pete would get
09:27interested in it
09:28and then his dad
09:29would take another step
09:30and then another step
09:31until he was hooked
09:33and he was obsessed
09:35by the game of basketball.
09:37When he was 12 years old
09:38he opened the window
09:40to his room
09:41jumped out of the window
09:42and spent the night
09:43in the woods
09:44cuddling the basketball.
09:46When Press
09:47was at the wheel
09:48of the car
09:48Pete would sit
09:49in the back seat
09:50by the window
09:51put the window
09:52down
09:53and as Press
09:53drove slowly
09:54Pete would dribble
09:55the ball.
09:56Now I mean
09:57that's an eerie
09:58connection with basketball.
10:00In 19...
10:0112 year old.
10:04In 1959
10:05he threw a pass
10:07between his legs
10:09and the crowd
10:10went berserk.
10:11It was a small crowd
10:11but they went nuts
10:13and at that time
10:14something clicked
10:15in him
10:15very much like
10:16any entertainer.
10:17When practice
10:17was over
10:18in high school
10:18he would stay
10:19another hour or two
10:20just ball handling
10:22and shooting hook shots
10:24from half court
10:25stuff like that.
10:26He was about 5 foot
10:27weighed about 80 pounds
10:29when he was in
10:30the 8th grade.
10:31He used to sit out
10:32there from 20
10:32to 25 feet
10:33shoot from the hip
10:34that's when he got
10:35that pistol name.
10:36When Press
10:37became assistant coach
10:38at North Carolina State
10:39in 1962
10:40the family moved
10:42to Raleigh.
10:43At Broughton High School
10:44it was clear
10:45that Press' passion
10:46had transferred
10:47to his son.
10:48Pete was always
10:49the last one
10:50to leave the court
10:50and when Press
10:52would be there
10:52to pick him up
10:53people would say
10:54well come on Pete
10:54and Pete would always
10:55put him off
10:56Dad I've got a little
10:57bit more to work on
10:58I've got something
10:59else I need to do
10:59and Press would look
11:01at me and he'd say
11:01how about that kid?
11:03He said
11:04oh Jack
11:04the world wants this kid
11:07and he said
11:07what do you see him play?
11:08He's just a marvelous
11:09player
11:10he does everything
11:11sees the floor
11:12makes the pass
11:14can handle
11:15can shoot it long
11:16I said
11:17Press can he defend?
11:19well yeah
11:19he can do that too.
11:20The thing that really
11:21was impressive
11:22he never took his eye
11:24off the basket
11:24I mean you could
11:25turn him upside down
11:26and he'd always look
11:27at him and his eye
11:28would still be
11:29on the basket.
11:30He was in his
11:31little dream world
11:32on that basketball court
11:33but as we would
11:34you know
11:35venture out
11:36and go to clubs
11:37and stuff like that
11:38he would be tagging
11:39along behind
11:39when I knew him
11:40in high school
11:41he was this jittery
11:42jerky
11:43kind of a guy
11:44the kind of guy
11:45that you know
11:45probably some
11:46psychologist today
11:47would have him
11:48on riddle
11:48and you know
11:49he was probably
11:49just too jerky
11:51he couldn't concentrate
11:52he couldn't sit still
11:53trying to be friendly
11:55to Pete
11:55was kind of hard
11:56because he would
11:56he would start
11:57looking down
11:58and moping around
11:59he wouldn't really care
12:00and particularly
12:00if there were girls
12:01involved
12:01while Pete led
12:03Broughton to the state
12:04semi-finals in 1965
12:06Press in his first year
12:08as North Carolina State's
12:09head coach
12:09won the ACC tournament
12:11father and son
12:13stood together
12:13on the brink
12:14of a dream
12:15Press was determined
12:17to coach Pete
12:18all of us
12:19who knew
12:19Press
12:19knew that
12:20that was his
12:21lifetime goal
12:22to coach Pete
12:23in college
12:24but unfortunately
12:25he didn't hit those books
12:26as hard as he should have
12:28when he was a young man
12:29consequently
12:29he didn't quite
12:30make the grade
12:31on the SATs
12:33while Pete spent a year
12:35at a nearby
12:36prep school
12:37his father let it be known
12:38in the college
12:39coaching fraternity
12:40that a package deal
12:41was possible
12:42he didn't have
12:43to wait long
12:44Press was making
12:45around $12,500
12:47as head coach
12:48at NC State
12:48and I think he got
12:49around $15,000
12:50to go to LSU
12:51and Pete wasn't
12:53accepted
12:53at NC State
12:54so both of them
12:55you know
12:55to go to LSU
12:56and then his history
12:57from there
12:57I can remember
12:58the first day
12:59I saw Press Maravich
13:00at a press conference
13:02at LSU
13:02the first one he had
13:03as a coach
13:04and before he got
13:06halfway through
13:06he said
13:06boy there's going
13:07to be a guy
13:08next year
13:08at LSU
13:09is going to be
13:09the greatest
13:10basketball player
13:11in the world
13:12I think
13:16one of the toughest
13:17sales in America
13:18was to sell
13:20basketball in Louisiana
13:21it wasn't until
13:22Pete showed up
13:23on campus
13:24and started playing
13:25that I mean
13:26it was like
13:26the word spread
13:27like wildfire
13:28that here was
13:29a bona fide superstar
13:30and it'd be
13:33five, six thousand
13:34people would show up
13:35for the freshman game
13:36just to see him
13:37and then they'd have
13:38the varsity game
13:38and it would be like
13:39six, seven hundred
13:40after averaging
13:4144 points
13:42on a freshman team
13:43that lost just once
13:45Pete joined his father
13:46on the LSU varsity
13:47in 1967
13:48in his first game
13:50he took 50 shots
13:52Pete was there
13:53to bring in the people
13:54Pete was there
13:54to do the scoring
13:56and we were there
13:57to do whatever we could
13:59to help that along
14:00Press recruited players
14:02at least in my opinion
14:03that had the body
14:05to set good screens
14:06and Pete was very good
14:07at stepping around
14:09those screens
14:09somebody asked me
14:10what it was like
14:11trying to guard Pete
14:12I said imagine yourself
14:13in a big dark
14:14pitch black room
14:15and they put you in there
14:16and it's full of refrigerators
14:18and there's a house fly in there
14:19and they try to catch it
14:21you run around
14:22you keep running
14:22into all these big refrigerators
14:24you don't see them
14:24and boom, boom, boom
14:25and it's impossible
14:26to even try
14:26as soon as he touched the ball
14:33people went to the edge
14:34of their seat
14:35and there was this great rumor
14:37that was circulating
14:38that he had developed a shot
14:40that he was going to dribble
14:40down the court
14:41and right in front of the basket
14:43give it a hard dribble
14:44and the ball on the bounce
14:45would go in the basket
14:46people of Pete Maravich's generation
14:55all wanted to play basketball
14:57like he did
14:57guys were in the low-cut sneakers
15:00and the trim white socks
15:02and the tight-fitting panties
15:04he had these ugly old high sweat socks
15:07that just flopped all over the floor
15:08Those of us that were close to press
15:30could tell how proud he was of Pete
15:32and behind Pete's back
15:34he would just say glorious things about Pete
15:36he would never tell Pete
15:37that he was that great
15:39part of what Pete was searching for
15:41was his father's approval
15:42and I don't think he got it very often
15:44He was so obsessed by the boy
15:45and his talent
15:46that he would take the films home
15:48and would play them
15:50over and over and over
15:52and over and over again
15:54all night
15:55They had strong wills
15:57short fuses
15:58and on the court
15:59at timeouts
16:00they'd chew each other out
16:02press usually won
16:03but Pete would go out
16:05after a timeout
16:06and do something so spectacular
16:07the old man would throw up his hands
16:09and say
16:09you know what can I do
16:10I remember one game in particular
16:12during a timeout
16:12where press said
16:13we're going to do this
16:14and Pete said
16:14well why don't we try that
16:15and he basically ended up
16:17you know
16:17smacking him on top of the head
16:18and said Pete
16:19he said
16:19I'm the coach
16:20you're the player
16:21we're going to do it
16:22while Pete interacted with his father
16:26on the basketball court
16:27his mother Helen
16:29was finding it increasingly difficult
16:31to live in the shadow
16:32of their mutual obsession
16:34she was agoraphobic
16:36which is
16:36she was afraid of crowds
16:38and afraid to leave the house
16:39I was in school four years
16:40with the press as the coach
16:42the four years
16:42he was at state
16:43all four years
16:43and probably saw Helen
16:45a half a dozen times
16:47she most of the time
16:49didn't even come to games
16:50the sad thing about that
16:52was when she was in public
16:53she was just
16:54absolutely marvelous
16:56a wonderful lady
16:57but she just
16:58I think crawled within herself
17:00his mother was an alcoholic
17:02I don't think
17:03anybody
17:05identified that problem
17:07at the time
17:08nobody talked about
17:09that problem at the time
17:11but
17:12you could put things together
17:14press had a hard life
17:16because
17:16he looked like his mom
17:19kind of
17:20and
17:21he picked up the alcohol
17:23part
17:24he'd go on the road
17:27with the LSU team
17:28and come back
17:29and
17:29and the house is in disarray
17:31she was a lonely woman
17:33because her husband
17:34and her son
17:35were basketball
17:36that was it
17:37they were always involved
17:39in basketball
17:39I used to find it
17:41in the washing machine
17:41I had a bottle of scotch
17:43down in the washing machine
17:45in the dryer
17:45I think it made him mad
17:47and I think it frustrated my dad too
17:50part of it was
17:51they were so happy
17:51and I guess it upset them
17:52that she was not so
17:53she was just so unhappy
17:55Pete became more consumed
17:58with basketball
17:59he withdrew from the family
18:01he avoided Helen
18:03knowing the problems
18:05that his mother had
18:06I was concerned
18:07and other players
18:08were concerned
18:08as to whether or not
18:10Pete would
18:11overindulge
18:13in his drinking
18:14to where it could
18:14become a problem
18:15he would wake up
18:18in the morning
18:18to go to class
18:19and go out there
18:19and see
18:20how did he get
18:21his car
18:21in this spot
18:22you could almost
18:24sense and feel
18:25him hitting
18:26the front bumper
18:26and then backing up
18:27to the back bumper
18:28and the front bumper
18:29and the back bumper
18:30until he gets in
18:31he drank a lot
18:32when he was in college
18:33with the reports
18:34we were getting
18:34a couple of wrecks
18:35and of course
18:36his daddy wasn't
18:37going to kick him
18:37off the team
18:38but he might
18:39bat him around
18:39a little bit
18:40if you're going
18:42to go out
18:42and do something
18:43really crazy
18:43or stay out
18:44and make sure
18:44Pete's with him
18:45you probably
18:46wouldn't get kicked
18:46off for the
18:47severe punishment
18:48however hard
18:50Pete played
18:50off court
18:51he never let up
18:52once the whistle
18:53blew
18:53averaging 44 points
18:56a game
18:56in his sophomore
18:57and junior years
18:58but scoring
18:59was only part
19:00of the Pistols
19:01arsenal
19:01we felt like
19:03his ball handling
19:04and his assist
19:05abilities
19:06overshadowed
19:07his scoring
19:07abilities
19:08and that sounds
19:08crazy
19:09when a guy
19:09averages
19:0940 some points
19:11a game
19:11so we made
19:12the decision
19:12that we were
19:13going to play
19:13him straight up
19:14and guard the
19:15heck out of the
19:15rest of the
19:16people
19:16Coach Rupp
19:17didn't think
19:17that Pete
19:18could beat us
19:18all by himself
19:20and so we would
19:21play him
19:21one on one
19:22the six games
19:24that we played
19:24against each other
19:25in college
19:27I think Pete
19:28averaged over
19:2950 points a game
19:30but we won
19:31all six games
19:32so Coach Rupp
19:33was right
19:33managing just
19:35three victories
19:36the season
19:36before Pete's
19:37arrival on the
19:38varsity
19:38LSU played
19:40a combined
19:40two games
19:41above 500
19:42during his
19:42first two
19:43seasons
19:43as he entered
19:44his senior
19:45year
19:45Maravich was
19:46just under
19:47700 points
19:48short of
19:48Oscar Robertson's
19:49NCAA scoring
19:51record
19:51more and more
19:52that's why Oscar
19:53Robertson is
19:54hitting running
19:55he didn't
19:56understand
19:57basketball
19:58but he understood
19:59basketball enough
20:00to break your
20:00record
20:01people wanted to
20:01be around him
20:02wanted to be a part
20:03of him
20:03wanted to talk
20:03to him
20:04wanted to get
20:04his autograph
20:04just wanted to
20:06get as close to
20:06him as they could
20:07he really started
20:08becoming a loner
20:09he quit going to
20:10class
20:10he basically
20:11for all practical
20:12purposes moved
20:13out of the dorm
20:14just wanted to be
20:15by himself
20:16on the floor
20:18Pete stayed
20:19on pace
20:19in the second
20:20half against
20:21Ole Miss
20:21in late January
20:22of 1970
20:23the pistol
20:25was a point
20:25short of the
20:26Big O
20:27there must have
20:28been 50
20:28photographers at
20:29the game
20:29and every time
20:30he would
20:31shoot the ball
20:32all these cameras
20:32would go off
20:33and he must have
20:34missed 6 or 7
20:35in a row
20:35before he finally
20:36made the shot
20:37that broke the
20:37record
20:37and when he did
20:38it was just
20:39an unbelievable
20:40huge burden
20:41off his back
20:42we were there
20:42to create magic
20:43and he was there
20:44to create magic
20:44and he created
20:45it that night
20:46leading LSU
20:48to a 22-10 record
20:50Maravich broke
20:51his own
20:52division 1 record
20:53by averaging
20:5444 and a half
20:55as a senior
20:56he finished his
20:57college career
20:58with 3,667 points
21:01what I do every year
21:03in my first notes
21:04column of the year
21:05is I just remind
21:06people of what
21:07Pete Maravich did
21:08that he averaged
21:0844 points a game
21:10for 3 seasons
21:11and I don't think
21:12people understand
21:13what that number is
21:15and that's a number
21:15that'll never
21:16he had to
21:17average 38 shots
21:20because there were
21:21no
21:21there was no
21:223 point line
21:23back then
21:24that would be
21:25approached ever again
21:26in college basketball
21:27I think without a doubt
21:29he was the greatest
21:31offensive player
21:33ever to play the game
21:34if you want to
21:35break his record
21:36that was with
21:36no 3 point shot
21:37all you have to do
21:39is score
21:4015 3 pointers
21:42every game you play
21:44your entire college career
21:45and you'll break
21:46Pistols record
21:47no one's ever
21:47going to do it
21:48as the all time
21:49college scoring champion
21:51Maravich would face
21:52a new challenge
21:53in the NBA
21:54without his father
21:55on the sidelines
21:56we are most
21:59basketball
22:00for the Atlanta Hawks
22:01outmaneuvering
22:05the ABA's
22:06Carolina Cougars
22:07the Hawks
22:08signed the collegiate
22:09sensation
22:10for 5 years
22:11at nearly
22:112 million dollars
22:12but it wasn't
22:14only money
22:14that set
22:15Maravich apart
22:16when I first
22:17came here
22:17and announced
22:18the starting lineups
22:19the first time
22:20I got about
22:223 death threats
22:22because
22:23the people
22:24were complaining
22:24because I just
22:25mentioned
22:25black guys
22:26all those guys
22:27who were starting
22:28but once Maravich
22:29arrived
22:29the color green
22:31became the
22:32dominant issue
22:32my reaction
22:34was thank god
22:34for Pete Maravich
22:35over the 6 years
22:36that I was in the NBA
22:37they told all of us
22:39that if you were
22:406'5 and under
22:41you can't make
22:42any money
22:43so at the time
22:44Bill Russell
22:44and Will Chaney
22:45was the only 2 guys
22:46that were making money
22:46when Pete came in
22:48he changed
22:48the whole page structure
22:50buoyed by Maravich's deal
22:52Caldwell applied
22:53for a serious raise
22:54I tried to explain
22:56to Joe
22:56that John Barrymore
22:58was a better actor
22:59than John Wayne
23:01but John Wayne
23:02was paid more
23:03because he drew
23:05more fans
23:06I understand the system
23:08said you
23:08you gotta have a
23:10so called
23:10white superstar
23:11that stuff
23:13should have went out
23:14when the civil rights
23:15movement ended
23:16I don't believe
23:17it would have made
23:18any difference
23:19particularly
23:20what color he was
23:21don't take away
23:22from Pete's ability
23:24by introducing
23:25the color
23:25Joe Caldwell jumped
23:27he went to Carolina
23:29where there was a lawsuit
23:30and this and that
23:30and the other thing
23:31because he wanted
23:32more money
23:33couldn't get the money
23:35there was grumblings
23:36about it
23:37so there was an unrest
23:39that was starting
23:39because they wanted
23:40some money
23:41here's a white kid
23:42who hasn't played
23:43a day as a pro
23:45making more than
23:46triple the salary
23:47of anyone else
23:48on that team
23:49and it caused
23:50some dissent
23:51they didn't have
23:52$60,000 to pay
23:53Lenny Wilkins
23:54they couldn't pay
23:55me $50,000
23:56yet still didn't
23:58get beat a million
23:58so is that the race
24:00or what?
24:01unfortunately
24:02Pete Maravich
24:03was in my opinion
24:05the great white hope
24:06here in Atlanta
24:06and I think
24:08that hurt him
24:09tremendously
24:09because his teammates
24:11for the most part
24:12were black
24:12and were terrific guys
24:14but when they got
24:15Pete Maravich
24:15it was like
24:16he was going to
24:17do it all by himself
24:18they got along
24:19with Pete
24:19great off the court
24:21on the court
24:22they had some
24:22problems with him
24:23because if you had
24:24a 3-on-1 break
24:25Pete might go down
24:26and give it
24:26behind the back
24:27and go out of bounds
24:28and you know
24:29they're running down
24:30the court
24:30trying to get a layup
24:31so they got tested
24:33sometimes for Pete
24:34I would have liked
24:36to have seen Pete
24:36sacrifice a little bit
24:38more for the team
24:40during the course
24:41of his professional career
24:42because I think
24:43his teams would have
24:44had greatest success
24:45and he would have
24:46had greatest success
24:47the ball didn't get
24:48to him as often
24:49as it did on other teams
24:51and frankly there was
24:52a little cleat
24:52that kept the ball
24:53away from him
24:54when he played
24:54with the Hawks
24:55I think they felt like
24:56Pete probably got a little
24:57more publicity and press
24:59especially in favor
25:01in Atlanta
25:02because Atlanta
25:02was a predominantly
25:03white southern city
25:04I can't believe it
25:05his hair is still dry
25:06it's still thick
25:07it's still natural
25:08his hair goes up
25:09incredible
25:10that's just got to be
25:12the best hair in the league
25:14despite his national following
25:16and 24 point average
25:18Maravich wasn't adding wins
25:20to Atlanta's effort
25:21to upgrade
25:22although they had reached
25:23the western division finals
25:25the year before he arrived
25:26the Hawks never won a playoff round
25:29in his four seasons
25:30it seemed that without his father
25:32to guide him
25:33Maravich was drifting
25:34Pistol idolized
25:36press Maravich
25:37so you better be very careful
25:39and never once
25:41say well now
25:43you shouldn't do it that way
25:45what if press had told him
25:46to do it that way
25:47there would be points
25:48where he would go
25:49you know
25:49three four five games
25:51passing up wide open shots
25:53when he should have
25:54shot the ball
25:54it was more management's
25:56handling of the situation
25:57than it was the personal
25:59relationship between the players
26:00nobody could tell Pete anything
26:02if Pete did something
26:05then they would take care of it
26:07if he would have been
26:08more disciplined
26:09within his own life
26:11not just in basketball
26:13he'd have been
26:14way ahead of the game
26:15but at this point
26:16this was a troubled
26:17angry
26:18difficult to coach
26:20Pete Maravich
26:20who also
26:21would take out
26:23his sorrows
26:23you know
26:24in alcohol
26:24I don't think
26:25Pistol could ever drink
26:27in my opinion
26:28two beers
26:29and you have to get
26:30Pistol off the wall
26:31he was a very
26:33carefree guy
26:34probably drank more
26:35than he should have
26:36during his playing career
26:38in February of 1974
26:40Maravich boiled over
26:42after being ejected
26:44from a game in Houston
26:45for arguing with an official
26:46in about the middle
26:48of the night
26:48I get a call
26:49I need to go up
26:50the hallway
26:51where he's staying
26:52very frustrated
26:53about his game
26:54about a lot of things
26:56next day
26:56everything was fine
26:58except he was a little
27:00bit wild on the plane
27:01too
27:02and I had no other
27:03choice
27:03but to
27:04suspend him
27:05Cotton came to me
27:07at that point
27:07and said
27:08you know
27:08we gotta start
27:10thinking about
27:10making a move here
27:11well I started
27:13doing that
27:13very quietly
27:14and you know
27:15it was very
27:16very interesting
27:17there was no interest
27:18interest did come
27:20from the New Orleans
27:21Jazz
27:21when the NBA
27:22expanded to 18 teams
27:24the pistol
27:25was going home
27:26there was no bigger
27:28draw certainly
27:29not in Louisiana
27:29than Pete Maravich
27:31as long as Pete
27:32was here
27:32they always called
27:33him the Louisiana
27:34Purchase
27:34Pete then says
27:36what did you get
27:38for me
27:38and I told him
27:40trying not to be
27:41too elated
27:43but I reeled off
27:44the picks we were
27:45going to get
27:45laid the whole package
27:46and there was a
27:47little pause
27:47and Pete said
27:48is that all
27:50while Maravich
27:52was drawing crowds
27:53to the Superdome
27:54Press had slipped
27:55into coaching obscurity
27:56fired by LSU
27:58in 1972
28:00Press now in his
28:01third season
28:02at Appalachian State
28:03watched over his
28:04wife's downward slide
28:06Press did everything
28:07he could to help
28:08her alcoholism
28:09and to help
28:09her get over it
28:10I remember the day
28:11where he came
28:12in the office
28:12and was very upset
28:13when she went
28:14back to alcohol
28:15Pete had that
28:16contract and he
28:16had plenty of money
28:17and he was trying
28:18to help her
28:19and get her
28:19straightened out
28:20it just seemed
28:21not to be working
28:21out and it was
28:22kind of frustrating
28:23to him
28:23I kept waiting
28:25for my wife
28:26to come home
28:26and she didn't
28:27and I said
28:27well that's not
28:28like her
28:28she must be
28:29overseeing Helen
28:30and I called
28:31over there
28:32and actually
28:33a policeman
28:33answered the phone
28:34they said
28:35Helen Maravich
28:36shot herself
28:36and she was
28:37on the way
28:37to the hospital
28:38three hours later
28:39Helen Maravich
28:40was pronounced
28:41dead
28:42from a self
28:42inflicted
28:43gunshot wound
28:44she was 49
28:45I saw a difference
28:47after his mother
28:48passed away
28:48I saw a difference
28:49in pistol
28:49I saw a serene
28:54almost kind of
28:54a lost individual
28:55it was all the
28:56pressure that was
28:57placed upon him
28:58that wanted to
28:59chase him away
28:59from the game
29:00he didn't know
29:01if it was worth it
29:01anymore
29:02celebrated the arrival
29:04of Pete Maravich
29:05as though he were
29:06a native son
29:07once people
29:09in this market
29:10saw Pete play
29:12they suddenly
29:13became fans
29:14it was like
29:14Baton Rouge
29:15all over again
29:16if the jazz
29:17on the home games
29:18got a hundred
29:19points
29:19your ticket coupon
29:20would get you
29:21free french fries
29:22when it would be
29:23late in the game
29:24and it got up
29:25in the 90s
29:26man people would
29:27be yelling
29:27pistol
29:28pistol
29:29free fries
29:30free fries
29:31free fries
29:31and so every time
29:32they come out
29:33of court
29:33they give the
29:34ball a mile
29:3421 points
29:39and 6 assists
29:40in his first season
29:41with the jazz
29:41his game was
29:43beginning to mature
29:44I think somehow
29:45instinctively
29:46he started to
29:46figure out that
29:47we were pretty
29:48good players
29:49we were a better
29:50team when
29:51he wasn't doing
29:52as much
29:53and there were
29:54a lot more nights
29:54where he would be
29:558 for 14
29:57score 25 points
29:59with some free throws
30:00and we'd win by 10
30:01huh
30:02what he did
30:04in the second
30:04year that I had
30:05him
30:05changed his socks
30:07shaved his beard
30:09put a new number
30:10on
30:10threw bounce
30:11passes
30:12played defense
30:13on guys
30:14if you put them
30:15on the right
30:15guy
30:16played the game
30:16of basketball
30:17it was the first
30:18year he made
30:18first team
30:19all pro
30:20and he deserved it
30:21but the pistol
30:22could still deliver
30:23showtime performances
30:24both guns were
30:26blazing on
30:26February 25th
30:281977
30:29when you can use
30:30Walt Frazier
30:32and the knickerbockers
30:34like your private
30:35tool
30:35that's fabulous
30:38stuff
30:38he's got all
30:39kinds of moves
30:40what move
30:40doesn't this guy
30:41have
30:41he just went off
30:43that night
30:43it was the most
30:44amazing thing
30:45I'll ever remember
30:46seeing as a player
30:47pistol fire
30:49oh come on
30:50come on
30:5168 for Marivic
30:53only Will Chamberlain
30:55and Elgin Baylor
30:56had ever scored
30:57more in a game
30:58after leading the league
30:59with a 31 point
31:01average that season
31:02Marivic and the Jazz
31:03were in the hunt
31:04for the 1978 playoffs
31:06when Pete was brought down
31:08the outlet pass
31:09came to Pete
31:09at midcourt
31:10and took one bounce
31:11behind his back
31:12and then raised his leg
31:13and flipped it
31:14through his legs
31:14perfect
31:15down at the other end
31:17to Aaron James
31:19for a layup
31:20and when he did
31:20he came down
31:21oddly on the knee
31:23and you could hear
31:24the crack
31:24like a rifle shot
31:26along the first few
31:27rows of the stadium
31:28he had to have
31:29knee surgery
31:30and it ended his season
31:32and the injury
31:33probably was the main
31:34reason the Jazz
31:35never were able
31:36to stay in New Orleans
31:37because I believe
31:38had they made
31:38the playoffs that year
31:39it might have
31:40taken off to a point
31:41where the franchise
31:42wouldn't have moved
31:43and would have stayed
31:44in New Orleans
31:44in 1979
31:46hindered by a knee brace
31:48Marivic appeared
31:49in just 49 games
31:51averaging 23 points
31:53before diminishing crowds
31:54when the Jazz
31:56moved to Utah
31:57after the season
31:58Marivic had worn out
31:59his welcome
32:00I don't think anyone
32:02disliked him
32:03but they could see
32:04that his game
32:05just wasn't
32:06what it used to be
32:07as a player
32:07and he ended up
32:08sitting on the bench
32:09not getting as much time
32:11when you're a legend
32:12it kind of eats at you
32:13and I think it ate
32:14at Pete quite a bit
32:14I think he was
32:16disillusioned
32:17after he got his knee hurt
32:18his own alcoholism
32:20was at work
32:21alcoholism is a disease
32:23and Pete
32:23had access
32:25to his drug of choice
32:28and he had free time
32:30there was an unfortunate
32:31situation
32:32after the game
32:34in Seattle
32:34where he had
32:35over imbibed
32:36and went to the wrong room
32:38and started knocking
32:40on the door
32:41kicking in the door
32:42and it was the wrong person
32:44it wasn't his room
32:45then it was decided
32:46it was best for Pete
32:47to move on
32:48and he got together
32:49with the ownership
32:49and management
32:50of the team
32:51and worked out a settlement
32:51with his contract
32:52he was waived
32:53and picked up
32:54by the Boston Celtics
32:55joining the Celtics
32:57in January of 1980
32:59Maravich came off the bench
33:01to help them post
33:02the best record
33:03in the NBA
33:03he totally impressed me
33:05coming in
33:07because I thought
33:07it was mainly
33:08offensive play
33:09but he worked hard
33:11on the defense
33:11at the end
33:12and that totally
33:13blew me away
33:13if we didn't win
33:15those last couple games
33:16we would not be
33:17in first place
33:19in the division
33:20and Pilsner just
33:21took over the game
33:22and shot us
33:22into the best record
33:23after the Celtics
33:24lost to the 76ers
33:26in the Eastern Conference
33:27Finals
33:28Maravich took a hard look
33:30at what was left
33:30of his NBA future
33:32at the very very
33:33end of his career
33:34Maravich
33:36you know
33:37began
33:37to pass
33:39and to relate
33:39to other members
33:40of the team
33:40but by that time
33:41his skills
33:43sort of rode it
33:43too far
33:44wasn't Pete Maravich
33:44anymore
33:45NBA people
33:46far more knowledgeable
33:47than I
33:47say that if
33:48Pete Maravich
33:49had gone to
33:49the Boston Celtics
33:50out of college
33:51that the Celtics
33:53and Red Auerbach
33:54and the rest
33:55of that group
33:55would make him
33:58into a team player
34:00and he might have
34:00been the greatest
34:01player of all time
34:02he goes back
34:03to Boston
34:03and he realizes
34:04that he's not
34:05going to start
34:06he's not going
34:07to be perhaps
34:09even the number
34:09two shooting guard
34:10on that team
34:11so he's going
34:11to be on the bench
34:12and he admitted it
34:14his ego was crushed
34:15on September 20th
34:181980
34:19Pete Maravich
34:20at 33
34:21announced his
34:22retirement in Boston
34:23and returned to his
34:24home outside New Orleans
34:25according to Pete
34:27these were the darkest
34:27two years of his life
34:28he basically
34:29holed up in the house
34:31he was incredibly
34:33depressed
34:33and he spoke about it
34:35as if he was a drug
34:36addict
34:37going through
34:38withdrawals
34:39and the withdrawal
34:40was the attention
34:41and the love
34:41that he had
34:42for basketball
34:42it didn't play out
34:44he didn't become
34:44a grand old man
34:45of basketball
34:46as a player
34:47because I think
34:48he just couldn't
34:49sustain it
34:49he needed to go off
34:50and find some
34:51other personality
34:52but Pete Maravich
34:53was about to be
34:54released from his demons
34:55how he gained
34:57his freedom
34:57would surprise
34:58all who knew him
35:001982
35:01the depressed son
35:02of a basketball father
35:03found someone else
35:05to believe in
35:06Pete Maravich
35:07believed that God
35:08spoke to him
35:09audibly
35:09and he said that
35:12from that day on
35:13for the rest of his life
35:14and I was getting ready
35:15to go off my bed
35:16and God spoke to me
35:17he spoke to me
35:18audibly
35:19and he said
35:19be strong
35:20and lift that own heart
35:20it reverberated
35:21through my room
35:22I'll never forget it
35:23as long as I live
35:24just like I'm speaking
35:25in this microphone
35:25he was not in my spirit
35:27he was outside
35:28he had not come in yet
35:29God spoke to us
35:30personally
35:31and a lot of people
35:32can't understand that
35:34I don't understand it
35:35but he spoke to us
35:36audibly
35:37I'm saying
35:38come on Pete
35:38he says
35:39I promise you Bob
35:40I was woken
35:41by a sound
35:44it was the Lord
35:46speaking to me
35:47and at that time
35:48he dedicated his life
35:50to the Lord
35:51he found that
35:52and he was
35:53more devoted to that
35:55than anything
35:56I've ever seen
35:56basketball included
35:57once he became
35:59a Christian
35:59he would read
36:00his Bible
36:00hours at a time
36:02every day
36:03he would go up
36:04and talk with anybody
36:05they were
36:05before he thought
36:06everybody was coming
36:07to talk to him
36:07all the time
36:08and he was always
36:09trying to convert
36:10somebody to Christianity
36:11Pete also helped
36:15his father find religion
36:16together they continued
36:18their passion
36:19at the Pistols
36:19basketball camp
36:20in Clearwater, Florida
36:21he was ready to go
36:23at 6 o'clock
36:23in the morning
36:24and he shut it down
36:26at 12 or 1 o'clock
36:27in the morning
36:28so he was working
36:2818 to 19 hour days
36:30he had a hand
36:31in every part
36:31of the camp
36:32he had a big salad bar
36:33lots of watermelon
36:35no soft drink
36:36no ice cream
36:37no sugar
36:37that was the good diet
36:39for Pete
36:39and we did that
36:41while he was
36:41at our camp
36:42those 5 years
36:43then in 1986
36:45Pete learned
36:46that his father
36:47was diagnosed
36:48with cancer
36:49he was going to
36:51do everything
36:52humanly possible
36:53to try to cure
36:55press
36:55he did not
36:56leave press aside
36:57he was with his dad
36:58probably the last
36:59six months
37:00of his life
37:01literally
37:02day and night
37:03he had some comfort
37:05about the fact
37:05that he was the one
37:08that had been used
37:09to bring press
37:10to a place of peace
37:12and press his life
37:13Press Maravich died
37:15on April 5th
37:161987
37:17nine months later
37:19he was followed
37:20by his son
37:21Pete Maravich
37:24was scheduled
37:25to be interviewed
37:26for a Christian radio program
37:27but first
37:29there was a pick up
37:30basketball game
37:31at the first church
37:32of the Nazarene gym
37:33in Pasadena California
37:34I knew that he had
37:35really come through
37:36a difficult time
37:37in his life
37:38and there had been
37:39a dramatic change
37:40in his life
37:41when he met
37:42Jesus Christ
37:42and I really wanted
37:44to hear him tell
37:45that story
37:46but I had not
37:47met him until
37:48that morning
37:48at 7 o'clock
37:49when we met
37:51at the gym
37:51to play basketball
37:52I think he was
37:53going about
37:54half speed
37:54but there was
37:56a move or two
37:57that he made
37:57that took
37:58our breath away
37:59we played
38:00about three games
38:01and at that time
38:02some of the guys
38:03wanted to get
38:04a drink of water
38:05some went outside
38:05to get some fresh air
38:06and before I knew it
38:08it was just
38:08Dr. Dobson
38:09and Pete
38:09on the court
38:10and I was
38:10underneath the basket
38:11rebounding for Pete
38:12as the two of them
38:13talked
38:13he said
38:14you know
38:14I've loved
38:15being here today
38:16he said
38:16I've really got
38:17to get back
38:18into basketball
38:18even if it's
38:19pick up stuff
38:20like this
38:20and I said
38:21how do you feel
38:23today
38:23and I promise you
38:25his last words
38:26to me
38:27were
38:27I feel great
38:29I just feel great
38:31and I turned
38:32to walk away
38:33and I don't know
38:35why but I looked
38:36back at him
38:37for some reason
38:37just in time
38:39to see him fall
38:40and he fell hard
38:42he didn't
38:42break his fall
38:44I mean his face
38:44hit the boards
38:45I walked over
38:48very carefully
38:49along with Dr. Dobson
38:50thinking
38:50that Pete
38:51was going to
38:51jump in our faces
38:52but as soon
38:53as we got close
38:54we could see
38:54his eyes rolling
38:55back
38:55and the color
38:56in his face
38:56starting to change
38:57and then I saw
39:01that he was
39:01in a seizure
39:02and I got down
39:03over him
39:04and I held
39:06his tongue
39:06and kept
39:07his air passage
39:08open for about
39:0820 seconds
39:09and then he just
39:11he just writhed
39:13once like that
39:13his body moved
39:14once
39:15and he was gone
39:17the man
39:19died
39:19in my arms
39:21and I'll never
39:24forget
39:25that very morning
39:27that as that
39:28ambulance went
39:28over to St. Luke's
39:29Hospital in Pasadena
39:30California
39:31the siren wasn't
39:33going
39:33there was no red
39:34lights
39:34no sound
39:35and it wasn't
39:37going very fast
39:38and as tears
39:39poured down my face
39:40I kept saying
39:40no
39:41no
39:42but down deep
39:43I knew
39:43and it wasn't
39:44more than 20 minutes
39:45before the doctor
39:46came out
39:47and said
39:47I'm sorry guys
39:48Pistol Pete Maravich
39:49the all time
39:50scoring champ
39:51of college basketball
39:52who spent 10 years
39:53in the pros
39:54died as he lived
39:55playing basketball
39:56he was only
39:5840 years old
39:59it wiped me out
40:04I was out
40:05I was out of it
40:06for about 6 months
40:07I think
40:07in another
40:08another dimension
40:10because really
40:11that's all I had
40:12was Pete
40:12it just doesn't
40:15make sense
40:16that a guy
40:16could go through
40:17the rigors
40:18of an NBA game
40:19let alone
40:20an NBA season
40:21and not manifest
40:23any kind of
40:24symptoms at all
40:25and then all
40:26of a sudden
40:27in a pick up game
40:28have it
40:29explode
40:30at autopsy
40:32he had only
40:33one coronary artery
40:34now generally
40:35you have
40:36two coronary arteries
40:37he was able
40:38to play
40:39professional
40:39and college basketball
40:41at the highest
40:42possible levels
40:42with no symptoms
40:43and no problems
40:45until much later
40:45in life
40:46if you do remember
40:47some of Pete's
40:48background
40:48there was some
40:49alcohol use
40:50at certain parts
40:50of his life
40:51the official autopsy
40:52says that the
40:53single coronary artery
40:54led to some
40:55of the problems
40:56but I think
40:56there will always
40:57be debate about that
40:58Maravich left
40:59behind his wife
41:00Jackie
41:01and their two sons
41:02Joshua and Jason
41:03who represented
41:04their father
41:05at the NBA's
41:0650th anniversary
41:06ceremony in 1997
41:08honoring the league's
41:1050 greatest players
41:11Charles Barkley
41:12he's the one
41:13that sticks out
41:14most in my mind
41:15he's the one
41:16that came up
41:16and pulled me
41:16and my brother
41:17to the side
41:17and told us
41:18that I would have
41:19been real proud of us
41:20I've only met
41:21Pete Maravich
41:22one time in my life
41:23and he says
41:23you know what
41:23you were my favorite
41:25player
41:25and I wanted
41:26to make sure
41:27to let them know
41:28that I acknowledged
41:29that and I appreciated
41:30that
41:30that's one of the
41:32greatest compliments
41:33I ever got
41:34most artists
41:35when they are living
41:36people don't recognize
41:39their great talent
41:40until after they're gone
41:42and I think
41:43this is what
41:44really happened
41:44to be Maravich
41:45it seems like
41:46to me
41:46everybody wants
41:47to dwell on
41:47the sad times
41:49or depressed times
41:51he had a good life
41:52he had a great life
41:53he did what he wanted
41:54he played basketball
41:55that was his love
41:56and he ended up
41:57with his second love
41:58his wife
41:59and then he had
42:00his kids
42:01and then he found
42:02Jesus
42:02I think he died
42:04a happy person
42:05if he was alive today
42:07he would probably
42:08be walking down
42:09Bourbon Street
42:09handing out
42:10leaflets
42:11for Jesus
42:12if he got one person
42:14out of a thousand
42:15he'd be happy
42:16hauntingly
42:22Pete Maravich
42:23foretold
42:24his own end
42:24in 1970
42:26he said
42:26he didn't want
42:27to play 10 years
42:29in the NBA
42:29and die
42:30of a heart attack
42:31at 40
42:32before
42:33he said to a reporter
42:34I don't want
42:35to play 10 years
42:36and then die
42:37of a heart attack
42:38when I'm 40
42:39yet that's exactly
42:40what happened
42:41he might not
42:42have had the world
42:43on a string
42:44but he sure
42:44had a basketball
42:45there
42:46for SportsCentury
42:47I'm Chris Fowler
Comments