by Doug Ireland
Who among us doesn’t have a great impression of Pistol Pete Maravich?
If you are old enough to have watched him play basketball at LSU, you’re devoted.
If you haven’t seen YouTube clips of him doing astounding things in the NBA from 1970-80, you should. Some of what you’ll see, you’ve never seen before. Not even today’s incredible athletes can do the things the Pistol did with a basketball, in competition, against the best in the world.
It goes far beyond his scoring – 44.7 points per game in three years with the Tigers, 24.2 in 10 pro seasons.
It was a sensational style. It was his shaggy Beatles haircut. It was those floppy socks. It was that cool, casual demeanor, which was belied on the court by his constant effort and passionate play.
It was a different time. Freshmen in the 1960s did not play with the varsity. So in Pete’s freshman year, 1966-67, the freshmen played games as the front side of doubleheaders with the varsity.
Pete came into Baton Rouge rather ballyhooed. Often, expectations do not live up to advance hype.
He did. In his debut, he put up 50 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists against Southeastern Louisiana. Today they call that a triple-double. Then, they had no idea what to call it, except sensational.
Those freshmen games at the old LSU Cow Palace, a rodeo arena that was the Tigers’ homecourt, had huge crowds. Many departed, declining to stay to watch a mediocre varsity team.
By the time the Pistol lined up on the varsity in November 1967, fans were already fascinated – not only by how he played, but by his persona. He was a rock star wearing a No. 23 LSU jersey.
He scored 741 points as a freshman. Add that to his official three-year varsity total, and Maravich posted 4,408 points in 101 games wearing an LSU uniform. That’s never going to be approached.
And he played 15 seasons before the NCAA adopted a 3-point arc. All of his baskets from the field counted for two. LSU coach Dale Brown charted every Maravich basket, and calculated it would have added 12 points per game to his averages.
There was also no shot clock in place yet. Some Tiger opponents slowed the games to limit Pete’s scoring.
The Tigers won only three games before his varsity career. They never won an SEC Championship or reached the much smaller (32 teams) NCAA Tournament, but they did play in what was then an elite postseason event, the NIT, after his senior season.
LSU was 49-35 in his three varsity seasons, the best three-year stretch going back to 1951-53, and looking forward, the most success until Brown’s recruiting took root from 1976-79 and going forward. The NIT invitation was LSU’s first postseason appearance since the 1954 NCAA Sweet 16 when Bob Pettit was the centerpiece, and the Tigers next played deep into March nine years after Pete graduated.
You probably didn’t get to see him play in Baton Rouge. But you can capture that magic with a visit to Natchitoches and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame to see the special, short-term exhibit “Showtime: LSU’s Spectacular Pistol Pete” in the Atmos Energy Gallery.
Baton Rouge sports writer and photographer John Musemeche had a front-row perspective and gained back-stage access with Pete and his father, and the results are showcased in the exhibit. Musemeche has been one of Louisiana’s premiere sports photographers since those days.
There’s great game action, of course. Some photos you may have seen. Many you haven’t. Alongside are dozens of images never seen in public, compelling shots from backstage, so to speak, that convey the story of Pete’s LSU career.
The Showtime exhibit will run through mid-October. In early September there will be a celebration event at the museum to spur visitorship over the final weeks of its existence – likely never to be displayed again, anywhere.
Why wait? Admission to the museum is $6 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, active military and students. It’s free for kids 6 and under. School groups are free with reservations and groups of 15 or more get 20 percent off.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-4:30. There’s plenty to see past sports – the Natchitoches area’s deep history and culture is celebrated as part of the second floor in the 27,000-square foot building that was named the world’s No. 1 new structure in 2013 by a global architecture journal.
Not to overlook, there’s plenty more to do in Natty – historic sites, music and entertainment, and the Steel Magnolias tour, just to name a few ideas. Won’t be long before Northwestern State University is bustling with sporting events, either. And the food downtown is all local and all amazing.
Come see “Showtime” and enjoy plenty more in the next three months – just before the Christmas Lights come on in this special CenLa community.