Bob Pettit, First NBA MVP and Hawks Star, Dies at 93

Bob Pettit, an imposing scorer and rebounder for the St. Louis Hawks and the NBA’s first Most Valuable Player in 1956, has died at the age of 93. Pettit's alma mater, LSU, announced his death on Thursday. A cause of death was not immediately provided.

Pettit was an All-American at LSU before embarking on an NBA career where he was an All-Star for all 11 of his seasons, exclusively with the Hawks. He guided the team to their sole championship in 1958, defeating the Boston Celtics. He also earned MVP honors in 1959 and was the NBA All-Star Game MVP four times, a feat matched only by Kobe Bryant.

He was a prominent figure during an era that also featured stars like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, and Elgin Baylor. Pettit was a physical presence at power forward at 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds, playing before the position was commonly defined. He was known for his durability and was one of the first dominant big men to consistently play facing the basket.

Pettit was the Rookie of the Year in 1955, his last season before the Hawks moved from Milwaukee to St. Louis. The following season, he led the league in scoring with 25.7 points per game en route to his first MVP award. He again led the league in scoring in 1959 with 29.2 points per game.

Upon retiring after the 1964-65 season, Pettit held career averages of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds. At the time of his retirement, he was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 20,880 points and second in rebounds with 12,849. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Pettit was a late bloomer in basketball, not making his high school varsity team until his junior year. He led LSU to a conference championship and received numerous college offers before choosing to stay home. He led the Southeastern Conference in scoring for all three of his seasons at LSU. He is one of only three LSU players, alongside Pete Maravich and Shaquille O’Neal, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Pettit’s career coincided with a dominant run by the Boston Celtics, and the Hawks faced them in the NBA Finals four times during his tenure. They lost to the Celtics in the finals in 1957 (in double overtime Game 7), 1960, and 1961, but secured their championship victory in 1958.

After retiring from basketball, Pettit returned to Baton Rouge, where he worked in banking and financial consulting. He remained a regular presence at LSU and New Orleans Pelicans games in recent years.