Pistol Pete Maravich is ranked as NCAA basketball's #2 top shooter.. Commentary by Jerry West, Austin Carr, Larry Bird, Wayne Federman, Steve Alford, Bill Walton, and others. Geico special from 2007.
Whoever came up with Pete being the 2nd best NCAA shooter needs to put the crack pipe down. The PISTOL is the BEST thing college basketball will EVER see!!!
Pistol Pete is #1 by far, to this day there is no one even close to his records, and he did it all without a 3pt line. And he made a lot of long distance bombs. He would have averaged over 50pts a game with a 3 point line, that's insane. Larry Bird and Pistol Pete are my two favorite players of all time.
At LSU he was better as a shooter. I've seen him in contests vs Gervin and u could tell his jumpshot wasn't great anymore. Bird was better. Even without 3s bird could shoot all over the court and with his Left.
I dont know who made this list becouse its not fair,Pete is the best shooter in NCAA and his RECORD'S are still the same and will be the same forever. Rest in peace Pistol.
@@travisholly3797 Less games back then, no 3 pt line, and he had bad knees and heart problems, which he died from during his career. He'd average 40 pts a game in today's NBA if healthy.
A brother in school told me about him when I was in school. He said you gotta see this guy! I watched a college game and three guys in the backcourt tried to stop him on a full-court press. He spun, put ball through their legs, behind the back, drove down the court where he was met by the other two players. Faked them both out, pulled up which would now be a 3-pointer, NOTHING BUT NET! He was legendary. R.I.P. G.O.A.T.
Austin Carr should be on this list. He averaged 38 points a year in his Junior and Senior years on 56% outside shooting without a 3 point line. His NCAA Tournament 44.1 points per game scoring average is considered to be unbreakable.
When the Jazz moved to Utah I went to a couple of the games for the sole purpose of watching Maravich. For some stupid reason the coach had him sitting for most of the game on the bench. I couldn't believe it ! Some years later the coach admitted he should have played Maravich much more than he did. What the hell was he thinking? At least I stared at Maravich sitting on the bench more than I actually stared at the game.
My pops passed away jan 2021,91 years old. My memory of watching Pete play college preseason in HAWAII, as a kid? ,with my pops is a memory of events that's is a dream, or real? Did they ever play Honolulu Hawaii nbc arena??? Back in college, thanks anything to help
Pistol Pete = Basketball Jesus. Whats scary is If there was a 3 pt.line in his day,He would have averaged an absurd 50+points per game,It would take 2 Micheal Jordans playing on the same team at the same time to even come close,When the LEGENDS of the Game speak so highly of Pistol its an honor not many men will ever know.
He did all this with literally half a heart pretty much. He was innovative with style and passion. And if he didnt scors as much he'd still be one of the best passers and ball handlers ever in history hands down. He dedicated his life to basketball more than any other human being I have ever heard of. A good guy, had family problems body problems and had to shape up a new style in NBA and still did dang good. Too me in general altogether my fav basketball player of all time. BIRD MAGIC RUSSELL OSCAR JORDAN all classic leaders as well. PISTOL AMAZING SHOOTER PERIOD. Everyone says if I shoot as much as him of course it's be between 45-60 per game (with or without 3 pointers). Such garbage most people would still only make 30 at very most back then. Great vid.
@rwindows18 Every shot in Pistol Pete's career was documented. It has been determined that if there was a 3 point line back in those days, he would have averaged 13 three pointers per game, and those extra points would have amounted to a career average of 57.2 ppg! Scary.
Today, many players are great shooters. In Pete's day, it was less so, or, so it seems. There was Pete, and I don't know who else. We were lucky to have had him.
If there were three point shots in those days, they have established that his points per game would have gone from 44.2 per game to just over 57 per game; college career.
I was a big Pistol fan..BIG.Folks back in the day thought he was nothing but a gun...but he was the only real player of talent LSU had.He was a great passer in the pros putting up big numbers in assists.He played a couple of games with DrJ with the hawks during the pre season and it was common knowledge they would have been a great team
Today, if a dude even averaged 30 points per game he would be off to the NBA and who could blame him? I just don't think we'll ever see another player like Maravich in our lifetime, unreal.
And I love the Pistol. He was so good- way ahead of his time. He did things with the basketball that were amazing. Too bad they couldn't put a better team around him.
former LSU coach dale brown watched every one of petes games and charted where he took the shots from, if there was a 3 point line he would have averaged 13 3 pointers and 57 points per game
Does anyone have the entire Top Ten list? I see Alford and Carr featured, so they must be on it. It's an interesting conversation. Maravich made tons of amazing baskets. Alford made so many important shots under enormous pressure. Bird had tremendous range and all-around scoring ability. The little bit of Carr that I remember, he was amazing. Who else is on the list?
gobble2000: I understand your support for Pete, but Bird had a much better field goal percentage (9 pct points higher) and there was still no 3 point shot in college ball when Larry played. Pete scored more points than Larry and had a scoring average too, although Larry only played 3 years at Indiana State, whereas Pete played a full 4 at LSU.
There is a flaw in your stats: Pete's stats are only counted from three years, not four, since freshmen were not allowed to play on the "varsity." Although I realize this is not the debate, there is no comparison from Bird to Maravich; even Bird would tell you that.
Hi. I don't know how to upload etc, but maybe I can get help with that. It's about 6 min. long and has former NBA players stating why they think Pete was the best showman. Thanks again. It is an AOL video that appeared on the NBA TV website and can be accessed on Pistol Pete's website (Memories or Memory Wall) at the bottom of the page. It only plays about 20 seconds and then stops.
Been looking at the comments and Bird is the best shooter because he shot 53% to Pete's 44% in college. Look at the free throw % Bird =82% to Pete's 77%. Pete is without question the NCAA greatest scorer, but this is about the greatest shooter. I have to ask - where is J.J.Reddick?
LSU coach charted Pete's career made shots. 13 made threes a game. Would have made for 57 points a game. If that doesn't say enough for Pete what does?
Pete would definitely be #1 if it were "best scorers" but for "best shooters" Bird's 53% is much better than Pete's 44%. Bird was also more accurate from the free throw line and neither player had the 3 point line. Bird deseves the #1 spot.
Most people knock Pistol because of his "disappointing" NBA career. However, the teams he played for were not championship calibur teams like the Bulls (Jordan), Celtics (Bird), and Lakers (Magic). If the Celtics had acquired Pete earlier in his career, we'd be watching the greatest unstoppable duo of our era in Maravich/Bird.
When he played with the Celtics it was Bird’s rookie year. Maravich retired after that season. You’re right though. Had he been on a championship team he would probably be considered hands down the GOAT.
He had a very good career all things considering. He played with a bad heart and bad knees. He didn't have a 3 pt line. They played less games. His teammates didn't like him because he made more money.
Keep in mind however, that Pistol played on pretty crummy teams throughout his whole career (with the exception of the Celtics right before he retired). This gave him the opportunity to put up a lot of shots (thus miss a lot of shots). It all balances out I suppose.
I can remember Pete start a break hold up across halfcourt then behind the back between his legs fire a 30ft bounce pass to somebody running the wing. Just a 3 or 4 years later did ABA would have should his skills. Call me crazy but Doug Collins was a Pete playmaker. Knee injury hurt his pro career. He was a playmaker with D skills. Won Gold. Oops Turned down silver at 72 games fiasco. Also made Jordan listen enen though it cost him his job with Bulls.
I remember seeing him when I was a kid I didnt really care about basketball but thought he was really good, then I saw him at the end of his career after he had blew out his knees and he was on the celtics he couldnt really move all that well but he could still handle the ball was incredible what he could do with a basketball.
Lmfao Pete by far and away the most prolific scorer and they said he would have averaged 13 more points a game after they went back and watched film. That's 57 points a friggin game and you've got him as the number 2??!! Pleeeeeeease
What did this guy ever win in his entire life? As far as I know, he's the ONLY player in the history of the NCAA whose points per game average is higher than his field goal percentage. You take 40 shots a night, you're bound to hit a few. He ain't 1/10th the player John Havlicek was!
Pete, did what he liked to do. Had fun faking grown men out of their low top Converse Tennis shoes and sagging socks. Probably broke some ankles and ripped some jock straps in half. His shooting percentage is not the highest ever but I guarantee he has made every type of shot there is 1,000s of times and he was cool, had the swag. All pro sports are for entertainment purposes only. Pistol Pete Maravich, the original SHOWTIME. There is only one PISTOL.
appreciando63: Good points! However, the argrument could be made that guards have many more oppurtunites to steal the ball from opposing PG's resulting in more break away layups than fowards get (thus padding their FG %). Guards also aren't as heavily defended on the outside as fowards are on the inside (where players are in closer proximity) resulting in more wide open shots. Well, whoever made this series of Top 10 NCAA shooters picked Bird @ # 1, and I agree with the experts (for once).
@10147924 not really but really close maybe a couple games, his college and nba high were at 68 and 69 and it was recorded that he would have averaged 13 three pointers a game had the line been there so he would have actually averaged 57 points a game.
The way some of the African-American players treated him during his first couple of years was disgraceful...I was at a Celtic game in the earky 70's against the Hawks and players like Paine for Atlanta were referring to him as"BOY". Would of been different if he were a black player.He just wante to be well liked and they treated him like shit.Would have been a different story if he were black,right?
Serious knee injury, that and he had a heart defect that limited his energy for the 82 game grind. Despite that Pistol was still one of the greatest ever. Imagine if he hadn't had those physical setbacks.....
