Bob Pettit
Robert E. Lee Pettit Jr. (/ˈpɛtɪt/ PET-it; born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award and he won the award again in 1959. He also won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award four times. As of the end of 2022-2023 regular season, Pettit is still the only regular season MVP in the history of the Hawks. Pettit is the leader for most career rebounds (12,849), and most rebounds per game with 16.2 in Hawks franchise history.
Pettit with the St. Louis Hawks in 1961 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1932 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| College | LSU (1951–1954) |
| NBA draft | 1954: 1st round, 2nd overall pick |
| Selected by the Milwaukee Hawks | |
| Playing career | 1954–1965 |
| Position | Power forward / center |
| Number | 9 |
| Career history | |
| 1954–1965 | Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 20,880 (26.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 12,849 (16.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,369 (3.0 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | |
The first NBA player to score more than 20,000 points, Pettit was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. He is one of four players who was named to all four NBA anniversary teams and one of only two living members as of 2023 with Bob Cousy. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.