Robert E. Lee (Bob) Pettit was selected in the first round of the 1954 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Hawks and won the Rookie of the Year Award by averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds a game. When Pettit came out of Louisiana State University, however, everyone thought he was deemed too slight to survive the pounding of the NBA. But after 11 years with Milwaukee and St. Louis, he retired having become the first player in the league to top 20,000 points. The greatest forward of his era, Pettit was an All-Star in each of his 11 seasons, an All-NBA first team selection 10 times, and an All-NBA second team pick once. He left the sport with the Most Valuable Player Awards and an NBA championship ring.
Robert E. Lee (Bob) Pettit was selected in the first round of the 1954 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Hawks and won the Rookie of the Year Award by averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds a game. When Pettit came out of Louisiana State University, however, everyone thought he was deemed too slight to survive the pounding of the NBA. But after 11 years with Milwaukee and St. Louis, he retired having become the first player in the league to top 20,000 points. The greatest forward of his era, Pettit was an All-Star in each of his 11 seasons, an All-NBA first team selection 10 times, and an All-NBA second team pick once. He left the sport with the Most Valuable Player Awards and an NBA championship ring.