Bob Pettit, who made history as the inaugural NBA competitor to surpass the 20,000-point milestone and the initial winner of the league’s Most Valuable Player trophy, passed away on Wednesday at his residence in Metairie, Louisiana, according to an announcement from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was 93 years of age.
“Our father departed this life in peace at his residence in Metairie on Wednesday, September 23,” expressed the Pettit family in a released statement. “He was an extraordinary father, possessing an incredibly kind, modest, and gentle spirit. We feel immensely privileged to have shared our lives with him and his absence will be deeply felt.”
Standing at 6-foot-9, Pettit spent 11 seasons competing in the NBA for the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks, securing selection to the All-Star game in every single campaign. He claimed the All-Star Game MVP title on four occasions, a record shared solely with Kobe Bryant. Additionally recognized as a 10-time All-NBA team member, Pettit captured the league’s MVP honors twice, taking home the inaugural trophy during the 1955-56 season and securing it once more in 1959. Throughout both of his MVP-winning campaigns, he topped the NBA’s scoring charts, posting an average of 25.7 points per game in 1955-56 and raising that mark to 29.2 points per game in 1958-59. He also took home the Rookie of the Year honors in 1955.
Pettit, who guided the Hawks franchise to four trips to the NBA Finals and a league title by defeating the Boston Celtics in 1958, earned spots on the NBA’s 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th-anniversary commemorative teams. Over the span of his professional career, he maintained averages of 26.4 points alongside 16.2 rebounds per contest. His legendary status was cemented with an induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.
Prior to entering the professional ranks as the second overall selection in the 1954 NBA Draft, Pettit enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at LSU, earning three All-SEC selections and two All-American honors. In his final college season of 1953-54, he registered averages of 31.4 points and 17.3 rebounds per matchup while guiding LSU to a conference championship.
His mark of 31.4 points per contest stood as an SEC record until it was eclipsed in 1968 by Pete Maravich, who logged an average of 43.8 points per game during that campaign.
