Cousins injury brings back memories of Pistol, 40 years ago

NEW ORLEANS – The two most significant injuries in New Orleans’ pro basketball history occurred, nearly to the day, 40 years apart.

DeMarcus Cousins’ torn left Achilles in the final seconds of Friday night’s 115-113 victory over the Houston Rockets, a season-ending injury for the playoff-contending Pelicans, brought back memories of Jan. 31, 1978.

On that night in the 2 1/2-year-old Superdome – across the street from the yet-to-be-built arena – the New Orleans Jazz were solidly in contention to reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, sitting in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. (Keep in mind that outside of a one-year success for the ABA’s New Orleans Buccaneers, New Orleans had not experienced any playoff history in ANY sport in 1978.)

The Jazz was on its way to a ninth consecutive victory, wrapping up a Tuesday night triumph over the Buffalo Braves.

With about four minutes left, star guard “Pistol” Pete Maravich reached into his bag of tricks and threw a between-the-legs pass from halfcourt to Aaron James, who made the layup.

It was Maravich’s 15th assist of the night. It would be his last … of the season.

Maravich crumbled to the ground with a knee injury, costing him the rest of the season.

“He got up in the air and clipped himself somehow,” longtime Jazz executive Bill Bertka told USA TODAY last year. “Pete was never the same after that.”

After defeating the Chicago Bulls the next night to extend the winning streak to a franchise-record 10 games and improve its record to 26-24, the Jazz lost its next eight games, including showdowns with the two teams it was battling for the playoffs, Cleveland and Atlanta.

New Orleans finished the season with a 39-43 record, two games out of the playoffs. The Jazz went 26-56 the following year, and by the summer of 1979, ownership had gained approval to move the team to Salt Lake City.

To this day, you can’t help but wonder, what if Maravich stayed healthy? Would the Jazz have reached the playoffs in 1978 – perhaps the following year as well – and remained in New Orleans?