With the NBA celebrating its 75-year anniversary at All-Star Weekend, ESPN released a list of the top 76 players in that time span. Former LSU basketball stars “Pistol” Pete Maravich and Shaquille O’Neal cracked the list, with Maravich coming in at No. 54 and O’Neal at No. 11.
Maravich was an outstanding basketball player in college. In his first game at LSU, he got a triple-double, scoring 50 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists. In three years with the Tigers, Maravich averaged 44.2 points per game. He led the NCAA in scoring all three seasons and won the National Player of the Year Award two times and SEC Player of the Year three times.
He played 11 seasons in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, his NBA career was cut short due to injuries, but Maravich still managed to lead the NBA in scoring with 31.1 points per game during the 1976-77 season. Maravich made four All-NBA honors and was a five-time All-Star.
Meanwhile, O’Neal was a two-time All-American and two-time SEC Player of the Year at LSU. In 1991 he was named AP Player of the Year. O’Neal averaged 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks per game in three years with the Tigers.
O’Neal went on to play 20 seasons and the NBA and won four championships. He was a 15-time All-Star, won the MVP award once, and Finals MVP three times. O’Neal is one of the most dominant players to ever play in the NBA with his size, quickness, and strength.
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