HenDawg reacts to NBA Legends Explain Why Pistol Pete Maravich Would Destroy Today's NBA

[@HenDawgTV]

What up my dawgz! What video should I react to next?! 🤔

[@ClarkeRaglin-yj5nj]

If pistol Pete would play today they would ban him from the NBA

[@LoraWright-q9i]

I was at LSU during the Pete Marivich Era. People lined up for freshmen basketball. Watching him was exciting, unexpected. It was called SHOWTIME.

[@aramhamparian9641]

The knee injury did him in. The year after he led the league in scoring, he tore up his knee 50 games into the season. At that point, he was having a better year than the year before. He was never the same. He also suffered from depression and other demons. If he played today, he'd be doing things we haven't seen. An easy 35 a game. His jersey would be the biggest seller in the world. Great vid bro.

[@xbmarx]

Biggest enigma in the NBA, 30+ years ahead of his time. Like a mix of Steph and Magic. Played on terrible teams with no help then tore up his knee, if history was different who knows, he could've been the GOAT.

[@chrisshaw6200]

🍀🎉😂 When Larry told em He was too old & Washed up!💥🎉😜🍀😂😂😂😂

[@chrisshaw6200]

He was really good though.

[@HenDawgTV]

Lmaooo

[@chrisshaw6200]

@@HenDawgTV Bro... I want you to be a Globe Trotter... Contract + Time suck but... I think you'd be good at it

[@chrisshaw6200]

@@HenDawgTV YOU & the Professor make a New League?!?😳😳😳😳

[@jimmyboy131]

Larry was trashing him, like he did with everyone.

[@scottgorski7931]

When Pistol came out of college in 1970, he had offers from the NBA, ABA and the Globetrotters. All the offers were for a million plus (crazy money for 1970). His best chance for success was early in Atlanta when there were a couple of legit all stars playing with him. When New Orleans entered the league as an expansion team they traded for Pete to put butts in the seats at the superdome, but he never had a supporting cast around him. His time at LSU was much like his time with the Jazz, where Pete was the show. LSU was a football school and basketball wasn't even reported on until Pete played his first year on the freshman team (at the time freshman weren't allowed on the varsity) when people would fill the arena for the freshman game and leave before the varsity game started. So his NCAA scoring records reflect his 3 years on the varsity, which means his career total points scored record not only was done with no 3 point line but it was done in 3 seasons. The term showtime in basketball also comes from Pete's time at LSU when during pregame warm up he would put on a display of passing and dribbling skills that people had never seen before. He was the original showtime before Magic. I agree with you that today's NBA is more run and gun, which would be perfect for Pete with the passing and ball handling skills he developed. A former college team mate said if Pete was looking at you that meant he wasn't going to pass to you. Most if not all of the flashy playing style we see now is taken from Pete even if they don't know it. There are even a few things that you can see on video of Pete that haven't been seen since. Maybe not the Greatest of all Time, but truly the pioneer for what the game became.

[@robrichards8074]

He changed the game with his all around offensive creativity. If he had remained healthy and played a couple seasons with Bird in Boston he would won a championship. He is a top 10 player all time on pure talent alone.

[@Irockthere4]

That pull up!!!

[@gregoryolson907]

Knee injuries. Same for Gayle Sayers. Surgeries not as advanced or common as today.

[@criptard]

Pippen was also overlooked. He was so good at everything.

[@bradlymiller4936]

Maravich had a great career for the time he played. You have to remember when he came on the scene the NBA was dominated by big men, not many guards that could chase scoring titles. Sadly, he was always on terrible teams so never really had a chance to chase championships. Julius Erving did sign with the Atlanta Hawks when Pete was there but lawsuits from his ABA(Squires) team kept from joining and staying the NBA. Erving only got to play in the preseason with the Hawks and was forced to return to the ABA. So who knows what could have been if Dr J joined Pete. Their chemistry together in All Star games suggested it would have been a perfect fit. Erving shared in his autobiography how skilled Maravich was and how they use to play one on one in the Hawks training camp. The knee injury definitely affected the longevity of his career. With todays modern medicine he could have potentially continued to have success for several more years. God Bless, rest in peace Pete.

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

Maravich had to confront some serious issues during his career, the worst being a drinking problem for some time. But he also was never trusted by his teammates in Atlanta. Some of them were kind of jealous because of Pete's huge contract when he entered the NBA, some others because his style was unorthodox for the very academic NBA of that time. And then, when he was traded to the Jazz, after had been the leading scorer of the league, when he was carrying them to the playoffs , he got severely injured. He never could play for a really good team where he'd be respected and trusted and he had bad luck. In any case, he revolutionized the NBA and that's why we're still talking about him today

[@patticriss2238]

There are so many HORSE games between greats. It’s super fun. I like watching.

[@lll9416]

Pistol Pete's 68 point game was against a stacked New York Knicks! They had Spencer Haywood and Walt Frazier. They had Bob McAdoo and Earle the Pearl Monroe and they even had a soon to be legendary coach named Phil Jackson, absolutely loaded! He did all this without any overtime. He even fouled out with a minute 18 to go!🤯 And of course no 3 point line.. No question, the Pistol was special.👏

[@nomad4876]

I loved the Ice Man George Gervin. He was the court assassin of the Pre-Bird era. I appreciate Pete's talent but I loved the skill and attitude of Gervin who was a contemporary. It was a different time when he did play, the league needed spicing up and Maravich began that process. If Maravich would be in the League today, it wouldn't change much TBH. Why? Because he was interested in putting on a show first and for most. His skills would allow him to score at will but I think today's game would bore him.

[@Valhalrik]

Ok List Bird.Magic.MJ.Pete.Duncun

[@SMcK17]

Dave Bing was an all-star for the Pistons during the 70s.

[@jimmyboy131]

Pete was a 67% 3 point shooter! He only played one season with it but that was his percentage, on I believe 25 or so attempts.

[@alanela6761]

10 of 15, i believe

[@jimmyboy131]

@@alanela6761 I just took the stat numbers of 86 games played with a 3 point line, times .3 attempts per game (average). That gives about 25 attempts.

[@alanela6761]

@jimmyboy131 fair enough. I just looked it up. He played 43 games. 7 of 11 from three with utah, and 3 of 4 with Boston. 10 made out of 15 was actually correct.... just an fyi. Now we both know

[@mjt5576]

You are correct that Pistol should have had a better NBA career. Unfortunately, he had an alcohol problem, and knee issues. He could have been nearly unstoppable.

[@patticriss2238]

The Pistol was just more “schooled” than other guys. He LIVED basketball 24/7. His dad would have it no other way. Complex guy.

[@439tab]

When he was drafted by the Hawks, the veteran players already there were angry that he got a 2 million dollar contract and they had been told there was no money for them to get a raise. As you might imagine that didn't create great chemistry out on the court. When he was traded to the Jazz, he just had almost no help whatsoever. Michael Jordan had two other all stars playing with him and some great role players. Pete had no one. The stress he had to endure having to carry the team on his shoulders, eventually wore him out, especially his knees. I think he would have had many more points and assists if there had been another strong scorer on the team so they couldn't double and triple up on Pete. If he had been drafted by the Celtics instead of ending up there his last season when he was a broken player, it would have been a much different story.

[@Valhalrik]

now 1990's Detroit 25.

[@cvonantz]

All y'all haters out there saying he's all about the showmanship rather than scoring points, and yeah that may be true. But consider this... We're talking about a time period where Professional Basketball wasn't a staple on television, it wasn't followed by millions of fans around the World, it wasn't packed arenas and sports memorabilia. Baseball had more of a following than basketball, football was huge, as was college basketball. The 70's was a time of change for the entire country. Video games were still in their infancy. No cell phones, no pagers, no laptops, home PCs were also in the infancy. It was word of mouth and newspaper articles and the usual mention on the news. Players like Dr. J and Pistol Pete were unicorns on top of that stacked draft the year he was drafted. Putting butts in seats was the name of the game. Drawing attention, playing the game you loved, making people talk about you. That's what paid these players. Was he a good investment? Absolutely. Come on.. He went to LSU...a school long known for it's Football team. And he put butts in seats for every game he played. Yeah Pete was a showman, an entertainer... But he didn't just talk the talk. He proved he can walk the walk, even on teams that had losing seasons every year.

[@highlanderthegreat]

dont forget the PISTOL was also very good on defense

[@HocusPocusFocus69]

I think that Pete was a combo of Nash and Curry.

[@cvonantz]

You mean Nash and Curry were a combo of Pistol Pete.

[@HDcamel]

Pete gets overlooked because he was on bad teams and didn't win. He only had two winning seasons in his 10 years. Once in Atlanta (which was still two wins shy of their the season before he signed) and once on the Celtics (which he joined mid-season and is almost entirely attributable to Larry Bird). Essentially, despite his incredible individual ability, he wasn't able to elevate his teams the way Magic and Bird did and he wasn't able to carry his teams the way MJ did. Also, he was only so-so defensively. The other thing is that, had he been born at a time that he could have played in today's league, he still might have had a short career, if he even got to play at all, since he died from a congenital heart defect at 40. If it remained un-diagnosed, even if his knees could have been better cared for, he likely would have succumbed sooner than he did if he continued to play past 10 years and if it was caught in childhood, even if it could be repaired, he might never have gotten medically cleared to play sports at all.

[@avidrdr5640]

I sort of blame his dad for Pete missing out on a possibly better future. It looked like Press knew when he got the job that he would never coach a winning team at LSU unless Pete was there. He literally blackmailed his son for his own selfish reason. What might Pete's career have been like if he had started out at a college with a better basketball team? Who, besides a bully, threatens to throw their kid out of the house because they have their own goals?

[@ivantackes2756]

35 points average for today's basketball, if Steve Nash and Steph Curry had a baby it'd be it would be pistol Pete My list for the goat, Jordan,, Kobe, The next four for third James, pistol Pete, Kareem, Larry bird.

[@Valhalrik]

Ahh but he was of the Ara of Dead Basketball then the Merger ABA NBA

[@walterdelgallo4304]

Pistol Pete played in a terrible and didn't have the luxury of having good players around him like Magic, Bird, MJ, and so on.

[@greatbooksformen]

ended up destroying his knees. bad teams. the guy still did well even with terrible teams. hell, he had 68 in one game without the 3 point line. just had bad luck really.

[@alanela6761]

Can't win rings with no help. Unlike Jordan, he got any help. 2nd half of his final season was in Boston with rookie Bird.... if he played one more, he may have gotten that ring (i don't expect that he would have prevented them from winning)

[@Valhalrik]

no Def fence he would be back in Collage 40+ games

[@richardpierce7819]

The most amazing thing was after his death they discovered he had a heart defect from birth. I think he just never played on a good team . To me he's the G.O.A.T.

[@maceomaceo11]

Pete played on crappy teams, college and pro, until his last year. Same with George Gervin, though the Spurs were above average. Team baakerball dominated 70's NBA more so than top heavy stars in the post Bird/Magic/Jordan eras. Even Kareem only won one and Dr J none throughout the decade.

[@johnmagill7714]

I think the medical advancement at the time just wasn't there. If it was then what it is today, he could have had a longer career. But, his heart issue would have done him in regardless.

[@teresasellsatl]

He still has the college scoring record. No 3 pointers. In THREE years of play. Not 4 years. 3!!!

[@timgray3790]

He was on a horrible Atlanta team and then with an expansion team Statistically he had a great nba career, unfortunately he was on the worst teams in the nba until his last year with bird but by then he had 2 blown out knees without the benefit of todays surgical breakthroughs

[@ivantackes2756]

He was on Atlanta and they were they sucked and New Orleans jazz was an expansion team that really sucked

[@Valhalrik]

Your no Defense Basketball nowadays.

[@michael-hf7tn]

He was never on a decent team, if they would have put him on the Celtics or Lakers in his prime he would have won. Put magic on pistols teams and magic would not have won either.

[@teresasellsatl]

I’m correcting you!!!! Bullshit. He entertained with unbelievable greatness. He PRACTICED 10 Hours a day from childhood. He is THE GOAT. No one could touch Pistol Pete. Ain’t no brother thing. It was nonstop devotion to skill building from elementary school. Total love and passion. He got out on the worst teams in the league. He’s better than any player to ever play the game.