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25 September 2026 · 0 views

Bob Pettit Dies at 93: NBA's First MVP and Hawks Legend

Remembering Bob Pettit: The NBA’s First MVP and All-Time Great Passes Away at 93

NBA Legend Bob Pettit Passes Away at 93

Bob Pettit, the foundational superstar who served as the prototype for the modern basketball forward, has passed away at the age of 93.

Pettit was the first recipient of the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 1956. Across an 11-year career spent entirely with the Milwaukee and St. Louis Hawks franchise, Pettit established benchmarks for scoring, rebounding, and postseason execution. A two-time league MVP, two-time scoring champion, and 1958 NBA champion, Pettit redefined the power forward position by demonstrating that frontcourt players could score from the perimeter, draw fouls consistently, and dominate the glass.

Making History: The NBA’s First Most Valuable Player (1956)

Prior to the 1955–56 season, the National Basketball Association did not award an official regular-season MVP trophy. The league inaugurated the honor to recognize individual dominance paired with team success.

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|               Bob Pettit: 1955–56 MVP Season                |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Metric               | Stat (Rank in NBA)                   |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Points Per Game      | 25.7 (1st)                           |
| Rebounds Per Game    | 16.2 (1st)                           |
| Total Points         | 1,849 (1st)                          |
| Total Free Throws    | 567 (1st)                            |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+

During that 1955–56 campaign, Pettit dominated the statistical landscape:

  • Led the NBA in scoring at 25.7 points per game.
  • Led the league in rebounding with 16.2 rebounds per game.
  • Guided the St. Louis Hawks to a 33–39 record and a playoff berth in their first season after relocating from Milwaukee.

Pettit captured a second NBA MVP award in 1959 after recording 29.2 points and 16.4 rebounds per game, cementing his status among the elite multi-time winners in league history.

The 1958 NBA Championship: Toppling the Boston Dynasty

Between 1957 and 1969, the Boston Celtics—coached by Red Auerbach and anchored by Bill Russell—won 11 of 12 NBA titles. The sole postseason series defeat suffered by that dynasty occurred in the 1958 NBA Finals against Pettit’s St. Louis Hawks.

The Historic 50-Point Game 6

On April 12, 1958, at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri, Pettit delivered one of the greatest performances in postseason history in Game 6 of the Finals.

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                 1958 Finals, Game 6 Summary                 |
+-----------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Final Score           | St. Louis Hawks 110, Boston Celtics 109 |
| Pettit Points         | 50 (Hawks Finals record)            |
| Pettit 4th Qtr Output | 19 of team's final 21 points        |
| Series Result         | Hawks win 4–2                       |
+-----------------------+-------------------------------------+

Pettit scored 50 of the Hawks’ 110 points. Down the stretch in the fourth quarter, he scored 19 of the team’s final 21 points, capped by a tip-in with 15 seconds remaining to secure a 110–109 victory and the NBA title.

The St. Louis Hawks Rivalry with the Celtics

The Hawks and Celtics met in the NBA Finals four times in five seasons:

  1. 1957 Finals: Boston defeated St. Louis in double overtime in Game 7 (125–123).
  2. 1958 Finals: St. Louis defeated Boston in six games (4–2).
  3. 1960 Finals: Boston defeated St. Louis in seven games (4–3).
  4. 1961 Finals: Boston defeated St. Louis in five games (4–1).

Pettit’s battles against Bill Russell served as the premier individual rivalry of the late 1950s and early 1960s, elevating national interest and playoff intensity.

Redefining the Modern Power Forward

           BOB PETTIT: TACTICAL PROFILE
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ • Height: 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)                      │
│ • Weight: 220 lb (100 kg)                         │
│ • Inside Scoring: Turnaround hook, putbacks       │
│ • Perimeter: 15–20 ft face-up jumper              │
│ • Rebounding: Relentless positioning, 16.2 career │
│ • Foul Generation: 8,119 career FTA (76.1% FT)    │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Inside-Out Scoring Ability

Before Pettit entered the league, frontcourt players were primarily restricted to interior post duties, screening, and rim protection. Pettit modernized the position:

  • Face-Up Game: Leveraged a quick first step and a reliable mid-range jump shot extending out to 20 feet.
  • Free-Throw Generation: Consistently drew contact at the rim, attempting 8,119 free throws across 792 career games (10.3 attempts per game).
  • Efficiency: Maintained a 76.1% career free-throw percentage, outstanding for a frontcourt player of his era.

Elite Rebounding Engine

Pettit combined scoring versatility with dominant rebounding metrics:

  • Career Rebounds: 12,849 total rebounds over 11 seasons.
  • Rebounding Average: 16.2 rebounds per game, ranking third in NBA history behind only Wilt Chamberlain (22.9) and Bill Russell (22.5).
  • Consistency: Never averaged fewer than 12.4 rebounds per game in any season, peaking at 20.3 per contest in 1960–61.

From Baton Rouge to the Pros: Pettit’s LSU Legacy

Robert Lee Pettit Jr. was born on December 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He initially failed to make the varsity team at Baton Rouge High School as a freshman and sophomore before experiencing a growth spurt, refining his mechanics, and leading the school to its first state title in more than two decades.

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|               Bob Pettit: LSU Collegiate Record             |
+------------------------------------+------------------------+
| Metric                             | Value                  |
+------------------------------------+------------------------+
| Seasons                            | 1951–1954 (3 varsity)  |
| Points Per Game                    | 27.4                   |
| Rebounds Per Game                  | 14.8                   |
| SEC Championships                  | 1953, 1954             |
| NCAA Final Four Appearance         | 1953                   |
+------------------------------------+------------------------+
  • Collegiate Honors: Three-time All-SEC selection and two-time consensus All-American.
  • 1953 Final Four: Led LSU to the national semifinals, averaging 24.9 points per game that season.
  • Draft Selection: Selected No. 2 overall in the 1954 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Hawks.
  • 1954–55 Rookie of the Year: Recorded 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game in his debut campaign.

Career Milestones and Honors

Pettit retired in 1965 at age 32, becoming the first player in NBA history to surpass 20,000 career points.

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                 Career Achievements Summary                 |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Category             | Honors / Totals                      |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Total Points         | 20,880 (26.4 PPG)                    |
| Total Rebounds       | 12,849 (16.2 RPG)                    |
| NBA Championships    | 1 (1958)                             |
| Regular Season MVPs  | 2 (1956, 1959)                       |
| All-Star Selections  | 11 (1955–1965, every season)         |
| All-Star Game MVPs   | 4 (1956, 1958, 1959, 1962)           |
| All-NBA First Team   | 10 Consecutive (1955–1964)           |
| All-NBA Second Team  | 1 (1965)                             |
| Scoring Titles       | 2 (1956, 1959)                       |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+

Major Honors

  • Hall of Fame: Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.
  • Anniversary Teams: Named to the NBA 25th (1971), 35th (1980), 50th (1996), and 75th (2021) Anniversary Teams.
  • Jersey Retirements: No. 9 retired by the Atlanta Hawks; No. 50 retired by the LSU Tigers.

Legacy and Impact on Modern Basketball

Pettit’s tactical contributions shaped the development of the power forward position:

  • Positional Prototype: Established the template for high-scoring, versatile power forwards such as Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett.
  • Post-Playing Career: Built a long career in the banking sector in Louisiana while serving as a long-time ambassador for the NBA and LSU athletics.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bob Pettit

Who was Bob Pettit?

Bob Pettit was an American professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the NBA (1954–1965) for the Milwaukee and St. Louis Hawks. He was an 11-time All-Star, two-time MVP, and one of the highest-scoring forwards in league history.

When did Bob Pettit win the first NBA MVP award?

Pettit won the inaugural NBA MVP award for the 1955–56 season after averaging 25.7 points and 16.2 rebounds per game.

Which teams did Bob Pettit play for during his NBA career?

Pettit played his entire career for the Hawks franchise: the Milwaukee Hawks (1954–1955) and the St. Louis Hawks (1955–1965).

What were Bob Pettit’s career averages?

Across 792 regular-season games, Pettit averaged 26.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 43.6% from the field and 76.1% from the free-throw line.

Did Bob Pettit win an NBA Championship?

Yes. Pettit won the 1958 NBA Championship with the St. Louis Hawks, defeating the Boston Celtics 4–2 and scoring 50 points in the series-clinching Game 6.

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