re: RIP Bob Pettit

Jerry Stovall

He was always at LSU basketball games right up to just a few years ago, I would see him all the time.

And it amazed me how unnoticed he went, it seemed most folks didn't even know who he was - AT AN LSU BASKETBALL GAME!!

I mean, one of the best players of all time - go read what Bill Russell and Wilt and Lenny Wilkens said about him - this wasn't some relic of a bygone era that could not have played the modern game - this dude was legit one of the greatest players of all time!!

RIP Bob, I never got to see you play but I read about you and watched your highlights and I have the stories my Dad told me - Legend is thrown around alot and does not always apply.....it does here!!

Watched him play (during his best years) on TV when I was a kid. Loved his game...always had the image of being a great person.

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Met him outside a football game
and could not be nicer-- was nice to my
sister who had no idea who he was.
I walked her to his statue

Great Tiger!

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Exactly, he was one of us and among us more than anyone realized because he was humble and genuinely of us. A true legend walking among us and maybe 20% of us even know his legend status.

I had the pleasure of seeing him play in high school and at LSU. Never got the chance to see him in the pros. RIP

Alvin Dark may have been my favorite Tiger of all time -- he was a Mensch

Pulled this from my Dad's Facebook post since he's not on here. My Dad walked on to the LSU Freshman Team Pete was on and Press coached after playing at Baton Rouge High and surpassing Mr. Petitt's high school points total.

Worth sharing.

Bob Petitt was one of my first real heroes. We both went to Baton high school. He led the LSU varsity. Later sat on the LSU freshman team bench and that’s where the similarities end.
I thought basketball was my future so my dad took me to American Bank and Baton Rouge to meet with Bob Pettit, a vice president of the Bank. I did not want to impose on my hero. Dad didn’t care.
Dad asked Mr Pettit if he would work out with me before he went to training Camp for his last year in the NBA. Much to my surprise. Mr. Pettit said he would!
I arranged to Practice in the gym on the afternoon before he would drive to St. Louis.
Dad and I were on time, but Mr Pettit was over an hour late! By that time the gym is closed and I didn’t have a key. So he decided that we could still work out on the outdoor courts which were unkept and had no nets on the rim.
He worked with me until it got dark.
He stayed several minutes after that talking to me and encouraging me.
Obviously, he had better things to do at that time in his life.
However, I’ve never forgotten that kind gesture of helping me out.
One of the great moments of the story is two of my real - life heroes met on an outdoor b-ball court to help me pursue my dreams.
My life has been blessed in so many ways.

Awesome memory!!! Thanks for sharing.

So sad to hear about Bob. I always bought Champions Club tickets online behind the visitor's dugout if they were available. Not because I wanted to be there, but because that was the section where Pettit sat. It was awesome to sit near him.

Remember the Friday night game against Tennessee, Vitello's last season?? Some player kept grabbing foul balls (#24??) holding them until there was a break in the action when we were at bat and throwing them to the other side's bat girl area. Our on deck batter had to avoid being hit. Ump did nothing. About the third inning Pettit walked down the aisle and wore that kid's arse OUT!! Some guy further back hollered, "Hey boy, that was a 92 year old NBA champion who just wore your arse out!!!" Even Vitello laughed.

There was also the Friday night we played FL. First at bat, Tommy Tanks hits HR #1. Next at bat, HR #2. Next at bat, pitcher plunks Tommy right between the shoulder blades. Bob almost went through that net!!!! He had to be restrained (mildly) by the person with him. I was headed that way myself. No way I was letting our 92 year old champion get arrested by himself….

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he was at games all last season and has been a fixture at LSU games, good or bad seasons

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He may had made it to 1 game last year. Living in NOLA and his heath prevented him from attending.
Now, Ned, he was at every game. He health continued to decline, making it hard for him to walk. But that man was there every game.

May they BOTH RIP

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retired as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history

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His 12,849 rebounds were second-most in league history at the time he retired, and his 16.2 rebounds per game career average remains third only to Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

Pretty impressive.