Atlanta Hawks: 15 greatest scorers in franchise history

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Bob Pettit, St. Louis Hawks. Photo by: Bob Ganley/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images /

2. Bob Pettit, Forward, 1955-65

Forward Bob Pettit hit the ground running as far as his impact went as a scorer. He won two scoring titles during his time with the Hawks franchise in 1955-56 and 1958-59. During his first scoring title run, he produced 25.7 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting from the floor.

At 6-foot-9 and 200-pounds, he proved to be a formidable force down low, snagging over 12,000 rebounds as one of the premier forwards in the NBA.

During the 1958-59 season, he averaged a career-high 29.2 points per contest. He also took home the league’s MVP award during his scoring title seasons.

Pettit is another member of the lone championship squad with the St. Louis Hawks. He won a ring during the 1958 NBA Playoffs, averaging 29.3 points per contest along with 17.0 rebounds against Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics.

He left a wake of scoring records in his wake by the end of his career. He had 47 games with 40 points or more, 284 games with 30 points or more, and six games with 50 points or more. His career-high 57 points against the Detroit Pistons on the road on Feb. 18, 1961, is still tied for the single-game record for points by a player.

With 20,880 total points, Pettis is the only other player in Hawks franchise history with 20,000 points or more in his career. He finished averaging 26.4 points per contest through 792 career games with the club and his No. 9 jersey is currently retired Hawks and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970.