Bob Pettit, the legendary forward who anchored the St. Louis Hawks to an NBA championship and became the league’s first 20,000-point scorer, died on Wednesday at the age of 93.
Pettit’s death marks the passing of one of basketball’s foundational superstars. Drafted second overall by the Milwaukee Hawks in 1954 out of LSU, Pettit quickly captured the league’s attention by winning the 1955 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Following the franchise’s relocation to St. Louis that summer, Pettit cemented his legacy by claiming the NBA’s inaugural Most Valuable Player award in the 1955-56 season, an honor he earned again three years later.
Championship and Scoring Dominance
During his illustrious 11-year career, all spent with the Hawks franchise, Pettit reached four NBA Finals series. Pettit was a fixture of the league’s elite, earning an All-Star selection in every single season he played. He also claimed the NBA scoring title twice, in 1956 and 1959.
Pettit set rebounding benchmarks during the mid-century era that remain notable, securing 26 rebounds in the 1958 All-Star Game and 27 rebounds in the 1962 edition, holding the top two rebounding performances in All-Star Game history. He maintained a career average of over 20 points and 12 rebounds per game across all 11 of his professional seasons, making him the only retired player in NBA history with more than two seasons played to average over 20 points in every single campaign.
Hall of Fame Legacy and Honors
Beyond his scoring and rebounding consistency, Pettit broke the league’s ultimate offensive barrier by becoming the first player in NBA history to cross the 20,000-point threshold. In recognition of his dominance, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Pettit in 1970. He stands alongside Bob Cousy, George Mikan, and Bill Russell as one of only four players named to all four official NBA anniversary teams.
The Hawks honored his contributions by retiring his jersey number 9, a distinction held by only five players in the franchise’s history.