Pete Maravich: The Authorized Biography of Pistol Pete

Pete Maravich was undoubtedly one of the most talented basketball players ever. But he also was one of the unhappiest, most tortured and least appreciated players ever.Authors Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill do an admirable job of chronicling Maravich's life in this authorized biography. If you have read Pistol by Mark Kriegel, you can still learn a lot from reading this biography. Federman and Terrill include more details about his career, taking the reader year-by-year. I think you can appreciate Maravich's talents even more in this book.Although Maravich's main goal was to play on a NBA championship team, it was one he never sadly never fulfilled. He began his pro career with the Atlanta Hawks as the NBA's Great White Hope after a storied college career at LSU. He was resented and ridiculed for his showmanship. After four frustrating years in Atlanta, he was traded to the New Orleans Jazz, an expansion team, where he was expected to be the savior. He finally ended his career with the Boston Celtics, where he didn't receive as much playing time as he expected.Perhaps Spencer Haywood, who played with Maravich, summed up Pete's career best:"Pete is my pick as the most talented guard and the most misunderstood soul ever to play the game. The rap on Pete is that he was selfish, wasn't a team player. Completely untrue. He had unbelievable skills, he could score on anyone. But he loved to pass the ball, too, to involve his teammates in the offense. He never played on a great team, however, so the scoring burden always fell on him--along with the reputation of being a gunner."Former teammate Lou Hudson reflected another opinion of Pete: "Raw-talent wise, he's the greatest who ever played the game. But always, no matter what he does, he will be a loser. That's his legacy."So much of Pete's pain came from his total investment in the game. "The only thing that ever mattered to me was basketball; I sold my soul to the game."When Maravich retired from the NBA after 10 seasons, there were no farewell tours or fan fare. He had become disenchanted with the game. He left quietly as the next generation of players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas and Dominque Wilkins were being embraced for their showmanship and flair, much of it learned from Pete.Pete's life turned around in November 1982, when he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. For the first time, he was at peace. He gave away most of his trophies and awards, saying he would rather be known as a Christian than as a basketball player.He became the second youngest player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 as age 39. He died in 1988 at the age of 40 after suffering a massive heart attack while playing basketball in a gym at a church. In 1996, he was named to the NBA's Top 50 All-Time Team.When he died, Nick Charles of CNN described Pete as "so talented he made you gasp, so tortured he made you wince."

Read it if you love the game and its greatest player, Pete Maravich. He could dribble a basketball down the stairs at age eight!

When I was growing up I always heard of Pete Maravich and I was fortunate enough to see him play, but he was never at his best. I always thought cool, but he moved around from team to team, and that's never a good sign. When he passed away, there was a lot of footage of him in college and in the pros, an I regretted not taking more of an interest in him while he was alive.This book fills in a lot of the gaps.

I bought this book, because I'm a fan of Wayne Federman as a comedian and wanted to see both what his writing is like and what the big deal was about Pete Maravich. I went into this biography not expecting to enjoy it. I'm not a basketball fan and knew nothing about Pistol Pete, beyond what I'd heard Federman say on various podcasts. Because it's a rather lengthy work, I figured it would take me quite a while to make my way through, since I expected to be bored by mostly sports talk. In fact, I read the book very quickly. The writing style is infinitely readable and the story is presented in a manner that requires only the most basic layman's understanding of basketball. What really makes the book exciting, though, is Pete's story. I'd never previously considered where the hotshot style of basketball so prevalent today originated. It was Pete, and the story of how he came to be the unique and exciting player he was is absolutely fascinating to read. I like to read before bed and had a great deal of trouble convincing myself to put this one down every night; I could easily have read it all night long. Pete's story is one of dedication, passion, heartbreak, and character. This is an excellent, detailed biography of a remarkable man and his unforgettable talent. I've been recommending this book to everyone who'll listen.

A wonderfully written book about one of the best basketball players ever. I don't read as much as I should but I have quickly read this story and have enjoyed each chapter and the story of Pistol Pete who was such a unique player in his time. A must read for any old school fan like me or anyone fond of biographies of sports figures in general. I had previously read Mark Kreigal's biography on Pete and enjoyed it also. That book was excellent and this one is just as good or better. I highly recommend this book and have nothing but good things to say about it. What a great read!

This book was everything I expected and more... about the total Maravich life experience. Highly recommend to all sports fans.

Great read, so detailed about the life a d times of Pete Maravich !! Highly recommend !!

This book is a “must have”, for anyone wanting to learn about a true legend, “Pistol Pete”. It tells about his career, life struggles, and most important, his relationship with the Lord. Good book. Very inspirational story.

Great reading.