SUMMARY
- Pete Maravich was the best scorer in basketball before the three-point line was implemented.
- Maravich previously held the all-time NCAA scoring record with 3,667 points.
Pete Maravich was a legend in the sport of basketball. During his time in the NBA, he was one of the best scorers averaging 24.2 points between 1970 and 1980. Though his career lasted only 10 seasons, Pistol Pete made a mark on the league. He was widely regarded as the best shooter the league had ever seen before the three-point line came into existence. However, while Pete dominated the NBA, he was praised for his incredible college career.
The former 5x NBA All-Star competed for the LSU Tigers for four seasons. His career as an individual player was so impeccable that the Tigers retired his jersey No.23. He was named the SEC Player of the Year thrice and he led the NCAA in scoring the same amount of times as well. Unfortunately, Maravich never had the opportunity to win NCAA or NBA titles while he competed. Thus retiring as one of the greatest players to have never held a championship trophy.
Pete Maravich scored 3,667 points while playing at LSU
Despite the Tigers’ failed efforts to win a title, Pete Maravich was praised for his individual capabilities that got LSU to a prominent position. Statistics from only three seasons of his college career were recorded due to various rules that were followed by the NCAA. However, as a sophomore, he averaged a whopping 43.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Maravich shot 42.3% on 39.3 field goal attempts per game that season.
During his junior year, Pete maintained his productivity while averaging 44.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game on 44.4% shooting from the field. During his final year, Maravich worked on his playmaking abilities a bit more. He averaged 44.5 points along with 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game on 44.7 FG%. In those three seasons and 83 total appearances, he managed to rack up 3,667 points. This record was broken by Caitlin Clark after 54 years.
Pete Maravich’s NCAA run was more than legendary
During Pete Maravich’s competitive days, the league hadn’t fully developed into what it is today. It is exactly the reason why Maravich’s work was remarkable. It turns out that freshmen were not allowed to compete in varsity basketball, which means Pete’s first-year stats weren’t officially recorded. But according to Sporting News, he averaged 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. LSU also had an undefeated record that season.
Pete Maravich could have scored 6K points in college 🤯 pic.twitter.com/f3TRTDfzQq
— Trove (@findyourtrove) March 3, 2024
But this wasn’t the only reason Maravich was praised for his work. He managed to average a college career of 44.2 points without the advantage of having a three-point line. Players were allowed to dunk the ball during his tenure either. Additionally, shot clocks weren’t implemented while Maravich competed, meaning he had the chance to control the game’s pace. But by the looks of it, he played with great pace.