Bob Pettit portrait
PLAYER PROFILE

Bob Pettit

Power Forward · United States

View _Deceased Basketball squad →
PLAYER DETAILS

Bob Pettit profile

Club
_Deceased Basketball
Position
Power Forward
Nationality
United States
Date of birth
1932-12-12
Birthplace
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Height
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Weight
205 lb (93 kg)
Shirt number
9
PLAYER BIOGRAPHY

About Bob Pettit

Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (/ˈpɛtɪt/ PET-it; December 12, 1932 – September 23, 2026) was an American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award and he won the award again in 1959. He also won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award four times. As of the end of the 2025–2026 regular season, Pettit is still the only regular season MVP in the history of the Hawks. Pettit is the Hawks' franchise leader for most career rebounds (12,849), and most rebounds per game with 16.2.

The first NBA player to score more than 20,000 points, Pettit was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. He is one of four players who was named to all four NBA anniversary teams. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.