Sports
Caitlin Clark mirrors ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich in more ways than one
Jaeson Maravich was visiting his mom Jackie in Covington, Louisiana, near New Orleans during the Final Four last year.
“Jaeson,” she called to him from the living room. “You need to see this girl play.”
Jackie apparently has an eye for basketball. She met Pistol Pete Maravich at LSU in the late 1960s and married him in 1976 when he was an NBA star – just 12 years before he died of an undetected heart defect while playing pick-up basketball at age 40.
What Jaeson, who was 9 when his dad died, saw on television last spring was shocking – some sort of a long lost relative in more ways than one.
Caitlin Clark Immediately Impressed Pete Maravich’s Son Jaeson
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes warms up before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on February 11, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
“I was really impressed right off. She’s the real deal,” Maravich told OutKick last week. “And she looks like she could be a cousin or something. There is definitely a resemblance to my dad – the lanky build and real dark eyes. She shoots from 30 or 35 feet like he did, and she passes the ball like a magician. Not as flashy, but a real good ball handler, too. And no one could guard her.”
Jackie and Jaeson Maravich saw on ESPN that Friday night, March 31, was what much of the nation saw. An average of 5.5 million watched, which was the most viewers for a college basketball game on ESPN – men or women – since the Duke-North Carolina men’s game in 2008.
What the Maraviches saw was skinny, lanky, point guard Caitlin Clark of No. 2 Iowa score 41 points with eight assists and six rebounds to upset No. 1 and 36-0 South Carolina, 77-73, in a national semifinal at the Final Four in Dallas. Clark became the first player in women’s NCAA Tournament history to score 40 points or more in back-to-back games and just the second player to score 40 or more in a Final Four game.
Maravich averaged an NCAA record 44.2 points a game in his three-year college career from 1967-70 when freshmen were not eligible. And there was no 3-point shot.
“I don’t keep up with women’s basketball, so I was like, ‘Who is this?’ I mean, she was hitting from 30 feet,” Jaeson Maravich said. “She can stop on a dime from 25 or 30 feet. She’s very unpredictable. She has great composure and confidence and really is an all-around player like dad.”
Maravich’s career shooting percentage was .438. Clark’s is .465.
And Clark, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, who is not related to the Maravich family, is just 51 points away from breaking Maravich’s NCAA career scoring record of 3,667 points. The senior point guard scored 24 with 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 101-85 win over Illinois Sunday. She is at 3,617 points now in her four-year college career.
No. 4 Iowa (24-4, 13-3 Big Ten) plays at Minnesota (15-12, 5-11 Big Ten) on Wednesday (9 p.m., Peacock) before hosting No. 2 Ohio State (23-3, 14-1 Big Ten) on Sunday (1 p.m., FOX). She averages 32 points a game this season and hit a career-high 49 on Feb. 15 against Michigan when she broke the NCAA women’s career scoring record.
Maravich played in only 83 games in his college career. Clark has played in 128 with two regular season games to go, potentially three in the Big Ten Tournament and six in the NCAA Tournament. Clark could stay at Iowa for a fifth season in 2024-25 because of the extra-year rule from COVID in 2020 when she was a freshman.
JAY WILLIAMS TELLS CRITICS TO ‘PLEASE STOP WITH ALL THIS RACE BAITING S—‘ OVER CAITLIN CLARK HOT TAKE
Caitlin Clark Leads Nation In Scoring, Assists, 3-Pointers
Maravich also holds the NCAA record for most career games of 50 points or more with 28. Clark leads the nation in scoring (32.4 points a game), in assists (8.5 a game) and in 3-pointers (5.3 a game).
Since Maravich shot so often from beyond the 3-point line without knowing it, it has been estimated that he would have scored more than 4,500 points in his career. Throw in the 771 he scored as a freshman in 1966-67, and he would have 5,271 points. And that’s excluding however many 3-pointers he would have had his freshman year.
“It’s two different records,” Maravich said. “But I’m happy for her. She’s a great player and deserves whatever she gets. She is a good person, and it’s a great thing for the younger generation. It’s cool how they have similar games.”
People often do not realize that Maravich was a big guard at 6-foot-5 who averaged 6.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game at LSU. Clark, a taller guard in the women’s game as well at 6-0, has averaged 7.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists a game in her career.
Pete Maravich and Caitlin Clark. (Getty Images)
And they have similar angular, thin faces.
“It’s funny how they look alike,” Maravich said.
While Maravich was known for his floppy hair and socks, Clark has been called “Ponytail Pete.”
“I saw somebody called me ‘Ponytail Pete.’ I thought that was kind of funny,” Clark said at the Final Four last year. “I think just a tremendous compliment. I am familiar with his game. I’ve seen a lot of his highlights. I take a lot of pride in being able to do a lot of different things for my team. I think the passing can get overlooked at times.”
Ironically, it was LSU that ended Clark’s and Iowa’s season last year in the national championship game – 102-85.
Pete Maravich Made The ‘Final Four’ In 1970
Maravich and LSU also made the Final Four in 1970. The prestigious National Invitation Tournament Final Four at the time, that is, at Madison Square Garden in New York with Army, St. John’s and eventual champion Marquette, which beat LSU in the semi and St. John’s for the title.
Much like Maravich did throughout the Southeastern Conference, Clark is selling out road arenas as often as the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
Both are iconic Americana. During particularly spectacular games, road fans would cheer for Maravich. The same thing has happened for Clark this season throughout the Big Ten.
Maravich never won a national championship or an NBA title. But he has been lauded for decades as one of the greatest players in history – if not the greatest. Clark may not win a national title, either, but her legacy already seems secure by many.
“He’d make up shots in the air,” Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson said of Maravich. “The no-look passes, dribble the ball, then pat it with one hand and pass. That’s where I got that from. He was the greatest. He changed the game. He was before his time. He did what I did long before I did.”
Caitlin Clark Is A ‘Cultural Phenomenon’ As Was Pete Maravich
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes looks on against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena on January 31, 2024 in Evanston, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Former Duke star and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas put Clark on Maravich’s level.
“She’s a cultural phenomenon unlike anything we’ve ever seen in basketball in my view,” he said on a recent ESPN college basketball GameDay. “And it goes beyond the scoring record. She’s not elevated the women’s game. She’s elevated the game. In that regard, we will not see her like again, in my judgment.”
Maravich is believed to have pushed young boys to basketball courts around the country in the 1960s, ‘70s and ’80s like no other player.
“Can you imagine the young girls who are looking at Clark right now and dreaming in a way that they’ve never dreamed before about the game?,” Bilas said.
A popular Clark comparison is to Golden State’s Steph Curry.
“I don’t compare her to Steph Curry,” ESPN GameDay’s Seth Greenberg said. “I compare her to Pistol Pete Maravich. Her passing, her basketball IQ. Like Maravich, she makes it easier for everyone else on the floor. Like Pete, she sees plays before they happen.”
Clark has already seen herself breaking Maravich’s record.
Caitlin Clark Dreams Big
“Before every game, I try to take time and just visualize what I want to happen in the game,” she said recently on ESPN. “I’m somebody who has really big dreams and aspirations.”
So too did Maravich.
“Love never fails. Character never quits,” he said. “And with patience and persistence, dreams do come true.”
But they are two different records.
“She’s a fantastic player – maybe the best women’s player ever,” said Bob Remy, who was the official scorekeeper for every New Orleans Jazz home game Maravich played in from 1974-79. “She’s a better passer than shooter, which is how Pete was. He was a better scorer than he was a shooter, too. He was a showman. She puts on a show. And I hope she gets it. The only way I could be upset is if they consider that breaking Pete’s record. Different times. Different game. No 3-pointer when he played.”
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Russell Wilson has had his share of ups and downs in his NFL career.
He helped the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. But the last few years of his career arguably did some damage to his legacy as he’s spent the last three seasons with three different teams.
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New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Wilson is still on the free-agent market as he looks to latch on to a new team for 2026. However, former NFL star Aqib Talib implored Wilson to hang up the cleats.
“Do your TV thing, Russ. It’s over with, man. Once you’ve got to decide, do I even want to play?” Talib said on “The Arena: Gridiron.” “I think you don’t really want to play. I hate when guys get to the later part of their career and then they start doing the bounce-around thing and they’re not going to win. There was no chip in New York. That’s just going to be another stop on your resume.”
Wilson reportedly garnered some interest from NFL teams.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson stands on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
He told the New York Post that the New York Jets were one of them.
Wilson also was reportedly a candidate to take Matt Ryan’s spot on CBS’ “The NFL Today” after Ryan left to take a front office job with the Atlanta Falcons.
Wilson has 46,966 passing yards and 353 passing touchdowns in 205 career games, but the 2025 season with the New York Giants was one to forget.
Wilson started three games and made some bizarre decisions in a loss against the Chiefs. Jaxson Dart was named the starting quarterback. As he came in to take a few snaps while Dart was being checked for a concussion, Wilson was booed.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
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Should he end up signing with another team, Wilson will be entering his age-38 season.
A lot has changed since Jacori Perry attended Morningside High School.
Perry is now a renowned artist who goes by the names Mr. Ace and AiseBorn.
The school is now known as Inglewood High School United.
And the lecture hall on that campus now features a large, ornate mural of a soccer ball being grasped by the hands of two people — freshly painted by the 2004 Morningside graduate as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup games at SoFi Stadium starting next month.
Local artist Mr. Ace works on his mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11. The artists, whose real name is Jacori Perry, attended the school when it was known as Morningside High more than two decades ago.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
“If you told me that I would be back here painting one of the walls on this campus when I was in high school, I don’t think that I necessarily would have foreseen it,” Mr. Ace said as he was putting the finishing touches on his mural last week. “So I’m a little in amazement about just the way life works in that sense.”
He was one of several Los Angeles-based artists to participate in a Road to World Cup Community Day last month at Inglewood High United. Many of the artists — including Juan Pablo Reyes (“JP murals”), Michelle Ruby Guerrero (“Mr. B Baby”) and Angel Acordagoitia — sketched designs on portable panels (12-feet by 8-feet) and picnic tables for community members to paint.
The picnic tables will remain at the high school in front of Mr. Ace’s mural. The mobile murals will be placed throughout LAX to welcome visitors arriving for the World Cup.
Kathryn Schloessman, CEO of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee, said in a news release that the event was “just one example of how the energy of the World Cup can be felt in neighborhoods across our region.”
“Students, artists, and volunteers came together to create a work of art that will live on well beyond the end of the tournament,” Schloessman said. “It’s a reflection of the creativity, diversity, and community pride that makes our region so special as we prepare to host the world for FIFA World Cup 2026.”
Community members were encouraged to take part in the painting process, no matter their skill level.
“We made it easy enough for people that have zero experience to a proficient level of experience, for them to all be involved,” said Reyes, who designed and helped paint two mural panels and three tables. “We did the sketch, and then I tried to dab a little bit of color — whatever color is supposed to be there, I dabbed a little bit of color right there, so they would have a guide. …
Students and community members help paint a mural panel during a Road to World Cup Community Day event May 2 at Inglewood High School.
(Dawn M. Burkes / Los Angeles Times)
“I was right there, kind of supervising, making sure that everything went as planned. And if anybody has questions, they’re more than welcome to let me know about them. But, yeah, it’s pretty easy for them to kind of be involved and feel that sense of ownership and have a sense of pride that, ‘Yeah, I was part of that mural-creation process.’ It’s a rich experience for them.”
Acordagoitia sketched several table-top designs for the public to paint at the event.
“They did great,” he said of the community members. “They helped a lot. They were asking questions. They got all the other colors correct. So, yeah, they were excited. A lot of kids were excited to see the live painting, because now kids are used to being on their phones. So that was a great experience for them.”
Acordagoitia also opted to paint a mural panel on his own because “it was a little more technical,” involving portraits of his 8-year-old son, a nephew and a friend.
“I wanted to focus more on the youth because that’s really our future,” he said. “So that’s, that’s the main thing about the mural, just about the kids, soccer, culture, community. It’s exciting for me, because I grew up playing soccer and to include soccer with art, it’s just a dream come true.”
Guerrero said “the community was a big help in filling in all the background colors that I need in order to build the detail and layers” on the two mural panels she designed.
“My whole style is based on culture. And I think that there’s a connection there with the World Cup and how I feel like it brings together all the culture and just, like, celebration,” Guerrero said. “It kind of goes hand in hand with the type of work I do, because my stuff is really festive, celebrating culture. And just as an L.A.-based artist, I think the collaboration made sense.”
The four artists also took part in another Road to World Cup Community Day in downtown L.A. at Gloria Molina Grand Park on March 14. At that event, the artists sketched designs on large sculptures shaped like soccer balls and an oversized picnic table, also for community members to paint.
While Mr. Ace opted to paint his permanent mural at Inglewood High School United on his own, he was sure to include the community theme into his work.
“The idea was really centered around just creating something that was community-based — something that represented the World Cup but also represented some sense of community,” he said. “And so what I did was try to create something that was symbolic, very direct in terms of its relationship to soccer and figuring out through that how to create something simple that [brings] into that a sense of community. And that’s how I landed on the two hands holding the soccer ball.”
Local artist Mr. Ace works on his World Cup-themed mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Back when he was a student on that campus, Mr. Ace said he was always involved in art and knew he wanted a career as an artist. He struggled to come up with the right words to describe how it felt being back there creating a work of art to be shared with the students, all of the community and everyone who happens to see it on the way to a World Cup match.
“I guess there’s no words to really describe it,” he said. “I think if any artist gets the opportunity to paint at their own high school — especially if they’ve been doing large-scale works around the city, the country or the world — I think that is a little touching. When it’s attached to something like the World Cup … you know, a large part of my childhood was spent in Inglewood, so coming from my circumstances and life, I think it’s even more intriguing.”
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The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win.
It certainly is in the eye of the beholder.
So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer.
We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022)
After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner.
9. Foyt survives chaos (1967)
How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win.
8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012)
This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag.
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