Bob Pettit

Lore & Background

Pettit 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. 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 until he improved. 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 and was selected to play in a North–South all-star game.

After high school, he accepted a scholarship to play at LSU. He was a three-time All-SEC selection and a two-time All-American. During three varsity seasons, Pettit averaged 27.8 points per game. He was also a member of the Zeta Zeta chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon at LSU.

In 1954, his number 50 was retired at LSU, the first Tiger athlete in any sport to receive this distinction. Bob Pettit Boulevard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is named after him.

Reader's Guide

In 1954, the Milwaukee Hawks selected Pettit second in the first round of the NBA draft. He signed a contract for $11,000, an all-time high for an NBA rookie then. Hawks coach Red Holzman moved him from center to forward. In 1955, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.

After the season, the Hawks moved to St. Louis. 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 named MVP of the 1956 NBA All-Star Game and won his first of two NBA regular season MVP awards (the other was in 1959). In the 1958 NBA Finals, Pettit led the Hawks to an NBA Championship with a then-playoff record 50 points in the series-clinching victory in game 6.

In the 1960–61 season, Pettit averaged 27.9 points per game and pulled down 20.3 rebounds per game, making him one of only five players to ever break the 20 rpg barrier. He, along with Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry Lucas, are the only three people who averaged more than twenty points and twenty rebounds in an NBA season. On February 18, 1961, Pettit scored a career-high 57 points and grabbed 28 rebounds in a 141–138 win over the Detroit Pistons.

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.