Bob Pettit (Basketball Biographies)

Bob Pettit

(b. 1932; player - forward)

Depending on who's doing the talking, Bob Pettit is considered either the very best or one of the top five forwards, and players, ever to play the game. Out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, came a 6'9" man with a shooting touch of a guided missile, the rebounding skills of a Bill Russell, and the leadership qualities of a Magic Johnson. Bob won as many honors and awards as any player alive or dead.

A 1954 first-round draft choice by the Milwaukee Hawks was that city's best acquisition since their first brewery. The smooth scorer had averaged 27.4 points and 14.6 rebounds at LSU, where he became an all-American. He averaged 31 points a game in his senior season and led his Tigers to the final four of the NCAA that season as well.

He never averaged under 20 points a game in his all-too-short eleven-year pro career. He did not earn his greatness and legendary status through pure longevity like some other "stars." Bob scored over 50 points a game six times in his eleven-time all-star career, with a career high of 57 points.

The 1956 and 1959 NBA MVP also twice totaled 38 rebounds in a single game, in 1956 and 1958. In 1962, the year after he hit for his 57, he averaged his highest mark at 31.1 points a game. The unstoppable forward was scoring champ twice in 1956 and 1959, with 25.7 and 29.2 marks.

Number 9 for the Hawks also won the league rebounding title in 1956 with an impressive 16.2 per game. His other seasons were: as a rookie, fourth in league scoring at 20.4 a game and third in rebounds with 13.8; scoring and rebounds champ in 1956; 1957-second in scoring (24.7) and second in league rebounds (14.6); 1958-third in scoring (24.6) and second in rebounds (17.4); 1959-scoring champ and second in rebounds again at 16.4; 1960-fourth in scoring (26.1) and third in rebounds (17.1); 1961-fourth in scoring (27.9) and third in rebounds (20.3); 1962- fourth in scoring (31.1) and fourth in rebounds (18.7).

Pettit was an incredibly consistent performer. He was fourth in both rebounds and points the next year (28.4, 15.1), third in points and fifth in boards in 1964 (27.4, 15.3) and as a craggy old veteran in his last season, 1965, he still managed 22.5 points and 12.2 rebounds a game.

Milwaukee moved to St. Louis in the late 1950s and Bob helped them win a championship in 1958. He was a four-time all-star game MVP and ranks 18th on the all-time scoring list with his 20,880 points. He also had 12,849 rebounds and over 2,300 assists. That makes him the tenth best re- bounder in professional basketball history.

His style was similar to Larry Bird's in his somewhat limited athletic ability, but he more than compensated for this with uncanny instincts, skill, and confidence. The 1970 Hall of Famer is also in the top ten in career FTs and has the fourth-highest scoring average of all time at 26.4 a game.

Since he lacked the overt athletic gifts of someone like Julius Erving, he is not recognized by some experts as better than Erving or Elgin Baylor or even Rick Barry. But with the coming of Larry Bird and his remarkably similar style, most fans agree that he should be considered as at least in the top three.

He was all-NBA eleven times as well - one of only five to be selected so many times - and was rookie of the year. He scored over 25 points a game in playoff series five times. He scored 28 and 29 points in all-star games and collected 28 and 29 rebounds in the games as well.

The most dominant player of the 1950s and 1960s this side of Wilt Chamberlain and possibly Oscar Robertson is without question one of the ten greatest basketball players ever. He overwhelmed the forward position like Wilt did at center and Oscar at guard. No other forward - Baylor, Erving, Bird, or Barry included - has ever dominated the scoring and rebounding categories- the two main categories for a forward-like Mr. Pettit. He also coached for six games with the Hawks in 1961-62.