THE first Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Bob Pettit, passed away at the age of 93.
Because of his scoring and rebounding prowess, Pettit won the league’s inaugural MVP award with the St. Louis Hawks in 1956, while his iconic 50-point performance in Game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals propelled the Hawks to a championship win.
Pettit was a 4-time All-Star MVP, sharing the record with Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.
“The NBA family mourns the passing of Naismith Hall of Famer Bob Pettit, a two-time NBA MVP and a member of all four NBA Anniversary Teams. He raised the bar for excellence as the league’s first MVP, first 20,000-point scorer and first four-time All-Star Game MVP. His iconic 50-point performance in Game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals clinched the championship for the St. Louis Hawks. Beyond those accomplishments, Bob helped transform the power forward position,” the league wrote in its statement.
The 6-foot-9 forward captured Rookie of the Year in 1955. He was also the NBA’s scoring leader in 1959 at 29.2 points per game. / RSC
