Bob Pettit, NBA’s first MVP, dies aged 93

Bob Pettit, the first recipient of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, has died aged 93, the Basketball Hall of Fame has announced on Thursday.

Pettit made history by winning the inaugural MVP award in the 1955-56 season and claimed the honour again in 1958-59. He also finished as the NBA’s leading scorer in both campaigns.

The Hall of Fame paid tribute to the former power forward, describing him as "a true giant of the game".

Pettit was selected for the NBA All-Star Game in each of his 11 seasons and became the first player in league history to surpass 20,000 career points.

After a successful college career with Louisiana State University (LSU), Pettit was selected by the Milwaukee Hawks in the 1954 NBA Draft. The franchise later moved to St Louis, where he spent the remainder of his career.

Pettit led the Hawks to their only NBA championship in 1958, when they defeated the Boston Celtics in the Finals. He helped St Louis reach the championship series again in 1960 and 1961, although they failed to win either time.

He retired in 1965 after establishing himself as one of the NBA’s leading players, finishing with career averages of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game.

Pettit was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971. LSU later retired his No. 50 jersey, making him the first athlete in the university’s history to receive the honour.

LSU said: "Pettit defined what the modern power forward should be in the NBA and set standards that have been hard to duplicate in professional basketball."