Bob Pettit

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Lore & Background

Robert Lee Pettit Jr. was born on December 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His father was from Denver and played basketball at Westminster College. His mother was from Mississippi. Pettit's basketball career had humble beginnings, as at Baton Rouge High School, he was cut from the varsity basketball team as both a freshman and sophomore. He played church league basketball as a sophomore and grew five inches in less than a year. His father, sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish (1932–1936), pushed him to practice in the backyard of the Kemmerly house until he improved his skills. It worked: Pettit became a starter and made the All-City prep team as a junior. As a 6-7 senior, he led Baton Rouge High to its first state championship in over 20 years. Pettit was then selected to play in a North–South all-star game at Murray, Kentucky. After high school, Pettit had scholarship offers from 14 universities and accepted a scholarship to play at nearby Louisiana State University (LSU). He was a three-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and a two-time All-American as a member of the LSU men's basketball team. (Freshmen were not allowed to play varsity basketball in those days.) During those three years, Pettit averaged 27.8 points per game. He was also a member of the Zeta Zeta chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon at LSU. Pettit made his varsity debut at LSU in 1952. He led the SEC in scoring for his first of three consecutive seasons, averaging 25.5 points per game. He ranked third in the nation in scoring and also averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, helping his team to a 17–7 win–loss record for a second-place finish in the league, and was selected to the All-SEC team. During his junior year, Pettit helped the Tigers sail through a 23-game regular-season schedule with only one loss (to Tulsa). A clean sweep of SEC Conference opponents became LSU's second SEC Title (their first came in 1935) and the school's first NCAA Final Four. He averaged 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the 1953 season. He was honored with selections to both the All-SEC and All-American teams. Pettit averaged 31.4 points and 17.3 rebounds per game during his senior year and once again led LSU to an SEC Championship and garnered All-SEC and All-American honors. He set a then-SEC scoring record of 60 points against Louisiana College in his second game, and also the SEC record for scoring

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Pettit's career came in Game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals. With the Hawks leading the series 3-2 against the Boston Celtics, Pettit delivered a performance for the ages. He scored a then-playoff record 50 points, powering the Hawks to a 110-109 victory and the franchise's first NBA Championship. This was the culmination of a season where he averaged 24.6 points and 17.4 rebounds per game and earned All-Star Game MVP honors with a 28-point, 26-rebound performance. The championship was a redemption of sorts, as the Hawks had lost to the Celtics in seven games the previous year despite Pettit's 39 points and 19 rebounds in the deciding Game 7. His 50-point close-out game remains one of the most iconic individual performances in Finals history.

Reader's Guide

In 1954, the Milwaukee Hawks selected Pettit second in the first round of the NBA draft after the Baltimore Bullets' selection of Frank Selvy. Pettit was initially reluctant to sign with the team before his third cousin, fellow NBA player Frank Brian, convinced him to do so. With $100 in the bank, he signed a contract with Hawks owner Ben Kerner for $11,000 – an all-time high for an NBA rookie then. Pettit's awkward ballhandling and a lack of strength to battle NBA bruisers weighing 200 pounds that early in his career, had Hawks coach Red Holzman move him from center, his position at LSU, to forward in his first training camp. 'In college I played the standing pivot', he said in an April 1957 SPORT magazine interview. 'My back was to the basket. In the pros, I'm always outside. Everything I do is facing the basket now. That was my chief difficulty in adjusting, the fact that I had never played forward before.' Though many were skeptical about Pettit making the transition from college to the rough-and-tumble NBA, in 1955 he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. He became the second rookie to win all-NBA honors but the team finished last in the Western Division. After the season, the Hawks moved to St. Louis. He helped the Hawks improve during their first year in St. Louis by winning 33 games during 1955–56. In his second season, Pettit adjusted his game so that he would get to the free-throw line for easy points for his team and foul trouble for his opponents. Being a phenomenal offensive rebounder and an instinctive scorer, he told basketball historian Terry Pluto that 'Offensive rebounds were worth eight to 12 points a night to me. Then I'd get another eight to 10 at the free-throw line. All I had to do was make a few jump shots and I was on my way to a good night.' Pettit won his first scoring title with a 25.7 average, and led the league in rebounding (1164 for a 16.2 average). He was also named MVP of the 1956 NBA All-Star Game after scoring 20 points with 24 rebounds and 7 assists; he would win subsequent MVP All-Star Game honors in 1958, 1959, and 1962. He also won his first of two NBA regular season MVP awards (the other was in 1959). Retooling before the 1956–57 season, the Hawks acquired Ed Macauley and rookie Cliff Hagan from the Boston Celtics for the draft rights to Bill Russell. The team add

Did You Know?

• Bob Pettit was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award in 1956.
• He is the Hawks' franchise leader for most career rebounds (12,849) and most rebounds per game (16.2).
• Pettit scored a then-playoff record 50 points in the 1958 NBA Finals close-out victory.
• He is one of only three players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in an NBA season (along with Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry Lucas).

Rise from Humble Beginnings

Robert Lee Pettit Jr. was born on December 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His basketball career began with rejection: at Baton Rouge High School, he was cut from the varsity team as both a freshman and sophomore. He played church league basketball as a sophomore and grew five inches in less than a year. His father, a former sheriff and college basketball player, pushed him to practice in the backyard until he improved. The work paid off: Pettit became a starter and made the All-City prep team as a junior. As a 6-7 senior, he led Baton Rouge High to its first state championship in over 20 years. He then played in a North-South all-star game in Murray, Kentucky. In college at LSU, he was a three-time All-SEC selection and two-time All-American. He averaged 27.8 points per game over three varsity seasons, set a then-SEC scoring record of 60 points against Louisiana College, and became the second player in major-college history to average more than 30 points a game. His number 50 was retired by LSU in 1954, the first Tiger athlete in any sport to receive that honor.

Pioneering Professional Dominance

Selected 2nd overall in the 1954 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Hawks, Pettit was initially reluctant to sign until his third cousin, fellow NBA player Frank Brian, convinced him. He signed for $11,000, an all-time high for an NBA rookie at the time. Hawks coach Red Holzman moved him from center to forward during his first training camp, a transition Pettit found difficult. 'In college I played the standing pivot,' he said. 'My back was to the basket. In the pros, I'm always outside. Everything I do is facing the basket now.' Despite the adjustment, Pettit won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1955, averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds. In his second season, he won his first scoring title (25.7 ppg) and led the league in rebounding (16.2 rpg). He also won the first of his four All-Star Game MVP awards. In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He won the award again in 1959. Pettit's unique ability to score on offensive rebounds and draw fouls made him unstoppable. As he told basketball historian Terry Pluto, 'Offensive rebounds were worth eight to 12 points a night to me. Then I'd get another eight to 10 at the free-throw line.'

Unmatched Statistical Legacy

Bob Pettit's statistical resume is filled with historic achievements. He was the first NBA player to score more than 20,000 points, finishing his career with 20,880 (a 26.4 average). Of those points, 6,182 (nearly 30 percent) came from free throws. His 12,849 career rebounds were second-most in league history at the time of his retirement, and his 16.2 rebounds per game career average remains third all-time, behind only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. He is the Hawks' franchise leader for most career rebounds (12,849) and most rebounds per game (16.2). Pettit averaged at least 20 points and 12 rebounds in each of his 11 NBA seasons. He never finished below seventh in the NBA scoring race. He holds the top two NBA All-Star Game rebounding performances (26 in 1958, 27 in 1962) and has the second-highest All-Star Game points per game average (20.4). He was named to the All-NBA First Team ten times and the Second Team once. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.

Enduring Impact on the Game

Widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time, Pettit's impact on the game is recognized through numerous honors. He is one of only four players named to all four NBA anniversary teams and, as of 2025, one of only two living members alongside Bob Cousy. His number 50 was retired by LSU in 1954, making him the first Tiger athlete in any sport to receive that distinction. Bob Pettit Boulevard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is named after him. In 1999, he was named Living Legend for LSU at the SEC Basketball Tournament. As of the end of the 2025–2026 regular season, Pettit remains the only regular season MVP in the history of the Hawks franchise. His 50-point performance in Game 6 of the 1958 Finals stood as the most points in a Finals close-out victory until Giannis Antetokounmpo matched it in 2021.