Hall of Famer Bob Lanier passes away at 73
Just loved watching this man play back in the day….The man with the size 22 shoe…Big Bob Lanier…Saw him in college at St. Bonaventure, and then later with the Detroit Pistons…He was one of the all-time greats and will be missed…Much respect for the life and basketball career, of Bob Lanier….
from Hoops Rumors, with Alex Kirschenbaum, and from YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Former Pistons and Bucks big man Bob Lanier has passed away at the age of 73, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). A cause of death was not disclosed as of this writing.
A 6’11” center, Lanier was selected with the top pick in the 1970 NBA draft by the Pistons, following three All-American seasons at St. Bonaventure. Lanier played for 10 years in Detroit before being traded in 1980 to the Bucks, where he would finish his career after the 1983-84 season.
An eight-time All-Star with the Pistons and Bucks and the 1973/74 All-Star Game MVP, Lanier holds career averages of 20.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG, across 959 career regular season games. Lanier was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame as a player in 1992.
Lanier also enjoyed an active career with the NBA long after his playing days had ceased. He served as a president for the NBPA and enjoyed a long career as an ambassador for the league.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement through the league (Twitter link). “For more than 30 years, Bob served as our global ambassador and as a special assistant to [former commissioner] David Stern and then me, traveling the world to teach the game’s values and make a positive impact on young people everywhere,” Silver said in part. “I learned so much from Bob by simply watching how he connected with people. He was a close friend who I will miss dearly, as will so many of his colleagues across the NBA who were inspired by his generosity.”
We at Hoops Rumors and at GreensboroSports.com extend our deepest condolences to Lanier’s family and friends.
**********from ESPN.com**********
He(Bob Lanier) was known for wearing size 22 shoes, although that was disputed in 1989 by a Converse representative, who told The Atlanta Constitution that Lanier wore size 18½.
“The 22 he was reputed to wear was a Korean size,” shoe rep Gary Stoken said.
Not contested was the abundantly clear fact that his feet were big.
“A lot of people can put both feet into one of my shoes,” Lanier told HOOP magazine.