Description

This is the only recognized rookie card of one of the basketball's great entertainers. Pistol Pete was a crowd favorite. He mesmerized defenders with his incredibly quick hands and could fool just about anyone who stepped onto the court. As a collegiate player, Pete Maravich averaged a record 44.2 points per game, an average that was achieved without the benefit of the three-pointer! He also established records for single season points, career points, field goals and attempts. After a brilliant college career, Maravich went on to play 10 years in the NBA. He was named to the All-Star team for five of those seasons and led the league with 31.1 points per game in 1976-1977. During that season, Maravich scored a career-high 68 points against the New York Knicks. For his career, Maravich averaged 24.2 points per game and, more importantly, changed the game with his dazzling passes and acrobatic moves. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. This card, like the Lew Alcindor rookie, is subject to similar condition obstacles due to its large design and narrow borders, which cause many examples to grade off-center. The 1970 Topps set consists of 175 cards, each 2-1/2” by 4-11/16”. Card fronts bear a color likeness set against a colorful backdrop with a basketball logo at the lower right corner bearing the player’s name, position and team. The set is anchored by Bill Bradley (#7), Wilt Chamberlain (#50), Elgin Baylor (#65), Lew Alcindor (#75), Oscar Robertson (#100), Walt Frazier (#120), Jerry West (#160), and the rookie cards of Pat Riley (#13), Calvin Murphy (#137) and Pete Maravich (#123).Twenty-two cards were short-printed including John Havlicek (#10) and Len Wilkens (#80). The first six cards (#s 1-6) in this set feature the statistical league leaders from the previous season; the final eight (#s 168-175) summarize the previous season's championship playoff series.