Urwego rwa Basketball Hall of Fame rwemeje urupfu rw'uyu mugabo, rumwita “igihangange nyakuri cy’umukino”, ndetse rushimangira ko yari umukinnyi w’umuhanga wahinduye uko umwanya w'imbre (Forward) wakinwaga muri NBA.
Pettit kandi yatoranyijwe mu NBA All-Star muri buri mwaka w’imikino 11 yamaze akina. Yabaye kandi umukinnyi wa mbere mu mateka ya NBA wagejeje ku manota 20,000.
NBA yagize iti: “Yashyizeho urwego rushya rw’indashyikirwa, aba MVP wa mbere wa shampiyona, umukinnyi wa mbere wagejeje ku manota 20,000 ndetse aba uwa mbere wegukanye inshuro enye igihembo cya MVP w’umukino wa All-Star.”
Pettit yakiniye Amakipe arimo Louisiana State University (LSU) mbere yo gutoranywa na Milwaukee Hawks muri NBA Draft yo mu 1954. Nyuma yaho, iyi kipe yimukiye i St Louis, ariko akomeza kuyikinira kugeza arangije umwuga we.
Mu 1958, yafashije Hawks kwegukana igikombe cya NBA nyuma yo gutsinda Boston Celtics ku mukino wa nyuma. Yanagejeje kandi Hawks ku yindi mikino ibiri ya nyuma ya NBA mu 1960 no mu 1961, ariko ntiyongera kwegukana igikombe.
Mu 1965, nibwo uyu mugabo yasezeye ku gukina basketball, amaze kugira impuzandengo y’amanota 26.4 n’imipira 16.2 (rebounds) kuri buri mukino mu mwuga we. Mu 1971, yinjijwe muri Basketball Hall of Fame kubera ibikorwa bye bikomeye muri basketball.
Pettit kandi yabaye umukinnyi wa mbere wa LSU wahawe icyubahiro cyo gukurirwaho nimero y’umwambaro yakiniraga. Nimero ye 50 yashyizwe ku ruhande mu rwego rwo kumwibukiraho.
LSU na yo yamusezeyeho, ivuga ko Pettit ari umwe mu bagize uruhare mu gusobanura uko umukinnyi wa power forward wo mu rwego rwo hejuru yagombaga kuba muri NBA, ndetse asiga amateka akomeye atarasubirwaho byoroshye.
Gusa amakuru ahari kugeza ubu, ntiharamenyekana icyateye urupfu rwa Bob Pettit.
Bob Pettit yitabye Imana ku imyaka 93