Bob Pettit, NBA's Inaugural MVP and Scoring Leader, Dies at 93
The Hall of Famer, who led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship, passed away Thursday.
The basketball world is mourning the loss of Bob Pettit, the NBA's first Most Valuable Player, who died at the age of 93. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame confirmed the news on Thursday afternoon, releasing a statement honoring his significant contributions to the game.
Pettit, a skilled and dominant forward, was an 11-time NBA All-Star and a two-time MVP during his career. He retired as the league's all-time leading scorer and left an indelible mark on professional basketball. He guided the St. Louis Hawks to their only NBA championship in 1958, defeating the Boston Celtics in the finals.
Pettit was selected as the No. 2 overall pick by the Milwaukee Hawks in the 1954 draft and quickly made an impact, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1955. In 1956, he became the first player to win the NBA MVP award, and he secured the honor for a second time in 1959.
He played his entire 11-year career with the Hawks franchise, which moved from Milwaukee to St. Louis. Pettit was selected to the All-Star team in every season he played.
Pettit retired in 1965, having become the first player in NBA history to surpass 20,000 career points in November 1964. Over his 792 career games, he averaged 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game, the third-highest career rebounding average in league history.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. Pettit was also recognized as part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 and is one of only four players to have been selected for all four NBA anniversary teams: 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th.