Basketball player, born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. He studied at Louisiana State University, joined the Milwaukee (later the St Louis) Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1954, and stayed with the franchise right through to 1965. He led the NBA in both scoring (twice) and rebounding, helping the Hawks to one championship. Throughout his career he averaged 26·4 points per game, and was twice voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
Louisiana State University
After high school, Pettit accepted a scholarship to play at Louisiana State University. (Freshmen were not allowed to play varsity basketball in those days.) During those three years, Pettit averaged 27.8 points per game.
Pro basketball
In 1954 the Milwaukee Hawks selected Pettit in the first round of the NBA Draft. Rookies often struggle adjusting to the pro game, but not Pettit — in 1955 he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. The following year, Pettit won his first scoring title with a 25.7 average, and led the league in rebounding (1164 for a 16.2 average). He was also named MVP of the NBA All-Star Game after scoring 20 points with 24 rebounds; In 1958, Pettit, Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan led the Hawks to an NBA Championship, defeating the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Pettit averaged at least 20 points per game and at least 12 rebounds per game in each of his 11 NBA seasons. No other retired player in NBA history has averaged more than 20 points per game in every season they've played (note: Michael Jordan averaged exactly 20 points per game in his final season). In the 1960-61 season, Pettit pulled down more than 20 rebounds per game, making him one of only five players to ever accomplish the feat. In the following season, he scored a career best 31.1 points per game. Pettit ended his career in 1965, becoming the first NBA player to eclipse the 20,000 points mark (20,880 for a 26.4 average). His 12,849 rebounds were second most in league history at the time he retired, and his 16.2 rebounds per game career average remains third only to Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Pettit was an NBA All-Star in each of his 11 seasons, was named to the All-NBA First Team ten times, and was name to the All-NBA Second Team once. Pettit still holds the top two NBA All-Star Game rebounding performances with 26 in 1958 and 27 in 1962, and has the second highest All-Star Game points per game average with 20.4 (behind only Oscar Robertson).
Revolutionizing the “power forward”
Pettit is often credited as revolutionizing the power forward position in the NBA.
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Preceded by: Andrew Levane |
St. Louis Hawks Head Coach 1962 |
Succeeded by: Harry Gallatin |
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