Pete Maravich has passed; Boston guard, Rhodes scholar George Munroe was born
On this day in Boston Celtics history, basketball legend Peter “Pete” Press Maravich died unexpectedly while playing a game of pickup basketball due to an undetected heart condition in 1988.
Born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania in 1947 to mother Helen Gravor Maravich and father Peter “Press” Maravich — a basketball star in his own right, Piston Pete (as he was called as a nickname) picked up his father’s talents and then some as a player, whom he played for at Louisiana State University. His outstanding offensive abilities and exceptional handling skills quickly attracted the attention of professional teams. He was named National College Player of the year twice and was drafted third by the Atlanta Hawks in 1970.
He would continue to play for that team and the New Orleans, Utah Jazz teams before joining the Celtics in 1980 as an unrestricted free agent.
Dick Raphael – USA TODAY Sports
Although he only played one season for the Celtics, he was able to play his way into the College and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fames with a long list of achievements at all levels.
In the twilight of his career when he joined Boston’s roster, Maravich averaged 11.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game with the team in the 26 games he played for the Celtics — Rest In Peace, Pistol Pete.
George Barber Munroe, a former Boston Celtics guard, was born in Juliet in Illinois on this date in 1922. Munroe played college basketball for Dartmouth College Big Green. There, he was a consensus second team All-American and twice reached the NCAA tournament.
The native Illinois man would then join the US Navy and serve in the Second World War.
After he signed with the (now defunct) St. Louis Bombers for their inaugural season in the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league of the NBA) before there was even a draft to be selected in, for whom he would play a single season.
Munroe would be dealt to the Celtics just before the start of the league’s second season in exchange for forward John Abramovic Jr. and cash considerations.
The Dartmouth product would only play 21 games before retiring from Boston, where he averaged just 3.4 points per contest.
After his playing career, Munroe earned a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard, as a Rhodes scholar. He later became the CEO of Phelps Dodge Company.
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