Bob Pettit, an 11-time NBA All-Star and the league’s first Most Valuable Player (MVP), has died at the age of 93, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday. Pettit spent his entire 11-season career with the Hawks franchise, first in Milwaukee and later in St. Louis, where he established himself as one of the game’s greatest scorers and rebounders.

Pettit played a central role in leading the Hawks to four NBA Finals appearances, capturing the league championship in 1958 with a series victory over the Boston Celtics. During that Finals, he set a then-playoff record by scoring 50 points in Game 6, securing the title for St. Louis.

He earned the inaugural NBA MVP award in the 1955-56 season and won the honor again in the 1958-59 season. Both seasons, he led the league in scoring with averages of 25.7 and 29.2 points per game, respectively. In his rookie season, Pettit was named Rookie of the Year after averaging 20.8 points per game.

The Hall of Fame described Pettit as a “sleek, skilled big man who revolutionized the forward position,” noting that he retired as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Pettit also received four NBA All-Star Game MVP awards, a distinction matched only by Kobe Bryant.

Before his professional career, Pettit excelled at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he helped the Tigers reach their first NCAA Final Four in 1953. In his senior year, he led the NCAA with an average of 31.4 points per game and pulled down 17 rebounds per contest.

Pettit’s impact on basketball remains enduring, and the Hall of Fame paid tribute to him as “a true giant of the game.”