Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history for 75th anniversary

Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history: No. 31 – Bob Pettit

On NBA 50 at 50 List

Career: 1954 – 1965

Achievements: 1958 NBA Champion; two-time MVP; All-NBA (11x); All-Star (11x); two-time rebounding title; 19th in career rebounds

When Bill Russel came onto the scene the Boston Celtics won their first title in 1957, the first of a run of 11 titles in 13 seasons. While the Los Angeles Lakers with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West are the well-known foil for Russell’s Celtics, they only met once in the Finals before 1962 — and they never beat the Celtics in seven meetings. Before that, it was the St. Louis Hawks, led by Bob Pettit, who played the Celtics in four of the first five seasons of their Finals runs — including beating them in 1958.

Pettit was the NBA’s premier star in the 1950s, taking the torch from Goerge Mikan and dominating the league for his entire career. He played 11 years in the league and made an All-NBA team in all 11, averaging as many as 29.2 points per game in 1958-59. He did this despite below-average athleticism, even for that era: his repertoire was a collection of jumpers, turnarounds and bankers from every angle.

With Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan as his supporting cast, Pettit led the Hawks to the NBA Finals four times in five seasons. Russell’s first title came through blood, sweat and tears in a tight seven-game series over the Hawks in 1957. The next year those two teams faced off again, and this time it was Pettit dropping 50 points in the clinching Game 6 to bring home the title. Boston would go on to win eight straight titles, but Pettit and the Hawks will always have their victory.