NBA legend Bob Pettit dies at 93
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NEW ORLEANS -- 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.
Pettit's alma mater, LSU, announced Thursday that he died a day earlier. The university did not provide a cause of death.
He was an All-American at LSU before going on to the NBA, where he was an All-Star for each of his 11 seasons, all with the Hawks. He led them to the 1958 championship over the mighty Boston Celtics, the Hawks' lone title.
He was also the NBA MVP in 1959 and was the MVP of the All-Star game four times, an achievement matched only by Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.
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 in scoring at 25.7 points a game. He also was the NBA's scoring leader in 1959 at 29.2 points.
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