This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2004.
Pete Maravich stepped onto the court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1967 as the coach's son, but left as his own man. He took the college basketball world by storm and after three short years emerged as the greatest offensive player in NCAA history. Recognized for his shaggy brown hair and droopy socks, he averaged 43.8 ppg as a sophomore and 44.2 as a junior, a pace that would put him within 40 points of Oscar Robertson's NCAA scoring record with 14 games left in his senior season. "Pistol" would graduate with 3,667 career points, a 44.2 scoring average and would score 50 or more points 28 times over his 83-game career at LSU -- accomplishments made more astonishing by the fact that Maravich was a jump shooter who played before the introduction of the three-point line. "Pistol" created the modern game as we know it -- his no-look passes, fade-away jump shots and whirlwind spins in the lane inspired a new generation of players to take the game to the next level. Not surprisingly, Maravich moved on to the NBA and became a Hall of Famer. After retiring from professional basketball, Maravich devoted his life to his wife and two young sons. Tragically, after finding religion and coming to peace with himself and his family, Pete suddenly died at the age of 40 after playing a game of pickup basketball. For all his legend, Peter Press Maravich died a quiet family man. On the inside rear tail of this yellow nylon warm-up jacket is the "Rawlings" tag with size "44". Adjacent are three other tags, "Holmes Sporting Goods, New Orleans - Baton Rouge", "3" Longer" and a wash tag. Across the rear shoulder blades are six button rivets where Maravich's nameplate was attached. The collar is made of elastic and features a metal zipper extending down the rear neck. On the right sleeve is the number "23" in purple tackle twill. "LSU" is on the right breast and a beautifully embroidered "Tiger" logo is on the left breast. The jacket shows wear and appears to have no alterations other than the missing nameplate. For the past few years the jacket has been displayed at "TJ Ribs", a local Baton Rouge, LA restaurant. Accompanying the jacket is a detailed letter of provenance from a former LSU athlete who inherited it after "Pistol".