Bill on Pistol Pete

Sports
#1

Pete was the guy who more than anyone else made me want to play basketball - he is the one whose game I modeled my play on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk-JJX2SRHc
. Ol’ Floppy Socks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0BCvV0oX9o

‘The radio was playing and the morning news was on. I was startled to hear that Pete Maravich, the basketball player, had collapsed on a basketball court in Pasadena, just fell over and never got up. I’d seen Maravich play in New Orleans, when the Utah Jazz were the New Orleans Jazz. He was something to see – mop of brown hair, floppy socks – the holy terror of the basketball world – high flyin’ – magician of the court. The night I saw him he dribbled the ball with his head, scored a behind-the-back, no-look basket – dribbled the length of the court, threw the ball up over the glass and caught his own pass. He was fantastic. Scored something like 38 points. He could have played blind.”

-Bob Dylan

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c8/d4/c1/c8d4c1ef27019570ceb57b14d7cb7bf4.jpg
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYq4e_UAq4E

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#2

Walt Frazier, who may have been the best defensive guard ever, once wrote a book about basketball. In addition to some fine technical work on open-floor defense, doubling down, traps, and beating screens, he also gave some thoughts on how to guard the players of his day.

Jerry West: bump him a few times and he derails
Havlicek: too slow. Get him in the open and go for the steal.
Jerry Sloan: he pulls a knife, you pull a gun.

On Maravich: You basically can’t defend the guy. Your best hope is to make him pull up the dribble, let all that hair fall in his eyes, and make your move while he’s blind.

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#3

I will forgo the cat in honor of PP great playin

Respect & Sich

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#4

Shucks, for a minnit there I thougth that was part of the Dylan quote.

No disrespect, Doc, but I don’t see how anyone could model his play on Pete’s unless he was really a great player. To be less than great, and still point to Pete, would be like me sayin I modeled my guitar playing after John Jorgensen’s.

RIP Pete Maravich :cry:

#5

Not at all, Spoon. If someone is your inspiration, if they are who you emulate, then they are your model. It is not at all necessary, or in Pete’s case, even possible to reach the same level of accomplishment. He brought a spirit of fun and creativity into the world of basketball in a way it never had been brought before. Players everywhere have been inspired beyond the “palmer penmanship” style of play that preceded him. That does not mean you copy his moves alone, but that you are freed to make your own art in play.

#6

Well said…carry on then.

Pee Esses…and now I may safely claim Jorgensen as chief among my models.

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