Flamboyance is a vital part of playing basketball nowadays, but back in the 1970s, it was frowned upon. The basketball world valued tradition over everything, as the game relied on ball movement and feeding the big men in the post.
That changed when “Pistol” Pete Maravich entered the NBA after a successful career at LSU. He was a phenomenon with the Tigers, as he brought new energy into college basketball with his exciting style filled with unique dribbling moves, no-look passes, and pull-up jump shots.
As one of his peers at the time, Nate “Tiny” Archibald was one of Pistol’s rivals, and he struggled to defend him because he was such a silky player with all his moves.
“He handled the ball like a yoyo. He could go this way, that way. It was like a yoyo because he had an invisible string on the ball,” Archibald said in NBA 75 Stories about Pistol Pete.
Maravich had the most unique style
The ‘70s was a different time for basketball because almost every player wanted to play based on a set style. There was never a player who would break away and use immense creativity. Enter Pistol Pete, who took the league by storm with his creative style using his fast dribble moves and the no-look passes.
Pat Riley, who was still a player during Maravich’s career, saw first-hand what it was like when players went against Pete. Riley said players hated it when they played against Maravich because they found him too flamboyant and disrespectful.
That might have been the popular opinion back then, but in hindsight, it was peculiar. Nowadays, showmen are encouraged to perform with players like Kyrie Irving and Ja Morant, who always look for highlight plays. They show tons of personality whenever they play, which was not the norm during Maravich’s time.
Pistol Pete was the only player who showed some flamboyance and flashiness. Jerry West said it best when he said Pete had his style and was a trailblazer for that approach to the game.
“He just played his game, which was so different from most people who were playing the game at that point and time,” West said on The Dan Patrick Show in 2012. “He had his own style that was completely different from everybody else. When people look at him, that was what sets him apart from some other people.”
Maravich became an iconic player
Despite not being the most popular NBA player, Pistol Pete was a big hit among the fans. He showed that basketball could be even more fun when players do flashy moves that are still effective. That has been the name of the game for multiple players like Kyrie, Ja, and Allen Iverson.
They show their personality every time they are on the court, and that helped them become superstars. Showing personality should never be an issue for NBA players because it makes them more unique, and they offer more to the table. Pistol Pete was innovative with his dribbling, leading to more impressed people like Archibald.
Related: “He would pass the ball through the eye of a needle” - HOF player reveals why it was challenging to play against “Pistol” Pete Maravich
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