Bob Pettit

The original Hawks MVP and a pioneer of the power forward position.

Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (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. Pettit is the Hawks' franchise leader for most career rebounds (12,849) and most rebounds per game with 16.2. 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 2025 with Bob Cousy. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.

Quick Facts

Joint mvp years: 1959
Host team mvp years: 1958, 1962

Lore & Background

Pettit was born on December 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 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. 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 accepted a scholarship to play at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he was a three-time All-SEC selection and a two-time All-American. He averaged 27.8 points per game over three varsity seasons. His number 50 was retired by LSU in 1954. Bob Pettit Boulevard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is named after him.

Reader's Guide

Pettit was selected second overall in the 1954 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Hawks. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1955 after averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. He won his first scoring title with a 25.7 average and led the league in rebounding (1,164 for a 16.2 average) in 1955–56. He led the Hawks to an NBA Championship in 1958, scoring a then-playoff record 50 points in the series-clinching game 6. He averaged 29.2 points per game in the 1958–59 season, an NBA record at the time. In the 1960–61 season, he averaged 27.9 points and 20.3 rebounds per game, becoming one of only five players to break the 20 rpg barrier. On February 18, 1961, he scored a career-high 57 points and grabbed 28 rebounds in a win over the Detroit Pistons.

Did You Know?

He was the second rookie to earn All-NBA honors.
Pettit's 50 points in the 1958 Finals close-out victory stood as a record until matched by Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021.
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.