Pete Maravich may not be a household name today, but the same wasn’t true in the late 1960s. A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team, ‘Pistol Pete’ was a scoring machine on the basketball floor. He played the game with unmatched charisma and flair. However, the inspiring thing about Pete was the fact that he achieved so much despite a rare heart condition. According to an article by ‘SLAM‘, Pete was born with a left coronary artery, and unfortunately, the condition was only identified after his death.
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Pete not only had an NBA career but also thrived during his High School and Division 1 days, despite a heart that shouldn’t have allowed it. Despite a defective heart, Maravich would go on to tally the highest number of points in Division 1 history, a record that is yet to be broken. His scoring prowess would translate to the NBA as well.
Pete Maravich and his basketball career
Pete Maravich’s abilities on the basketball floor led to him being recognized as a top 75 player in the history of the NBA. Despite his untimely death, the player captured the imagination of one and all. Pete was born with a rare heart condition which came to light after he had a heart attack while playing a friendly game. Born with a left coronary artery, the player defied the odds to live past his teens.
Pete was a scoring savant on the basketball floor, and fans would flock in herds to get just a glimpse of him. Playing for Louisiana State University, the player averaged 44.2 points per game. A record that stands since 1970. Many NBA legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain have excelled in their college career but could not come close to beating Maravich’s record.
With so much potential shown during his college days, it was no surprise when the NBA and the ABA had a bidding war to acquire the player. He entered the NBA with the most expensive contract by the Atlanta Hawks. However, his career kicked off after being traded to the New Orleans Jazz. Now known as the Utah Jazz, Pete found his footing with the NBA franchise.
His scoring, his flashy passes, and showmanship were on full display. The player led the league in scoring in the 1976-77 season, averaging 31.1 points per game. However, as fate would have it, the player hurt his knee the following season, ending an illustrious career. He tried to play at the same level for another two years before retiring in 1980. In January 1988, the player had a heart attack that would claim his life at the young age of 40.
Maravich’s career cut short due to an injury
Pete Maravich had begun to enjoy his NBA career with the Utah Jazz before a devastating blow to his knee. While trying to attempt a fancy pass during a blowout win, Pete hurt his knee and was never the same player again. His aspirations of winning an NBA title ended with the knee and was forced to retire from the league.
In the recent past, there have been a few more cases where health conditions have led to the player retiring from the league. LaMarcus Aldrige’s career was cut short after he encountered an irregular heartbeat during a game in 2022. He played his entire career with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which causes rapid heartbeat.
Two-time NBA champion – Chris Bosh also had to cut short his career due to a blood clotting issue in his lungs. The disease impacted the players’ breathing and was diagnosed in 2015. He was forced to retire in 2017. These are a few such cases in professional sports that leave us appreciating the sacrifice made by the players daily.
