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Maravich

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Knowing that people often read just the first few lines of a review, know this: Pete Maravich's high school teams WON. Before he and Press arrived at LSU, the team was pitiful (the days of Bob Petit were long since gone). Pete's LSU Freshman team, in a tough SEC conference, went 17-1, losing the final game of the season by a whisker. WINNERS AGAIN. That same season, his father's LSU varsity squad went 3-23. Pete NEVER had a losing season at LSU, going 22-10 his senior campaign, a challenging year that saw the team log more road miles than the Harlem Globetrotters. They made the NIT final four, when the NIT actually meant something. That's a far, far cry from 3-23.

His Atlanta Hawk teams made the playoffs three out of the four years he was there, losing in the second round each time. Though the Hawks had a losing record 3 of those four years, they were playing in the same conference with eventual NBA Champions like the Knicks, Celtics, and Bullets. Not bad at all.

And New Orleans? The lowly Jazz? Remember now, Pete was the only guy on that team - save for two short years with Truck Robinson - who could really play. There were no other All-Stars to share the load. Try this statistic on for size: in the games Pete played for the Jazz (excluding the games he missed), their record was ** 93-92 **. Last time I checked, that's a WINNING record. To think that an expansion team in 1974-75 - one that mortgaged their future just to get the Pistol - came within FOUR games in 1977-78 of making the playoffs, and would have had Pete not blown out his knee on one of his trademark 3/4 court behind the back and legs passes (that resulted in another Jazz two), is just incredible.

The Jazz were one of the most successful expansion teams in NBA history. Do your homework, you'll be surprised.

Yes, folks, Pete was a WINNER. Don't believe what you hear from the so-called 'purists', like the biggest cry-baby of them all, Oscar "I'm still mad that Pete broke my scoring record in college" Robertson. Let's see, AFTER the Little 'O' leaves Cincinnati, the Bearcats win the Nat'l Champsionship. Hmmmm. He doesn't get close to winning a title in the NBA - while putting up huge individual numbers (sound like someone else we know?) - until he demands a trade and ends up being Jabbar's caddy. If Pete had played with Wilt, Kareem, or Walton, God knows what might have happened. Want proof? OK, here's two examples for all of you doubting Thomas's who say Pete was a selfish player and didn't care about winning. East-West All-Star game, college, 1968. Pete scores well under 20 points but hands out 16 assists to other highly talented players. Wins MVP of the game over home-town hero Rick Mount. Want more? Pete gets to play with Dr. J., while with the Hawks, for three exhibition games prior to the 1972-73 season. Pete racks up something like 12-18 assists each game, scores well-below his average, the Dr. shines, Hawks win. Give me a break. The man loved to WIN. He just wanted to play with other great players. This is all contained in this fabulous book.

Now, it's true that Mr. Terrill and I co-wrote "Skywalker - The David Thompson Story" - together. So you might think that I'm writing this review just for his sake, right? Maybe skew the number of ranked stars on the old review for my old buddy. Not exactly. And forget the fact that I'm mentioned on pages 348-349 of this book.

Pete was my guiding light growing up in the 1970's. My dad was pretty much non-existent, and one day I picked up "Pete Maravich - Basketball Magician", from the RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) BookMobile. That was 1971. I was 10 years old. I read that book 26 times the first month. No joke. The 3 D's - Discipline, Dedication, and Determination - became my mantra. I pounded a basketball for the next eight years, spent 6 hours a day at the backyard hoop. I cut out jerseys from old t-shirts, colored them in Hawks and Jazz colors. Did OK on the teams I played on, too, not to mention the neighborhood pickup games where I dominated. All because of Pete.

I had enough scrapbooks to fill a closet. No other player in the history of the game - not Russell, West, Wilt, Little 'O', Barry, Dr. J, Bird, Magic, Michael, and the rest - has ever come close to Pete's impact on the imagination of the general cager youth at large. NOBODY.

Don't believe me? I have proof. Check out eBay. Who's stuff goes for the most, draws the most interest, has the most items for sale? When I went to see Pete inducted into the HOF, was it Barry or Frazier who got the most attention? Shoot, after the press conference, every single member of the press flocked to Pete. Rick and Clyde just smiled at each other at left. I was there, saw it. The Pied Piper of basketball, Pete was. You just couldn't take your eyes off him.

Let's see, detractors will say that his father let him shoot whenever he wanted. Ever try getting off 40 shots a game when every defense in the country is rigged against you? Focused on only stopping YOU? Think you can still shoot over 40% under those circumstances? Here's the line, people: 3,667 points per game, over 44 PER GAME. IN JUST THREE YEARS, NOT FOUR. AND WITH NO THREE-POINT LINE. The experts have determined he would have averaged around 51 a game had he had the three point line. OMG.

Again, no stone was left unturned in this stunning book.

Kobe's 81? When Pete had 68 against the Knicks in 77', he would have been over 80 easily with the three-point line. And not against the Raptors, aka Sisters of the Holy Rosary of Canada. No, Pete's 80 would have been against the greatest defensive guard of the day, Walt Frazier. Then try Earl Monroe, Bill Bradley, Bob McAdoo, Phil Jackson. All HOF'ers. Pleeeease.

"Maravich" is the ONLY book ever written on Pete that does him complete justice. Marshall and Wayne take you INSIDE Pete's life. Sure, they quote some pieces that have been written before, but they're needed to help tell the story. This is the most researched, well-told, passionate description of Pete's impact that has ever been achieved - and I've read them all. Some twice. Some 26 times.

This definitive tale of Pete Maravich possesses insight that only Jackie, Jaeson, and Josh Maravich could provide, not to mentioned the hundreds of others that the authors interviewed. You will reach down into the complex layers of Pete's existence - his motivations, thoughts, and insecurities - that have never been available before. I read, on average, three sports biographies a month. Not many move me. Yes, Pete was my everything. Still, even with my being one of the top experts in the country on Pete, Marshall and Wayne's words moved me deeply. My emotions ran the full spectrum - elation, awe, tears, pity, excitement, joy, heartbreak.

Pete Maravich proved that hard work, dedication to goals, and having a laser-like focus can fulfill dreams. He also learned that people change, that some of us may need more than we think once the cheering ceases. I met him after he had given his life to Jesus Christ - and I'm grateful that's when I did. He was peaceful, at ease, wonderful to speak with. I've never regretted meeting my hero. One guy shouldn't be so lucky.

"Maravich" is a love story in many ways, and as is often the tradeoff with love stories, there is tragedy. Pete and Press sacrificing everything for the game they loved. Helen Maravich's suicide, and brother Ronnie's search for meaning through alcohol. Pete's own addiction to booze. Pete's deep love for Press, and Press's unmatched love and dedication to his son. Jackie's love for Pete, frustration with him, and eventual heartbreak when he died so young and suddenly.

And be sure to make it to the end of the book. I considered this a bonus: How tough Pete's passing has been on his two wonderful boys, Jaeson and Joshua. Jaeson, an incredible player in his own right, still misses his dad tremendously to this day. Has trouble sleeping, in fact. Joshua walking on at LSU, having the courage to play in a building named after his father, taking all that grief from coach Brady. I feel for these two boys - both of whom I met in 1987 when Pete went into the HOF. They were just toddlers then. I pray that this book helps ease their pain, and helps them to understand that he meant so much to thousands of other kids, too, and that we ALL miss him, we ALL share their sorrow.

Everything I have in life, all the success, is due to Pete. I tell everyone that. There is so much to be learned from the man, and this book portrays those learnings better than any other ever written.

Thank you, Wayne and Marshall, for reminding me why I fell for this man, this genius, so hard and completely. His charm, charisma, and drawing power shines through in these incredible pages. Pete transcended the game, the time, the American consience.

A truly remarkable achievement. "Maravich" is one for the ages. A WINNER...

I can't say enough about this book... the authors claim that MARAVICH is the definitive biography of Pistol Pete Maravich and they deliver and then some. The quotes alone are worth the price. I am a basketball junkie and it was great to read what Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, Red Auerbach, Ralph Wiley, Jason Kidd, Larry Bird, Julius Erving. Bob Cousy, Al McGuire, Bill Walton, Kobe Bryant, Bob Costas, Adolph Rupp, Rafer Alston, John Wooden, Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas, Elgin Baylor, KC Jones, Chancey Billups, Jerry West, and hundreds of others had to say about The Pistol.

Warning - this book is loaded. It look an entire weekend to read and I loved every minute of it. It was like eating the most satisfying meal. The cooperation of Pete's widow, Jackie, adds a personal dimension that was both revealing and heartbreaking.

If you want to learn the real story of Pete Maravich, where he came from, his relationship with his father, why he was unhappy, and how he helped changed basketball, read MARAVICH.

One problem: It was very hard to get my hands on a copy.

Let me first preface this review by saying I have never taken the time to write a review for any book or product prior to reading "Maravich". The instant I was finished reading it, I was compelled to do so. Simply put, along with Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad and Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Maravich was one of my boyhood idols as I grew up in Downey, California. Pete was larger than life to me. Still is.

Ever since I first laid eyes on him on television in 1968, I tried my best to read, listen or watch anything that pertained to Pete. This passion for Pete has continued to this day. I still have the sports page of the Los Angles Times of the day Pete died. I have read every book about him including Pete's own, but always came away with either knowing there was some erroneous reporting, things were left out or that some how it always could have been better. I had known the book "Maravich" had been in the works for some time and the little that I know of Mr. Federman, I was anxiously waiting for it to be published. I truly thought I had read every quote, article and intricate story regarding Pete, but after reading "Maravich" I was happily mistaken.

I bought the book this past Sunday evening, Nov. 26th, 2006 and planned to begin reading it the following day. Now, I swear to you that this is the absolute truth, I began reading it at approximately 11:15 am the very next day and didn't stop until I had finished the 398th and very last page at 11:45 pm! I got up twice and put some left over turkey between two slices of bread and then went back into my office and continued reading AS I ate!

The book is the most insightful, honest, thorough and well written book on Pete Maravich that has ever been published and was a joy to read. There were literally hundreds of quotes and or stories that I had never read about Pete before. It is as if the two authors interviewed every player, coach, friend and relative that Pete ever played with or knew.

Finally a book has been written about Pete that told the entire story, and then some. Just unbelievable! If you are a Pete Maravich fan it is a must read. If you have read the other books about Pete and think you know all about him, it's a must read. If you simply enjoy a very insightful and well written book about a once in a lifetime athlete, it is a must read. I may not read it again in twelve straight hours but rest assured people, I will read it again! Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill, I salute you!

Jim Webster

I just got finished reading MARAVICH and was truly amazed. The sheer depth of research is staggering (they seemed to have interviewed every basketball great) yet the book never seems to lose the narrative thread. This is a thrilling story of a tortured athlete who's really an artist. The authors begin in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and bring to life each step in Pistol Pete's development. From Biddy basketball games, to Pete's solitary practice marathons in Clemson, his All-American high school career, a year at Southwood College (it's true), then the staggering circus at LSU.

But for me, what sets this book apart, is the examination of Pete's pro career. A chapter is a dedicated to each season and I now completely understand how and why, despite never winning a championship, he is considered one of the NBA's All-Time Top 50 players. The games Pete and Dr. J played together as members of the Atlanta Hawks are revelatory.

MARAVICH is a meshing of incredible Bill Jamesian detail (almost every game has Pete's stat line) with personal insight using not just interviews, but Pete's own diaries and personal letters.

It has a great photo and statistics sections, plus a list of Maravich's 25 Greatest Games. This is what a sports biography should be.

I love this book. The authors really captured Maravich's fascinating life and the paradox that surrounded it. It's an amazing story about a man whose miraculous talents didn't satiate his quest for inner peace. This young man dedicated his life to basketball, mastered it, but remained unfulfilled. Then, after finally finding his happiness through religion, Maravich dropped dead. Doctors were shocked when they discovered he was born with only ½ a heart. He never should have lived past his teens.

I'm still stunned.

One night in Denver as a 10 yr old going to sleep while surfing the AM radio I heard absolute mayhem and thought it was a Beatles concert. But the announcer came on and it was an LSU basketball game with Pistol Pete. The noise in the first half was unbelievable. Nothing I have ever heard compares to the frenzy I heard that night. Never heard of Maravich before that night, since he retired the only basketball I watch is the Final64. First, check out Wikipedia's Pete Maravich, next watch the dvd Pistol Pete Birth of a Legend, then watch Maravich LSU Memories, then read also the book Heir To A Dream by Pete Maravich. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Ma 2 weeks after the death of his father, Heir to a Dream chronicles the father-son hot-cold relationship of basketball greats Press (1915-87) and Peter (1947-88) Pete only had 1 coronary artery). Press came from an Aliquippa steel town to a basket ball scholarship, on to professional basketball, then piloted hundreds of bombing raids from Guadalcanal, next coached at Clemson, NC State & LSU. Pistol Pete tells a tale of big and small disasters, real tragedies, lost championships and ultimate redemption when they realize and fulfill not just their basketball dream but their spiritual dream as well. Note that he set the scoring record without a 3 pt line and his 741 freshman points aren't counted either.

I can summarize by saying that MARAVICH is a very
quick read. Each chapter's end makes you eager to
start the next. Once you pick it up, it is very hard to put it down.

"True" Pistol Pete fans and readers
who approach the book with some background
knowledge and genuine interest in Pete Maravich will
like this book. In MARAVICH,
readers get depth, meaty research and relevant
detail. I've read other accounts of Pete's life and compared to MARAVICH, they only scratch the surface. MARAVICH has all
the basic ingredients you'd expect....plus a lot more.

The highest compliment I could give MARAVICH (the book) is this....
I believe that Pete himself would have wholeheartedly endorsed it.
He would appreciate and be able to relate
to the extra-effort and attention-to-detail that was
over-and-above the basic minimum research that all
good authors must do. That's because Pete approached life
the same way. If he was committed to something
(basketball, Press, family, Christianity, fitness,
diet, etc.) he wasn't satisfied with cutting corners. Instead, Pistol Pete gave it his all,
dove into every aspect of it, got into the details,
and went the extra mile.

It only makes sense that an author who is writing about Pete's life would need to do the same. Wayne Federman did.

I give it an A+. Great subject, well-written book and a very smooth read. I highly recommend it.

Marshall Terrill does it again! A master biographer finds a masterful subject in Maravich. Teaming up with Wayne Federman and Jackie Maravich, Terrill drills past the stats of the legendary "Pistol Pete" and draws us a story of an intense man wanting to please his father, who gets caught up in his own glory only to find that his glory came from accepting Christ within. It's a book of amazing insights, powerful research and intense moments that will both excite you and touch your heart.

I am a Biography freak. Rarely do I find a book where the information was so throughly researched. This book was many years in the making and it shows. It's filled with insightful writing, glorious game stories, and the depth of character that made "Pistol Pete." Many people, including myself, who knew Pete during his lifetime, were asked to provide stories and anecdotes about the worlds greatest basketball player.

This book reflects the enormous effort that went into it, and the attention to detail. I loved every page of it, and want to personally thank Wayne for this tremendous effort.

I've read several books on Pistol Pete and there was never a guard with his creative genious, showmanship and ability. I can only imagine Maravich and Irving on the same team and what that could have meant for the Atlanta Hawks. Pete has always gotten a bad rap as an individual player, but I think if he had played for a contender during his prime, he would have been been considered the greatest (Jordan, Cousey, West, etc. included). The book brought back great memories of his innovative play, unbelievable play making, passes and shots. The fact he scored 44ppg in an era with no 3 point shot nor were they allowed to play varsity as a freshman says volumes of his long standing NCAA records.

There has never been another like him and I doubt there ever will be. I also enjoyed his retirement years, commitment to Christianity. I enjoyed the insights of other great players/coaches and how they percieved the Pistol. I couldn't put the book down. I'd recommend going to youtube and searching for "Maravich".....even young players will be amazed at his talent and ability. Maravich is an insightful book from his youth to his untimely death at age 40. In my opinion he was the greatest guard in the history of basketball.