“If you don’t entertain them, they’re not gonna come back” - Pete Maravich explains why he played for the fans rather than winning championships
For many players in the NBA, winning a championship is their primary goal. Considering how much publicity surrounds professional sports nowadays, some fans feel that your career isn't all that impressive if you don't win a title.
Back in the old school days, though, that wasn't necessarily true. Sports didn't draw as much attention, and players simply wanted fans to come to games on a nightly basis. With that in mind, Pete Maravich explained why he often played for the fans more so than he played for a title.
Pete Maravich on why it was so important to play for the fans
Maravich wasn't in the NBA long, playing just ten seasons in the league, but he was dominant during his peak, and that helped him earn his place in the Hall of Fame. While Maravich accomplished a lot, he didn't end up winning a championship in his career.
While some fans may use that to take away from Maravich's accomplishments, he doesn't view it in that negative light. Instead, "Pistol Pete" noted that he went out to play to keep the fans entertained, and at the end of the day, that's what he was able to do.
"When people asked me 'Why do you play? Who do you play for?' I said 'I play for the fans,'" Pete Maravich said per The Universe Galaxy NBA. "'But you don't play to win?' I said, 'That's ludicrous, of course I play to win.' But I play for those people out there to entertain them because if you don't entertain them, they're not gonna come back. I understood that when I was seven years old."
Pete Maravich's comments highlight how different the NBA once was
Maravich's mentality may not make much sense, and he explained that while he still played to win, it wasn't necessarily his primary goal. But during this period in the NBA, winning wasn't the only thing players attempted to do.
The NBA wasn't always the superpower basketball league that it once was, and they depended on their fan base to keep the league and the teams afloat. Maravich knew he had to go out and put on a show, so he did, even if it came at the cost of winning.
Maravich was one of the best players in the league during his time in it, but he never translated his strong play into postseason success, winning only one playoff series during his career. Maybe this helps explain why this was the case.
However, everyone measures success differently regarding their NBA careers, and Maravich had his own goals that he set out to accomplish. And while he may not have won a title, it's clear as day that he managed to entertain fans every single time he took the floor.
