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

Bob Pettit, a dominant force for the St. Louis Hawks and the inaugural recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, has died at the age of 93. His alma mater, LSU, announced his death on Thursday, though a cause was not immediately provided.

Pettit's collegiate career at LSU saw him become an All-American before transitioning to the NBA. He was selected to the All-Star team in each of his 11 professional seasons, all spent with the Hawks. In 1958, he captained the Hawks to their sole NBA championship, defeating the Boston Celtics.

He earned MVP honors again in 1959 and tied an NBA record by winning the All-Star Game MVP award four times, a feat previously matched only by Kobe Bryant.

Pettit played during an era that also featured contemporaries like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, and Elgin Baylor. His career, however, predated the widespread television coverage the NBA would later enjoy, and playing in a smaller market limited his national exposure.

Standing at 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds, Pettit was known for his physical presence at power forward, a position that was not yet commonly defined. He rarely missed games and also played center, recognized as one of the early big men who could play facing the basket.

Pettit was named Rookie of the Year in 1955, the same year the Hawks relocated from Milwaukee to St. Louis. The following season, he led the league in scoring with 25.7 points per game and again topped the league in scoring in 1959 with 29.2 points.

Upon his retirement after the 1964-65 season, Pettit held NBA career records for points with 20,880 and ranked second in rebounds with 12,849. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.

Born Robert Lee Pettit Jr. on December 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he was the son of East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff. Pettit was a late bloomer in basketball, not joining his high school varsity team until his junior year. He led Baton Rouge High School to a state championship and received numerous college offers, ultimately choosing to stay home and play for LSU.

During his three seasons at LSU, he consistently led the Southeastern Conference in scoring. Pettit is one of three LSU players, alongside Pete Maravich and Shaquille O’Neal, to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Statues of Pettit and O’Neal are displayed outside LSU's arena, and both his number 50 (LSU) and 9 (Atlanta Hawks) have been retired by their respective teams.

Pettit's career coincided with a period of intense dominance by the Boston Celtics, preventing him from securing more championships. The Hawks reached the NBA Finals four times, each time facing the Celtics. They lost the 1957 finals in a Game 7 double-overtime thriller, but secured their championship the following year. The Hawks also fell to Boston in the Finals in 1960 and 1961.

Following his basketball career, Pettit returned to Baton Rouge, where he worked in banking and financial consulting. In recent years, he remained a frequent attendee at LSU and New Orleans Pelicans games.