<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Basketball Hall of Fame as player </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 </Td> </Tr> <P> Peter Press Maravich (June 22, 1947--January 5, 1988), nicknamed Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player . He was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and raised in the Carolinas . Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University (LSU) and played for three NBA teams until injuries forced his retirement in 1980 . He is the all - time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game . All of his accomplishments were achieved before the three - point line and shot clock were introduced to NCAA basketball and despite being unable to play varsity as a freshman under then - NCAA rules . One of the youngest players ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Maravich was cited by the Hall as "perhaps the greatest creative offensive talent in history". In an April 2010 interview, Hall of Fame player John Havlicek said that "the best ball - handler of all time was Pete Maravich". </P> <P> Pete Maravich was born to Petar "Press" Maravich (1915--1987) and Helen Gravor Maravich (1925--1974) in Aliquippa, a steel town in Beaver County in western Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh . Maravich amazed his family and friends with his basketball abilities from an early age . He enjoyed a close but demanding father--son relationship that motivated him toward achievement and fame in the sport . Maravich's father was the son of Serbian immigrants and a former professional player - turned - coach . He showed him the fundamentals starting when he was seven years old . Obsessively, Maravich spent hours practicing ball control tricks, passes, head fakes, and long - range shots . </P>

How many points did pete maravich average in the nba