Bob Pettit, 1932-2026

Published October 2, 2026 5:05am ET



When you think of the NBA’s all-time greatest power forwards, Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and Kevin Garnett usually come to mind first. But it was the oft-overlooked Bob Pettit who paved the way for all of them. Pettit, who died on Sept. 24 at the age of 93, was the prototype for Malone: a 6-foot-9 forward who had the shooting touch of a shooting guard, the rebounding prowess of a center, and the body of an Olympian weightlifter.

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