Bob Pettit, N.B.A. Great for the Hawks, Dies at 93
Bob Pettit was named Most Valuable Player of the N.B.A. All-Star Game in 1958.Credit...Associated Press https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/obituaries/bob-pettit-dead.html A prolific scorer and rebounder, in 1958 he delivered one of the most remarkable performances in playoff history. Bob Pettit was named Most Valuable Player of the N.B.A. All-Star Game in 1958.Credit...Associated Press By Richard Goldstein Published Sept. 24, 2026 Updated Sept. 25, 2026, 10:53 a.m. ET Bob Pettit , a prototype for the modern-day power forward who was named one of the N.B.A.’s 50 greatest players of its first half century and who led the Hawks franchise to its only league championship, died on Wednesday. He was 93. His death was announced by Louisiana State University, his alma mater. No other details were provided. Playing for the Hawks from 1954 to 1965, in Milwaukee as a rookie and then in St. Louis, the 6-foot-9-inch Pettit became the first N.B.A. player to score at least 20,000 points, a...