SUMMARY
- Pete Maravich was one of the best scorers and playmakers in the sport of basketball.
- Maravich passed away when he was 40 due to heart failure.
The world of basketball wishes it had seen more of Pete Maravich before his passing. Since he retired from the NBA, Maravich’s success was overseen by many due to the emergence of other talents. However, the former 5x NBA All-Star’s name has come back into prominence after his longstanding NCAA scoring record was broken by Caitlin Clark. Maravich was one of the greatest scorers basketball fans had the privilege of watching.
Maravich’s college journey was extremely dominant. He was considered one the best playmakers in basketball during the late 60s through 70s. It was unfortunate that Maravich’s freshmen season didn’t count since first-year athletes weren’t allowed to compete in varsity sports. If not, Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record would have surpassed the 4,000 points mark. Above all, it was his death that genuinely shocked people.
Pete Maravich passed away while playing a pick-up game
It was quite unfortunate how Pete Maravich reached his demise. The 3x NCAA scoring champion retired from the sport in 1980, after ten seasons. It was apparent how much he loved playing the sport of basketball as well. All his achievements came during a time when the three-point line never existed and when dunking wasn’t allowed. Ultimately, he died what he loved doing the most, playing basketball.
In 1988, eight years after he retired from the sport, Pistol Pete was invited to play pick-up basketball at First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena, California. “I loved to play and inviting Pete was one of the most audacious things I’d ever done. He was showtime before anyone knew what showtime was,” said James Dobson, a Christian author who invited Maravich to the game.
At this time, Maravich also had a newfound love for his faith in Christianity. He was involved in the community in various ways. Tragically, after playing two pick-up games, Pete suddenly collapsed on the court. According to Shaun Powell’s feature on Pete’s death, he was immediately transported to a hospital, and moments later, he was pronounced dead.
It was ironic how Pete told Dobson that he felt great moments before he collapsed. The ones around him claimed that they believed Maravich was fooling around before Dobson proceeded to give him mouth-to-mouth.
Pete Maravich was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect
It is quite astonishing how Pete Maravich competed for so many years enduring the physicality of the NBA and pushing his body to its limits. Powell claimed that Maravich suffered from a congenital heart defect, which is an issue that some people were born with. Powell claimed it was a miracle that Pete even lived until the age of 40. The former Atlanta Hawks superstar was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame the year before his passing.
We may have heard of a congenital heart defect before, mainly in ties with Bronny James. In 2023, James suffered from a cardiac arrest which was later determined to have been caused by the defect. Luckily, James was able to receive treatment and fix the defect. However, in Maravich’s case, it was a fatal heart failure that took place much later in life.
Pete Maravich gave this interview in 1974, 14 years before his tragic death.
Still one of the most unbelievable stories not only in the history of the NBA, but in the history of sports 🤯 pic.twitter.com/hRZ2fzyWvE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 30, 2021
In 1974, Maravich allegedly predicted his death. He claimed that he did not want to play in the NBA for ten years and then die at the age of 40. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to him. The Pistol was laid to rest at Resthaven Cemetery, Louisiana.