Bob Pettit, a basketball Hall of Famer and the NBA's first Most Valuable Player, has died at age 93, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced. Per multiple reports, Pettit won the inaugural MVP award in 1956 and was the first player to eclipse 20,000 points in league history, finishing his career with 20,880 points. ESPN reported that Pettit was named an All-Star in each of his 11 NBA seasons and was one of the greatest scorers and rebounders in league history. He retired in 1965 as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
Pettit is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Sources differ slightly on whether he won the MVP award once or twice; most outlets identify him as the NBA's first MVP, while at least one source describes him as a two-time MVP winner.