Bob Pettit, an imposing scorer and rebounder for the St. Louis Hawks and winner of the NBA’s first MVP 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.
Pettit 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.