Maravich Joins C's

January 27, 1980

He's always been required to carry the load. He's been in situations where he's supposed to fulfill a lot of people's dreams by being Superman. It's unfair. I think he now has the experience under his belt and is going with a team that has some style which best befits his personality. This is the first time he has had a chance to display it." - John Havlicek

"He" of course, is Pete Maravich. He sure as hell isn't Superman, not with that damaged knee of his. But he is a legend, albeit a tarnished one. No history of basketball could possibly be complete without a space devoted to Pistol Pete Maravich.



Let's settle something right now. Given that Pete Maravich was available (at the right price) and interested in coming to Boston, the Celtics had no options, no choices. They had to sign him. They gave up no draft choices and no players. They have needed an experienced third guard since the begining of the season, someone who can run the team in Tiny Archibald's absence and shoot from the perimeter, and if Maravich is healthy, they now have what they need. If he is not, they have lost nothing.

There are two arguments against taking him. The first is that he is a selfish gunner (what we Jersey guys called a "moll" in the '50s) who cannot fit into this Celtics team. John Havlicek disagrees, as you have already noted. Red Auerbach disagrees. Bill Fitch disagrees. For whatever it's worth, I disagree. I honestly believe that Pete Maravich has been misunderstood, that from his first day in Atlanta until his last day in Salt Lake City he has been miscast by time and circumstance. I'll put it this way: He may be making $500,000 a year, but not for a second would I have traded my last decade for his. I choose to take Maravich at face value when he says that he wants to do nothing more than win.

The other argument against his coming here is a more subtle one. Since much has been made of the harmony enjoyed by this team, the fear is that he would somehow disrupt it. His coming means that someone will go, and already a couple of players have expresed unhappiness over that fact.

I'll miss Jeff Judkins or Eric Fernsten when that fateful day comes, but that is life in professional sports. At least one player admits he thinks often of Kevin Stacom, but a decision had to be made on him, too, and if you think it's easy to pick between two superior human beings such as Stacom and Don Chaney, you're insane. The reality with the present Celtic team is that there are no problem people. A certified good guy will be let go.

Players should be entitled to their feelings, but the holdover must be pragmatic. Pete Maravich can help everybody by playing well. Sure, some people will play less. To those directly affected, I pose this question: "Do you want to win or get your stats?" The issue is that basic.

As for Maravich being personally disruptive, the chances are remote. I can't guarantee that, of course, but again I'm asking you to take Pete Maravich at his word when he says he will do what the coach asks.

Bill Fitch will be the key to everything. How he handles Pete will determine whether or not the club will be able to maintain its unit spirit. "If," said one player, "everyone continues to be treated fairly, the way we have been so far, there will be no problem. Pete will be accepted." Fitch has already said "Pete will have to earn a spot on this team," which sounds encouraging.

I could rhapsodize about what prime-time Maravich was, and how he carried an inferior Atlanta team to six games with Boston in the 1972 playoffs, and how on his best nights he'd make basketball so thrilling you would gladly pay $50 just to see the replay, but the important thing now is that he is here, and what that represents to Boston.

If the players on the team will allow themselves to be bothered by an obvious business decision made in the best interests of managment, the coach, the team as a whole and the fans, then their celebrated unity wasn't worth very much. If that's all it would take to put them off course, then I'd hate to see how they react to playoff pressure, for example.

One final note for Celtic followers: Pete Maravich is most assuredly not a title guarantee. He is a building block, a necessary step, and nothing more. They still need a physical presence (i.e. a Kermit Washington or Steve Mix- type creature) coming of the bench, and it probably would be nice if The Pistol were at least a little noted for his defense. (The flip side of that is that it would be idyllic if Don Chaney could suddenly acquire Brian Winters' shot). Do not allow your present hopefulness to escalate into expectancy. The SuperSonics remain the best team in the league, and the Celtics will do themselves proud by reaching the Eastern final.

We all know the Celtic magic doesn't work for everyone. Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe and Bob McAdoo all proved that. But none of them were as plugged into the mystique as Maravich is, nor have any of them endured his frustration and heartache, both professional and personal. If he fails here, it will be due to his knee. He's got a Celtic heart.

Some players really do give a damn. Houston's Calvin Murphy wept in the locker room on Tuesday night when he learned that he had not made the Eastern Conference All-Star team. "But I'm having my best year," he wailed . . . Fitch on Rick Robey: "What I like most about him is that he gets more out of practice than anybody we have. When your practice habits are as good as his, you've got a chance to be a good player" . . . You have to love that Celtic box score for the Houston game. They had a 20-pointer (Larry Bird), a 19 (Chris Ford), an 18 (Dave Cowens), a 17 (Robey) and a 16 (Cedric Maxwell) . . . Don't give up on Jeff Judkins, because Fitch hasn't. "He's in a situation," explains the coach, "where he is playing better ball than he did a year ago, but because the team is better he is playing less. I watched all the films of last year, and he scored points, but he did some thing s out there that would have him on the bench in two minutes now" . . . It was no accident that the day he heard he didn't make the All-Star team out west, Gus Williams scored 35. The competition between he and Dennis Johnson, who did make the squad, is a way of life for the Sonics . . . Kevin Loughery's obsession with officials is starting to affect his game coaching, and people are worried he is heading for a crackup . . . Where is Manny Leaks when we really need him?