In three months’ time, LSU football, basketball and baseball have lost legends.
Bob Pettit, one of five players to have their jersey retired by LSU basketball, has died. He was 93.
The NBA Basketball Hall of Famer was born and raised in Baton Rouge, becoming an All-American in 1953 and 1954 with the Tigers. He led SEC in scoring from 1952-1954 and helped the Tigers reach their first Final Four in 1953. He averaged 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds
As a senior, Pettit posted a remarkable 31.4 points and 17.3 rebounds and set an SEC scoring mark 60 points against Louisiana College.
The Milwaukee Hawks selected Pettit with the second overall pick in the 1954 NBA draft. He played 11 seasons with the team and was named All-NBA in 10 of them. He was Rookie of the Year in 1955, was an 11-time NBA All-Star, including four All-Star Game MVPs and helped the organization win the NBA Championship in 1958.
Pettit won a pair of MVPs and was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1970.
Following his basketball career, he entered the financial sector in Metairie and eventually co-founded a consulting company, Equitas Capital Investors.
Pettit’s No. 50 hangs in the rafters of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and also has a statute outside of the arena. He’s widely regarded as one of the best players in LSU and NBA history.
