Bob Lanier, NBA Force Who Left Big Shoes To Fill, Dies At 73
May 11, 2022, 9:17 AM

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 14: Bob Lanier attends State Farm All-Star Saturday Night - NBA All-Star Weekend 2015 at Barclays Center on February 14, 2015 in New York, New York.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN (AP) – Basketball big man Bob Lanier has died after a short illness. He was 73.
Lanier was one of the NBA’s top players of the 1970s, muscling up beside the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Lanier played 14 seasons with the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s statement regarding the passing of Bob Lanier. pic.twitter.com/8GD9BhKt7C
— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2022
The left-hander averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds.
He was the No. 1 draft pick in 1970 after leading St. Bonaventure to the Final Four.
In 1992, he made the Hall of Fame, where a bronzed pair of his giant sneakers are displayed.