Bob Lanier, known as the left-handed big-man, died on May 10, 2022, at the age of 73. The NBA stated that Lanier died after a short illness.
Lanier, a Hall of Famer and an eight-time All-Star, worked for the NBA as a global ambassador.
Lanier played 14 seasons in the NBA on two squads, the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks, while averaging 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. In 1970, the Pistons drafted Lanier with the No.1 overall pick after he led St. Bonaventure to the Final Four. He is third on the Pistons’ career list in both points and rebounds.
Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. One of the things he was most notable for was his shoe size, as there were rumors he wore a size 22, but a Converse representative confirmed that he wore a size 18 1/2.
He was named to the All-Rookie Team in 1971, and over the next seven seasons, he averaged at least 21 points and 11 rebounds per game. He remains the Pistons’ franchise leader in scoring an average 22.7 points per game.
Despite Lanier’s dominance, the Pistons only won one playoff series with him, and in 1980, he was traded to the Bucks where he reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 1983 and 1984, which were the final two seasons of his career. During his final years in the league, Lanier served as the president of the players union.
In 1995, Lanier was the assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors and took over as interim head coach after Don Nelson resigned.
Lanier also won the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for the 1977-78 season for his outstanding community service. After retiring, he helped start the NBA’s Stay in School campaign.
