In 1967, Pete made national recognition when he attended LSU. Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Pete went to Louisiana State University where his father coached and urged him to go. The “Pistol” proved he was worthy of the team when he scored an amazing 50 points in his first game with 14 rebounds and 11 assists. He quickly became part of the varsity team and continued to be a star.
By his third year at LSU, the “Pistol” was averaging 44.2 points per game, which is a struggle for star NBA players to achieve. At this time, there was not a three-point line. If a player shoots the ball standing behind this line, they will score three points instead of two. If the three point line had existed, “Pistol Pete” would have been averaging up to 57 points per game!
“Pistol Pete” was drafted into the NBA after playing for LSU for three years. He played for both the Atlanta Hawks and the Utah Jazz, but eventually had to retire early due to injuries sustained while playing. At the age of 40, “Pistol Pete” died what he loved doing best: playing basketball. He died of a rare heart birth defect while playing basketball at his local church.
