Steve Nash Is Producing A “Pistol” Pete Maravich Biopic
There haven’t been too many movies made about basketball players. But there are more than a handful of players whose lives would transition well to the big screen, including"Pistol" Pete Maravich, a legendary college ballplayer. Earlier this year NBA playerSteve Nashannounced his retirement from the NBA, ending his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Nash next plans on producing a film based on Maravich.
Learn more about the Pistol Pete biopic after the jump.
Pistol Pete played basketball at Louisiana State University. His father was the team’s coach, and the two had a complicated relationship. During Pistol Pete’s time at LSU, he averaged 44.2 points a game. Even if you don’t really follow the game, you know that’s quite a feat. By the time he left college, Pistol Pete scored a total of 3,667 points.
The Wrapbroke the news of the biopic. Steve Nash had this to say:
As The Wrap points out, Pistol Pete’s career in the NBA was fraught with drama. The player suffered from injuries, personal demons and losses — including a battle with alcoholism and the tragic loss of his mother. Maravich later went on to find God, after once building underground bomb shelters. After reconnecting with his father, the player died when he was only 40 years old.
The film will begin principal photography next year in Louisiana. Nash, who co-directed an episode of ESPN’s fantastic30 for 30series, is producing alongside directorBrett Rapkin. Rapkin recently wrapped shooting on another bio film,Spaceman, the story of Montreal Expos' pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee. The filmmaker was the one to option the rights of Maravich’s life story, and he will also write the screenplay for the biopic.
There’s actually already been a film about Pistol Pete Maravich. It was a 1991 TV movie — which my brother used to make me watch again and again. It’s been years since I’ve seen it, but if this trailer is any indication, Nash and Rapkin aren’t treading over sacred ground by making another film about Maravich.
