Bob Pettit

Robert Lee “Bob” Pettit Jr. (December 12, 1932-) retired in 1965 as the first player in the history of the NBA to surpass the 20,000 point mark, was second in career rebounds and remains behind only fellow Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell in career rebounds per game with 16.2. A standout center at the Louisiana State University, Pettit was the second overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Hawks and was immediately converted to a forward. Despite transitioning to a new position, Pettit won the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1955 and was named to his first of eleven NBA All-Star games (named All-Star Game MVP four times). He was also named to his first of ten All-NBA First Teams. In his sophomore season, after the team relocated to St. Louis in 1956, Pettit led the league in scoring, rebounding, free throws and field goals and was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.  During the late 1950s-early ‘60s, St. Louis made frequent appearances in the NBA Finals, often facing the Boston Celtics, and in 1958, captured the title over the high-powered squad from Beantown. Bob won a second NBA MVP Award and scoring title in 1959. Pettit made a couple more appearances in the NBA Finals before retiring in 1965 as one of only two players in NBA history to average more than 20 points per game in every season they played. Pettit finished his career after 11 seasons with 20,880 points, 12,849 total rebounds and 2,369 assists. Bob Pettit was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971. In 1996, Bob was named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list.