ged 23.2 ppg, ninth in the league, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Atlanta had finished 48-34 the previous season, winning the Western Division and advancing to the divisional finals. Being in the line-up for the 1970-71season, Maravichs’ Hawks finished 36-46 and in second place in the new Central Division. His following season in 1971-72 Maravich suffered from mononucleosis. He missed sixteen games and averaged a mere 19.3 ppg, a big decline from his standard. Although the team would replicate the previous season’s 36-46 record and once again finish second in the Central Division. As Maravich adjusted to the NBA his numbers improved with the Atlanta Hawks. During the 1972-73 season Maravich averaged 26.1 ppg with a season record of 46-36, the only winning season Maravich experienced in his NBA prime. The upcoming year finished second in the league with 27.7 ppg. After four impressive seasons with the Hawks, in 1974-75 Maravich was traded to the expansion New Orleans Jazz. His first year with the Jazz he only averaged 21.5 ppg and shot a career percentage worst .419. However, Maravich worked diligently on other aspects of his game and recorded career highs in rebounds (422) and steals (120) and averaging a mere 6.2 assists per game. In 1975-76 Maravich was occasionally sidelined with minor injuries, but he shot a career high .459 from the field and raised his average to 25.9 ppg, the third highest in the league at the time. The following season in 1976-77 was Maravich’s finest as a professional. He led the NBA in scoring with an average of 31.1 ppg. He scored 40 or more points thirteen times, the most in the NBA. Maravich missed many games throughout his sixth and seventh seasons due to a combination of surgery in one knee, and a bacterial infection in addition to tendonitis in his other knee. His knee problems were proving to be too tough to overcome. He asked to be released from the Jazz i...
