Ex-Hawks great Bob Pettit, the NBA’s first MVP, dies at 93

Bob Pettit was an All-American at LSU, then became an All-Star in each of his 11 NBA seasons, 

all with the Hawks’ franchise (the first year in Milwaukee, the other 10 in St. Louis). 

He was the leading scorer in NBA history when he retired in 1965. (AP 1957)

25 Sep 2026 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Associated Press

Bob Pettit, an imposing scorer and rebounder for the St. Louis Hawks and winner of the NBA’s first Most Valuable Player award in 1956, has died. He was 93.

His alma mater, LSU, announced Thursday that he died a day earlier. A cause of death was not provided.

Pettit was an All-American at LSU before going on to the NBA, where he was an All-Star in each of his 11 seasons, all with the Hawks. He led them to the 1958 championship over the Celtics, the Hawks’ lone title.

He also was the league MVP in 1959 and MVP of the All-Star game four times, an achievement matched only by former Lakers great Kobe Bryant.

Pettit was a force at a time when the NBA featured the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor. But it was also before a time when the NBA was widely seen on TV, and Pettit — playing in a smaller market — was denied a larger audience.

At 6 feet 9 and 205 pounds, Pettit was a physical presence at power forward before such a position became part of basketball’s vocabulary. Pettit was the Rookie of the Year in 1955, the last year the Hawks played in Milwaukee before moving to St. Louis.

He captured the MVP the next season, leading the league at 25.7 points a game.

Pettit retired after the 1964-65 season with career averages of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds. At that time, he was the NBA’s career leader in points (20,880) and second in rebounds (12,849).

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. His No. 50 is retired by LSU, his No. 9 by the Atlanta Hawks.

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Pettit, NBA’s 1st MVP, dies at age 93

25 Sep 2026 - New York Post

By CHRISTIAN ARNOLD carnold1@nypost.com

An 11-time NBA All-Star and one of the league’s greatest scorers and rebounders in its history has died.

Bob Pettit, the first NBA MVP winner, died at age 93, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

Pettit spent 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Hawks organization, first in Milwaukee and then in St. Louis.

He helped lead the Hawks to four NBA Finals appearances and a league title in 1958 when his team toppled the Celtics. Pettit scored what was a playoff record at the time 50 points in Game 6 of that series.

Pettit took home the first NBA MVP award during the 1955-56 season and then won it again during the 1958-59 season, leading the NBA in scoring in both seasons with averages of 25.7 and 29.2, respectively.

He also won Rookie of the Year in his first NBA season, averaging 20.8 points per game.

“The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame mourns the passing of Bob Pettit, a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionized the forward position during his career,” the Hall of Fame posted on X. “The 11-time NBA All-Star and 2-time MVP retired as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and left an enduring legacy. He led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics. The Basketball Hall of Fame salutes this true giant of the game.”

Pettit was named the All-Star Game MVP on four occasions, a feat only Kobe Bryant has been able to match.

He also starred in college for the LSU Tigers and helped the program reach its first NCAA Final Four in 1953.

Pettit averaged 17 rebounds and an NCAA leading 31.4 points per game during his senior season at LSU.