I had the great fortune of shooting some hoops with Pete when I was at B-ball camp the summer before 9th grade and each evening we would watch him and the other NBA and college players scrimmage. There has never been anything like the guy, Bird and Nash included. But, Pete was not a real congenial guy. I don't think he was a happy man. During his time in the NBA, and a few years after, he struggled with alcoholism and depression.

For those of you unaware, Pete died of a heart condition at age 40 while playing in a pickup game. His autopsy showed he was missing the main artery that supplies blood to the left ventricle, (the left anterior descending artery). That he played as long and as hard as he did is a miracle in and of itself. Most people with the anomaly die before age 20.