Card stack
Bob Pettit, imposing Hawks great and first NBA MVP, dies at 93
Compiled Sep 24
What happened
Bob Pettit died at age 93, according to LSU
The detail
He won the NBA's first Most Valuous Player award in 1956
The detail
He was an All-Star for all 11 of his NBA seasons, all with the St. Louis Hawks
The detail
He led the Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics, the franchise's only title
How it unfolded
Dec. 12, 1932: Robert Lee Pettit Jr. was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana · as a senior in high school: Pettit led Baton Rouge High School to a state championship · 1955: Pettit was named NBA Rookie of the Year, the Hawks' last season in Milwaukee · 1956: Pettit won the NBA's first MVP award, leading the league in scoring · 1958: Pettit led the Hawks to their only NBA championship, over the Celtics · 1964-65 season: Pettit retired from the NBA · 1970: Pettit was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
By the numbers
93 age at death · 11 NBA seasons · 20,880 career points · 12,849 career rebounds · 29.2 points per game
Still unresolved
LSU did not provide a cause of death