Bob Pettit, NBA’s First MVP and 20,000-Point Scorer, Dies at 93

Bob Pettit, one of the NBA’s foundational stars, the league’s first Most Valuable Player and its first 20,000-point scorer, has died at 93.

Pettit, whose full name was Robert Lee Pettit Jr., died Wednesday, Sept. 23, at his home in Metairie, Louisiana. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame publicly confirmed his death and lists his date of death as Sept. 23, 2026. In a family statement quoted by CBS Sports and other outlets, his family said: “Dad passed away very peacefully at his home in Metairie, on Wednesday, September 23. He was the most amazing father. The most kind, humble and gentle soul. We are so blessed to have him in our lives and we will miss him dearly.”

Born Dec. 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Pettit emerged as a star at LSU from 1951 to 1954. He was a two-time All-American, helped lead LSU to the 1953 NCAA Final Four and had his No. 50 jersey retired by the school in 1954.

He spent his entire NBA career with the Hawks franchise from 1954 to 1965, playing when the team was based in Milwaukee and St. Louis. Pettit became the first player to win the NBA MVP award in the 1955-56 season and won it again in 1958-59. He led the Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over Boston, one of the defining achievements of the franchise’s history.

Pettit was selected to 11 All-Star Games and was a four-time All-Star Game MVP, the first player to reach that mark. He also became the first NBA player to score 20,000 career points. By the time he retired, Pettit had 20,880 points and 12,849 rebounds and stood as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

That résumé helps explain why Pettit’s death marks the loss of more than a former star from the league’s early years. He was one of the players who established what elite NBA greatness looked like in the league’s formative decades. The clearest evidence is in the milestones attached to his name: first MVP, first 20,000-point scorer and the scoring leader at retirement.

His place in basketball history was reinforced long after his playing career ended. Pettit was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971 and was named to the NBA’s 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th anniversary teams, making him one of only four players selected to all four. He also remained a major figure in Louisiana basketball because of his LSU career, which made his influence extend beyond the NBA.

After news of his death, the NBA posted a mourning message on its official Bluesky account: “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.”

As of the latest reporting, funeral arrangements had not been publicly announced.