(PatriotNews.net) – Pistol Pete’s son, Josh Maravich, tragically died at the age of 42, as announced by LSU on June 9th.
Josh, a former LSU basketball player, died last on Friday at their Covington, Louisiana residence.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Josh played for Baton Rouge from 2001 to 2005. He was a backup for LSU during the seasons from 2001-02 to 2004-05. LSU’s home games are held at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, named after his father. Josh was part of the team during the coaching tenure of John Brady.
He wanted to play there for his dad to make him proud. These were his sentiments from the LSU’s paper, The Daily Reveille, in 2005. He knew he wasn’t going to be a major player, but playing where his dad did was a great honor for him.
Pete Maravich, the legendary NCAA scorer, gained renewed attention earlier this year when Caitlin Clark surpassed his record. During his LSU stint, Pistol Pete scored 3,667 points, surpassed by Clark by 284.
Pete died in 1988 at 40 due to an undiagnosed heart condition. Josh was just 5 years old at the time. LSU didn’t disclose Josh’s cause of death. Pistol Pete was picked third in the 1970 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks and became a five-time NBA All-Star.
In 2022, LSU honored “Pistol Pete” with a bronze statue, an idea proposed by Josh and his brother Jaeson. Both Maravich brothers played a role in the statue unveiling, suggesting their father be depicted with his signature behind-the-back pass.
Josh, like his father, played hoops at LSU, though not achieving the same fame, featuring in just 13 games.
Nonetheless, playing at the arena named after his father was a cherished dream. He was happy to just be a walk-on and told LSU that it’s what he always wanted to do. He fulfilled a childhood dream playing in the same arena as his dad.
Josh is survived by his mother, Jackie, stepfather James, and older brother Jaeson.
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