Pete Maravich
With his creative ball-handling, flashy passes and ability to score from anywhere, “Pistol” Pete Maravich was cited by the James Naismith Hall of Fame to be “Perhaps the greatest offensive talent in history”. Forced out of the league in 1980 by injuries, Maravich died doing what loved – his last words were “I feel great”, less than a minute before his death from a heart failure on January 5 1988 during a pick-up game at church gym in Pasadea, California. His merchandise is some of the most valuable in existence – a game-worn LSU jersey sold for $94,300 at a Grey Flannel auction in 2001, while a signed ball from his 1977 68-point game sold for $131,450 at a Heritage auction.
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