Bob Pettit, the first NBA regular season MVP, has passed away at the age of 93.

Bob Pettit, the first NBA regular season MVP in history, has died at the age of 93. His alma mater, Louisiana State University (LSU), released the news on Thursday, stating that he passed away the previous day, but did not disclose the specific cause of death.

Born in 1932, Pettit played for LSU in college, leading the Southeastern Conference scoring for three consecutive seasons. After entering the NBA, he played 11 seasons for the St. Louis Hawks, being selected to the All-Star team every season.

In 1956, the league established the regular season MVP award for the first time, and Pettit won it with an league-leading average of 25.7 points per game; he won the award again in 1959. In addition, he won the All-Star Game MVP four times in his career, a record tied only by Kobe Bryant in NBA history.

In 1958, Pettit led the Hawks to victory over the Boston Celtics to win the NBA championship, the Hawks' only title to date. During his tenure, the Hawks reached the NBA Finals four times, each time facing the Celtics at their peak, losing twice in Game 7.

Standing at 2.06 meters tall and weighing 93 kilograms, Pettit revolutionized the power forward position, being among the first big men to possess face-up offensive capabilities. Upon retiring in 1965, Pettit averaged 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game, ranking first in league history in total points and second in total rebounds at the time. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.

After retiring, Petit returned to his hometown of Baton Rouge to work in the banking and financial consulting industry. In recognition of his contributions, the Hawks and LSU retired his #9 and #50 jerseys, respectively.

Image source: Internet/NBA official website