Bob Pettit, the relentless power forward who became the NBA’s first Most Valuable Player and its original 20,000-point scorer, has died at age 93. Louisiana State University announced his passing, noting he died a day prior. Pettit captured two MVP awards, made the All-Star team in all 11 of his professional seasons, and secured the St. Louis Hawks’ lone championship.
Early Life and Rise to Basketball Stardom
Born Robert Lee Pettit Jr. on Dec. 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the future Hall of Famer grew up with a father who served as the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff. Pettit was a self-taught player who practiced on a backyard hoop lit by a bedroom lamp. He didn’t make the Baton Rouge High School varsity squad until his junior year. By his senior season, he led his school to a state championship and drew more than a dozen college offers.
Pettit chose to stay home and play for LSU. Because freshmen were ineligible for varsity competition during that era, he dominated the Southeastern Conference as a sophomore, junior, and senior, leading the conference in scoring all three years. He finished his collegiate career averaging 25.5 points as a sophomore, 24.9 as a junior, and 31.4 as a senior. LSU later retired his No. 50 jersey and placed a bronze statue of him outside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center alongside Shaquille O’Neal.
A Historic NBA Career With the Hawks
The Milwaukee Hawks selected Pettit No. 2 overall in the 1954 NBA draft. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1955 during the franchise’s final season in Milwaukee before the team relocated to St. Louis. Standing 6-foot-9 and weighing 205 pounds, Pettit possessed a physical presence that helped define the power forward position before the term was commonly used in basketball vocabulary. He was one of the early big men who did not play exclusively with his back to the basket, often facing up to shoot jump shots.
Pettit earned the NBA’s inaugural MVP award in 1956 after leading the league in scoring with 25.7 points per game. He claimed a second MVP award in 1959, when he again led the league in scoring with 29.2 points per contest. Throughout his 11-year career, Pettit never missed an All-Star selection and was named MVP of the All-Star Game four times—a feat matched only by Kobe Bryant, per ESPN reports. He retired following the 1964-65 season holding career averages of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game.
Championship Battles Against the Celtics
Pettit’s career coincided with the Boston Celtics’ historic championship dynasty. The St. Louis Hawks advanced to the NBA Finals four times, facing Boston in every single series. In 1957, the Celtics defeated the Hawks in a double-overtime Game 7. The following year, Pettit led the Hawks to their revenge and their franchise’s only title. In the clinching game of the 1958 NBA Finals, Pettit scored 50 points against Boston, handing the Celtics their lone series loss of that decade.
“Probably as fierce a competitor as ever played,” Boston legend Bill Russell said of Pettit, as reported by The Athletic. “He knew what he was doing. As great as he was, he was always better under pressure.” The Hawks and Celtics met in the finals again in 1960 and 1961, with Boston winning both matchups. Despite those series losses, Pettit’s production remained elite against the era’s toughest competition.
Did You Know?
When Bob Pettit retired in 1965, he was the NBA’s all-time career leader in points with 20,880 and ranked second in career rebounds with 12,849. He entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Bob Pettit play in the NBA?
Pettit played 11 seasons in the NBA from 1954 through 1965, spending his entire career with the Hawks franchise in Milwaukee and St. Louis.
How many MVP awards did Bob Pettit win?
Pettit won two regular-season NBA MVP awards, capturing the league’s first-ever honor in 1956 and winning his second in 1959.
What were Bob Pettit’s career averages?
Pettit retired with career averages of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game across 11 professional seasons.