Bob Pettit

Bob Pettit was a legendary professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards in the history of the sport. A power forward is a player who typically plays near the basket using strength and skill. Pettit played 11 seasons in the NBA from 1954 to 1965. During his entire career, he played for only one franchise: the Milwaukee and St. Louis Hawks. He was a dominant force who excelled at both scoring points and rebounding. A rebound occurs when a player catches the ball after a missed shot attempt.

Pettit's path to greatness began with significant challenges during his youth. As a student at Baton Rouge High School, he was actually cut from the varsity basketball team as both a freshman and a sophomore. He spent his time playing in church leagues to improve. His father, the sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish, encouraged him to practice in a backyard. This dedicated practice helped him grow five inches in less than a year. By his senior year, he stood 6 feet 7 inches tall. He led his high school team to its first state championship in over 20 years.

After high school, Pettit attended Louisiana State University (LSU) on a scholarship. He became a star for the LSU Tigers, earning All-American honors twice. During his three years of varsity play, he averaged 27.8 points per game. In his senior year, he averaged 31.4 points and 17.3 rebounds per game. He set several school records, including a scoring average that was later broken by Pete Maravich. LSU eventually retired his number 50 jersey. He was the first athlete in any sport at the school to receive this honor.

In 1954, the Milwaukee Hawks selected Pettit as the second overall pick in the NBA draft. He signed a contract for $11,000, which was a record high for a rookie at that time. Initially, Pettit played the center position, which is usually played by the tallest player near the basket. However, his coach, Red Holzman, moved him to the forward position during training camp. This change was necessary because Pettit struggled with ballhandling and the physical strength required for the center role. Despite these early adjustments, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1955.

Throughout his professional career, Pettit mastered the art of offensive rebounding and scoring. He used offensive rebounds to gain extra possessions for his team. He also focused on getting to the free-throw line to score easy points. In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. He won the MVP award a second time in 1959. Pettit also won the All-Star Game MVP award four times in 1956, 1958, 1959, and 1962.

Pettit led the Hawks to an NBA Championship in 1958. In the sixth game of that series, he scored 50 points to clinch the victory. This performance was the highest score in a Finals close-out game until 2021. His statistical achievements were truly remarkable. He was the first NBA player to score more than 20,000 career points. He finished with 20,880 total points, nearly 30 percent of which came from free throws. He also recorded 12,849 career rebounds, averaging 16.2 per game.

His ability to dominate the game is reflected in several historic milestones. In the 1960–61 season, he averaged 20.3 rebounds per game. He is one of only five players to ever average more than 20 rebounds in a season. He is also one of only three players to average both 20 points and 20 rebounds in a single season. Pettit was an NBA All-Star in every one of his 11 seasons. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team ten times.

Bob Pettit's legacy is preserved through many prestigious honors. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. He is one of only four players ever named to all four NBA anniversary teams. These teams include the 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary selections. In his later years, he worked in the banking and financial consulting industries. Even today, his impact on his hometown is visible through Bob Pettit Boulevard in Baton Rouge.