American former basketball player and coach (born 1932)
For the baseball player, see Bob Pettit (baseball).
Bob Pettit
Pettit with the St. Louis Hawks in 1961
Personal information
Born
(1932-12-12) December 12, 1932 (age 91) 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
NBA champion (1958)
2× NBA Most Valuable Player (1956, 1959)
11× NBA All-Star (1955–1965)
4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1956, 1958, 1959, 1962)
10× All-NBA First Team (1955–1964)
All-NBA Second Team (1965)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1955)
2× NBA scoring champion (1956, 1959)
NBA rebounding leader (1956)
NBA anniversary team (25th, 35th, 50th, 75th)
No. 9 retired by Atlanta Hawks
Consensus first-team All-American (1954)
Consensus second-team All-American (1953)
No. 50 retired by LSU Tigers
Career NBA statistics
Points[1]
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
Robert E. Lee Pettit Jr. (/ˈpɛtɪt/PET-it; born December 12, 1932)[2] 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.
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.[3][4]
^"Stats at NBA.com". Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
^"Legends profile: Bob Pettit". NBA.com. August 23, 2017. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
^"All-Time #NBArank: Duncan tops list of best power forwards ever". ESPN. January 15, 2016. Archived from the original on June 11, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
^"Top 10 power forwards in NBA history". Fox Sports. October 20, 2016. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
members as of 2023 with Bob Cousy. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time. Robert E. Lee Pettit Jr. was born on December...
first and only NBA Championship. BobPettit scored 50 points in the final game of the series. The following season BobPettit led the Hawks to a Western Division-best...
Magic Johnson and Nikola Jokić each won the award three times, while BobPettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo...
James Harden, George Mikan, Neil Johnston and Bob McAdoo have achieved it three times. Paul Arizin, BobPettit, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy...
title, 110-109. Pettit had scored 50 points, including 18 of the Hawks' final 21 points in propelling the Hawks to the championship. Pettit's 50 points set...
He is also one of only two of these players who is still alive with BobPettit as of 2023 and the older of the two living members. He was also the first...
all 50 members of the 50th anniversary team were included. Bob Cousy, George Mikan, BobPettit, and Bill Russell are the only four players to be named to...
to force the first OT; Bob Cousy hits the game-tying shot with 15 seconds left in the first OT to force the second OT. BobPettit hits the game-winner with...
Stephen Davis Pettit, Sr. (born November 27, 1955) is an American Christian evangelist who served as the fifth president of Bob Jones University from...
Dolph Schayes, Kevin McHale, Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman, Elvin Hayes, BobPettit, Jerry Lucas, Dave Debusschere, and Tim Duncan. "ESPN.com's Greatest Power...
McAdoo was the only former league MVP omitted. Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, George Mikan and BobPettit are the only players who have been named to all four NBA...
appearances as a starter. His four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with BobPettit for the most in NBA history. He gave himself the nickname Black Mamba...
of America (BAA), creating the National Basketball Association (NBA). BobPettit shared the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award with Elgin Baylor...
Felix Center United States Baltimore Bullets Long Island 1 1953 1954–55 BobPettit* Forward/center United States Milwaukee Hawks LSU 2 1954 1955–56 Maurice...
All-Star John Drew and Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, and BobPettit. At the end of the regular season, Embiid was named the NBA scoring champion...
NBA stars have low field goal percentages, such as Bob Cousy at .375, and George Mikan, BobPettit, and Bill Russell, whose career field goal percentages...
Famers Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Sharman, Frank Ramsey, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones, Coach Red Auerbach, BobPettit, Cliff Hagan, Slater Martin...
Global Information
