I don't know if his knees could've help up til 86'. But I think a couple of years was quite possible. Red wanted to sign Pete to a 2 year deal. Pete later said "And I foolishly said no." He wanted prove to coaching and management he could still play first. And ironically, just a few years before, when Fitch was coaching at Cleveland, he was very complimentary toward Pete. The Cavs had been steadily improving and Pete was in his prime. Fitch said "we'd win the whole thing with Pete in our lineup."

Not sure his heart would've held up as long as it did considering that's what killed him in the late 80's . . .he had begun looking more frail too in the year leading up to his death

They did an old timers games back then at the All Star Games in the 80's I've seen a few where he played. Him and Rick Barry were still in competitive basketball shape. Huge bummer he didnt come back at least for that 80-81 year as a spark plug off the bench.

what does that mean?

Mean he was missi g a artery to his heart​@@mamster233

@@mamster233 When he was about 40, he died during a pickup game from an undiagnosed heart defect.

@@agneslong2323 I know the term but how much harder did that make life for him?

@@mamster233 People with a normal heart have two coronary arteries. His heart was enlarged and scarred because of the extra work it had to do to pump blood. Who said his life was harder?

I saw The Pistol at the Coliseum during the championship season. Too bad the Warriors traded away the pick the Hawks used to draft him in 1970 and got absolutely nothing in return. It would have been quite a sight to watch him and Rick Barry play together.

The best proof of his influence is that we're still talking about him 44 (!) years after his last NBA game. Red Auerbach understood the game very well and he would allow his players to use their special skills and abilities, however unorthodox, as long as they worked.

@@1avardac Definitely!

Red said later he would've played Pete more. But also that he didn't interfere in the coach's decision, regardless of how he felt.

@@Amick44watching Bird and Pete playing for that precious short time was like seeing DiMaggio and Mantle playing together in the same outfield at the end of DiMaggio’s career.

​@@1avardacman this dude would have had a hundred points or more once in a game when he played for the jazz if the three-point line would have existed people that brag about that weak 81 points that the rapist Bryant had against Toronto who won a whole 14 or 15 games that year cracks me up they have no idea how much better pistol Pete was as a player

He was at times, after his rookie year and Walt Hazzard was traded. But he was really a combo guard the majority of his career. He was expected to distribute and do a bulk of the scoring. As was Oscar, Jerry, Bing and Westphal. A few years later, even Gary Payton kind of fits this category.

Nate Tiny Archibald was the king of palming the ball back in 70/80s

Haha.. true

True. Pete, Dave Bing, Tracy Mcgrady have Nothing to apologize for. Quite the opposite. Excellence does not always result in the desired goal. Especially in Team sports.

His father (and playing for him in college) put tremendous pressure on him. It was his Dad's dream first, for Pete to become a collegiate and then pro star. While it is well documented Press geared the LSU offense thru Pete, Pete himself wasn't always thrilled with it. Pistol said at one point he was tired of carrying the load and informed Press. He asked Pete "do you have the ability?" Pete replied "yes." Press' response "then do it!" Press seemed to feel Pete didn't appreciate the "opportunity" in his mind, anyway, he gave Pete. Pete was tired of the burden of having to most of the scoring and distributing every game. Press made it clear he didn't want to hear Pete's "complaint." Adding that to the well known issues in Atlanta, making more as a rookie, than likely the other starters combined and one can see the turmoil brewing. Lou Hudson did say of Pete's enormous (at the time) rookie contract "that said more about management than it did about Pete", but nonetheless there was gonna be reaction to it. On the court and off. And in the off-season after Pete's 4th season in Atlanta, he felt deceived by management when he was dealt to the 1st year expansion NO Jazz. His mother also committed suicide that off season! Such incidents happening about the same time, could make the most solid, grounded individuals depressed!

@@Amick44 Thanks for the background. This really explains a lot. 😥

Pete died a very happy man as a born again Christian ,after years of disillusionment. One of my all time hero's

​@burtonaka___ No pattern Birds dad committed suicide when Bird was in high school while dealing with alcoholism, economic and marital problems.

@@Amick44 Thank you for your comment, Amick. Interesting and very insightful. Much appreciation.

Two of my all-time favorites.

Thanks! Even from this short clip you can see what great camaraderie there was on the Celtics and that the players really appreciated Pete (unlike on the Hawks).

I heard it was ML Carr that actually kicked the ball.

Lou Hudson was an excellent offensive player and scorer at Atlanta. He was the only All Star Pete played with in his prime. The NO Jazz did sign free agent Truck Robinson, but unfortunately in his first year, Pete suffered the knee injury (which would prematurely end his career) and could not finish out the season. Too bad cause Truck would lead the league in rebounding and was entering his prime.

Source for this story?

@@johnd2330 It's described in Pete's biography (Maravich by Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill, page 313). And it was indeed ML Carr who kicked the ball, not Nate Archibald - good call, @Amick44

And the rules didn't allow freshmen to play, so add another year onto his scoring records and they are absolutely untouchable.

With no 3 point line!!!!

Before 3 pt line

Should have gone to the ABA.

Wilt had two good coaches, and two rings. I believe you.

Wow you're old.

@@alfredodistefanolaulhe2212 As will you someday. But perhaps not

@@buckchile614 Well I'm already 40, I'm not that "young". But you seem to be older than me.

With Walton too!!!

He probably still would've been in his prime, if not for the knee injury 2 yrs earlier. Isiah Thomas was forced to retire relatively early as well (33 I believe) from an Achilles heel injury.

He was 32-33. The TV program got it wrong, lol, dude was born in 1947.

ML Carr was the 6th man for the 1979-80 Celtics.

Also, @Jessemathes5126, he only played 26 games for the Celtics. They were already terrific in 1979-80 due in large part to Larry Bird and did not need anyone to help turn them around.

@@johnd2330 Pete helped, you're probably right, for I was only 5 at the time.

@@johnd2330 I'm wrong, I'm sorry, but he helped. I was only five at the time.

@@johnd2330 Also too that the WHOLE team including Cedric Maxwell were essential. Robey AND the rest of them.

64 points at Kentucky....against Dan Issell . Pete was raw.

You can thank Bill Fitch for that. He pestered Pete to regain is "old form", and when Pete worked back to shape in the 1980 off season, Fitch was still not impressed. That's when Pete decided to hang it up.

@@mr.sinjin-smyth What did the roster space give Fitch? Who got Pistols spot?

@@NameCallingIsWeak Gerald Henderson took over Pistol's spot with more minutes.

And his last were “I feel great”

Bird was great in his own right. Pete was probably a better ballhandler, though.

@@1avardacMaravich was the basketball version of Archie Manning playing for all those horrible Saints teams. In fact they might have both played in New Orleans at the same time. On the Saints and the Jazz.

​@@michaelconnor5378good point

​@@michaelconnor5378he was way better as a basketball player than Manning was a quarterback

Larry Bird was a better teammate and leader.