Pete Maravich 1974 New Orleans Jazz Warm-Up Jacket

This New Orleans Jazz warm up jacket was worn by Hall of Famer "Pistol" Pete Maravich during 1974-75 season. On the inside bottom left of the jacket, behind the snaps, is the "Sand-Knit" label with the size "44." Next to this a patch with the player number "44" done in black computer print. Maravich wore number 44 only during his first year with the New Orleans Jazz before changing to number “7.” In the neck of the jacket is the "Sand-Knit" exclusive label. Across the front of the jacket is the name "Jazz" and on the back is a white nameplate with the name "Pistol." The nameplate has been attached with velcro. All the letters are made of purple tackle twill. The NBA came to the city of New Orleans for the first time in 1974. However, it was not the first professional basketball entry into the Crescent City as they had a team called the Buccaneers in the ABA from 1967-1970. The NBA team known as the Jazz hoped to hit a sweet note with fans by acquiring Maravich from the Atlanta Hawks. A star in college at Louisiana State, Maravich was a bonafide showman. He wore a signature pair of floppy good-luck sweat socks that always appeared to need washing. He shot the ball from anywhere and everywhere. He never made a simple pass when he could make an entertaining one, so his assists regularly came from behind the back or through the legs. Though the Jazz got off to a rocky start that season, they were blessed with a player who emerge as one of the great legends in the history of the game, named one of the NBA's Fifty Greatest Players of all time in 1996. LOAs from MEARS (A10) and Grey Flannel.