Pete Maravich and Darrel Campbell, Heir to a Dream

This little book is an autobiography (with some help) by one of college basketball's greatest players ever. Pistol Pete Maravich helped to transform the game into today's fast-paced run-and-gun style, and beyond his playmaking abilities, he was an almost unparalleled shooter. His college points records still stand. He averaged over 44 points per game in his college career, and the next closest player is still only at 34 points per game. That's domination.

But this book is about so much more than basketball. Maravich starts with his dad, recounting his discovery of basketball when it was still a young game, and his growing love for the sport, first as a player but then even more as a coach. When he had a son, it only seemed natural to teach him this same love for the game, and thus, Pete's obsession with basketball was born. He haunted the high school and college courts where his dad coached, and ultimately played for his dad at LSU, where they both shined. But Maravich recounts how his life off the court was one of recklessness and irresponsibility. He shunned the idea of being a role model, and his drinking and partying was a constant problem, even costing LSU a shot at the NIT championship when Pete stayed up the whole night before a big game partying.

Pete's despair continued as he played in the NBA, first for Atlanta, then for the New Orleans Jazz (who later moved to Utah; the name made so much more sense in Louisiana!), and last for the Boston Celtics. His whole life was basketball. He lived and breathed it, always in search of a championship. But a championship was never to be. Instead, he spent his professional career butting heads with his teammates, always seeking acceptance and adulation that never seemed to come. In the end, he walked away after the preseason of his second season with the Celtics, feeling like he wasn't getting enough playing time and appreciation--the team went on to win the championship that year.

Basketball had been pretty much all Pete knew or cared about. His marriage to Jackie, who wasn't a basketball fan, kept him grounded to at least some limited extent, but once he left the game, he realized that it had been pretty much all he had. This began an important search for him, to discover what life is really all about, because it certainly wasn't basketball. It was then, into this emptiness and helplessness, that someone spoke about Christ. Maravich came to accept Jesus into his life, and was overwhelmed by the purpose and hope that is found in realizing that you aren't the center of the universe and of discovering life's true purpose and meaning.

This simple little book made a great story about basketball, but also proves a nice refreshing reminder of the beauty and coherence and joy that come with knowing Jesus Christ. For me, it is something I too often take for granted, but it is always nice to be reminded about the joy of salvation and the peace that it brings.