Bob Lanier
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Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player. He played center for the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
and the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). Lanier was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in 1992. In 14 NBA seasons, Lanier played in eight NBA All-Star Games and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1974 game. His accomplishments came despite a long history with knee injuries. He had his No. 16 jersey
retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
by both the Pistons and the Bucks and his No. 31 jersey retired by
St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure University is a private university, private Franciscan university in St. Bonaventure, New York. It has 2,760 undergraduate and graduate students. The Order of Friars Minor, Franciscans established the university in 1858. In ath ...
, for whom he played
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
. After retiring from playing he was an assistant coach for the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
, and briefly served as their interim head coach. He went on to work as an NBA Cares Global Ambassador.


Early life

Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. was born on September 10, 1948, in
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
. He was the son of Robert Sr. and Nannette Lanier. His mother raised him in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...
. Growing up, Lanier initially was rejected in his efforts to play basketball. When he tried out to play for his grammar school team, Lanier was told by a coach that his feet (size 11 at age 11) were too large for him to become a successful athlete. Although he was tall by age 16, Lanier did not make the varsity basketball squad in his sophomore year at Bennett High School because he was deemed to be too clumsy. During his junior year, he was encouraged to try out again by new coach Fred Schwepker, who taught Lanier as a student in his biology class. Lanier tried out again and made the team. He averaged 21.5 points and was named to the All-City team as a junior. In his senior year, he averaged 25.0 points and he earned All-Western New York State honors. In each year, he led Bennett to a Buffalo city title. Lanier graduated in 1966. Lanier was recruited by more than 100 universities; however, he chose to attend
St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure University is a private university, private Franciscan university in St. Bonaventure, New York. It has 2,760 undergraduate and graduate students. The Order of Friars Minor, Franciscans established the university in 1858. In ath ...
, approximately an hour and a half away from his home. There, he played for coach Larry Weise. "There was recruiting competition, but the advantage I had, and what I sold, was that his parents could come watch him play", said Coach Weise. "He picked St. Bonaventure. His parents were at every game." In 2009 as ''
The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. On January 29, 2020, th ...
'' celebrated 50 years of All-
Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...
(WNY) basketball selections, Lanier, who was a 1965–66 All-WNY first team selection was named to the All-time All-WNY team along with
Christian Laettner Christian Donald Laettner (, ; born August 17, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. His college career for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball, Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegi ...
, Curtis Aiken, Paul Harris and Mel Montgomery.


College career

Lanier was a three-time
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
selection (1968–1970). As a senior in 1970, he led the St. Bonaventure to the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
. Near the end of the regional championship game, he injured his knee in a collision with Villanova's
Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford (January 11, 1949 – January 17, 2023) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mad Bomber", Ford played most of his NBA career on the D ...
and did not play in St. Bonaventure's national semifinal loss to
Jacksonville University Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Located in the city's Arlington (Jacksonville), Arlington district, the school was founded in 1934 as a two-year college and was known as Jacksonvill ...
. That year, Lanier was named the ''Coach and Athlete Magazine'' player of the year and the
Eastern College Athletic Conference The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 15 sports (13 men's and 13 women's). It has 220 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from ...
's Player of the Year. Since 2007 their basketball court has been called the “ Bob Lanier court


Freshman year (1966–1967)

Per NCAA rules at the time, Lanier played on the freshman team during his first year at St. Bonaventure.


Sophomore year (1967–1968)

As a sophomore in the 1967–68 season, Lanier made an immediate impact and gained national recognition. Lanier led St. Bonaventure (13–9 in the previous season) to an undefeated regular season (26–0) and a number three final poll ranking. He averaged 26.2 points and 15.6 rebounds per game for the season. Against Loyola Maryland, Lanier had 27 rebounds, leading St. Bonaventure to a 94–78 victory. In the 23-team 1968 NCAA tournament, Lanier led St. Bonaventure to a 102–93 victory over
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
and coach
Bob Cousy Robert Joseph Cousy ( , born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. He played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time NBA ...
. The Bonnies were then defeated 91–72 by
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
and coach
Dean Smith Dean Edwards Smith (February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American men's college basketball Coach (basketball), head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North C ...
in the East Regional semifinal, ending their undefeated season. Lanier had 32 points and 15 rebounds in the victory over Boston College and 23 points with 9 rebounds in the North Carolina loss. Lanier then fouled out, scoring 18 points with 13 rebounds in the third-place East Region game; St. Bonaventure lost, 92–75, to Columbia. Lanier was named a second-team All-American, behind Lew Alcindor (who later changed his name to
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
) at center.


Junior year (1968–1969)

In the 1968–69 season, St. Bonaventure finished with a 17–7 record after starting the season 3–5. Against
Seton Hall Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...
, Lanier scored 51 points, setting the single-game scoring record for St. Bonaventure. Lanier averaged 27.3 points and 15.6 rebounds in 24 games. Lanier was again named a second-team All-American behind Lew Alcindor at center. During his junior year, Lanier was approached by representatives of the
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
's
New York Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
, who reportedly offered him $1.2 million to leave school early and join the ABA. However, following his father's advice, Lanier chose to remain in school.


Senior year: NCAA Tournament and knee injury (1969–1970)

Lanier averaged 29.2 points and 16.0 rebounds as St. Bonaventure finished the 1969–70 regular season 25–1 (with the only loss at Villanova 64–62) and a number three national ranking. In the 25-team 1970 NCAA tournament, Lanier led St. Bonaventure to an 80–72 victory over
Davidson College Davidson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after American Revolutiona ...
with 28 points and 15 rebounds. He had 24 points and 19 rebounds in an 80–68 victory over NC State, and had 26 points and 14 rebounds in the 97–74 victory over Villanova as St. Bonaventure advanced to the Final Four. However, Lanier injured his knee near the end of the regional championship game in a collision with Villanova's
Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford (January 11, 1949 – January 17, 2023) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mad Bomber", Ford played most of his NBA career on the D ...
. The injury was severe enough that he could not play in the Final Four and eventually required the first of eight knee surgeries he would undergo throughout his life. In the Final Four, the Bonnies lost to
Jacksonville University Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Located in the city's Arlington (Jacksonville), Arlington district, the school was founded in 1934 as a two-year college and was known as Jacksonvill ...
, whose center was future Hall of Famer
Artis Gilmore Artis Gilmore Sr. (born September 21, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Ba ...
. St. Bonaventure was whistled for 32 personal fouls and was outscored 37–15 at the free-throw line in the 91–83 loss. In the third-place game, the Bonnies lost to
New Mexico State New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a Public university system, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1888, it is the state's oldest public institution ...
, finishing the season 25–3. "Every year at this time you start thinking about it and my players start thinking about it," reflected Coach Larry Weise at age 81. "We have a reunion every three, four years and it's the same with them. It was a magical moment in our lives, no question. In our hearts, we knew we were good enough to win the championship." "I think I appreciate it even more than my (college) teammates," Lanier reflected on the Final Four in 1985, "because I had a basis for comparison. It wasn't the money, or who got the 'numbers' like in the NBA. We weren't any big stars, it was a couple of guys from Buffalo and a guy from Troy all blending together." Lanier was named a first-team All-American at center alongside future Hall of Famers
Dan Issel Daniel Paul Issel (born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, earning All-American twice en route to a school-record 25.7 points per game for his ...
(center, Kentucky),
Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. He starred in college at Louisiana State University's Tigers basketball team; his father, Press Mar ...
(point guard, LSU) and Calvin Murphy (point guard, Niagara), along with College Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Mount (shooting guard,
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...
). Lanier graduated from St. Bonaventure with a degree in business administration. Lanier holds St. Bonaventure records for scoring and rebounding, averaging 27.6 points and 15.7 rebounds, with 57% shooting in 75 career games. In March 2018, St. Bonaventure won its first game in the NCAA tournament since 1970, defeating UCLA. Coach Mark Schmidt said, "It can't get better. Our guys just fought, we persevered. ... In 1970, you know, Bob Lanier got hurt, and didn't have a chance to play UCLA and ... this is for him." "When I got the job here 11 years ago, we hear the stories about 1970," Schmidt said. "And everybody talks about if Lanier was healthy, they would have taken on UCLA. This victory is for those guys."


Professional career


Detroit Pistons (1970–1980)

Lanier was the first overall pick by the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
's
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
in the
1970 NBA draft The 1970 NBA draft was the 24th annual NBA draft, draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 23, 1970, before the 1970–71 NBA season, 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amate ...
. He was also a territorial pick by the
New York Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
of the
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
in the 1970 ABA Draft. Lanier played while still recovering from surgery. He was named to the 1971 NBA All-Rookie Team, averaging 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds for the 45–37 Pistons in 24 minutes per game under Coach
Butch van Breda Kolff Willem Hendrik "Butch" (sometimes "Bill") van Breda Kolff (October 28, 1922August 22, 2007) was an American basketball player and coach. He played four seasons for the New York Knicks before becoming a head coach at Lafayette. Ultimately, he co ...
. "I wasn't healthy when I got to the league," Lanier reflected. "I shouldn't have played my first year. But there was so much pressure from them to play, I would have been much better off—and our team would have been much better served—if I had just sat out that year and worked on my knee. My knee was so sore every single day that it was ludicrous to be doing what I was doing." Lanier rehabilitated his knee with the help of Coach van Breda Kolff, who had Lanier stay at his beachfront house for 2½ weeks to run in the sand and strengthen his knee and legs. Lanier became a star for Detroit, playing alongside teammate
Dave Bing David Bing (born November 24, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player, businessman and politician who served as the 74th mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 2009 to 2014. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After starring at ...
. He averaged more than 21 points per game for each of the next eight seasons, with a high mark of 25.7 PPG in the 1971–72 season. Lanier averaged more than 11 rebounds per game in seven straight seasons. On November 28, 1972, Lanier scored 48 points, a Pistons franchise record to this day for points scored in a game by a center, during a 129–96 win over the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. On January 15, 1974, Lanier led all scorers in that season's NBA All Star Game with 24 points, and was named the All-Star Game MVP. Detroit was a franchise in constant transition. Lanier played under eight coaches in ten seasons:
Butch van Breda Kolff Willem Hendrik "Butch" (sometimes "Bill") van Breda Kolff (October 28, 1922August 22, 2007) was an American basketball player and coach. He played four seasons for the New York Knicks before becoming a head coach at Lafayette. Ultimately, he co ...
(1970–1971),
Terry Dischinger Terry Gilbert Dischinger ( ; November 21, 1940 – October 9, 2023) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dischinger was a three-time NBA All-Star and the 1963 NBA Rookie of the Year, after ...
(1971), Earl Lloyd (1971–1972), Ray Scott (1972–1975), Herb Brown (1975–1977), Bob Kauffman (1977–1978),
Dick Vitale Richard "Dick" John Vitale (; born June 9, 1939), also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well known for his 41-year tenure as a college basketball broadc ...
(1978–1979), and
Richie Adubato Richard Adam Adubato (born November 23, 1937) is an American former basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams, the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic. He ...
(1979–1980). Each coach was hired or fired in mid-season. Of his time in Detroit, Lanier said, "I think '73–74 was our best team 2–30 We had Dave
ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...
Stu Lantz Stuart Burrell Lantz (born July 13, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Spectrum SportsNet. He played college baske ...
,
John Mengelt John P. Mengelt (born October 16, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player. Early life A two-year starter at Wendell Willkie High School (now Elwood High School) in Elwood, Indiana, Mengelt was named all-conference two years ...
,
Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford (January 11, 1949 – January 17, 2023) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mad Bomber", Ford played most of his NBA career on the D ...
,
Don Adams Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as bumbling Maxwell Smart (Secret Agent 86) in the television situa ...
, Curtis Rowe, George Trapp. But then for some reason, they traded six guys off that team before the following year. I just didn't feel we ever had the leadership... That was a rough time because, at the end of every year, you'd be so despondent." Lanier's latter years in Detroit were marred by recurring injuries, as he never played more than 64 games in any of his last four seasons as a Piston. In his ten seasons with the Detroit Pistons, Lanier averaged a double-double 22.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals in 681 games. Lanier is the Pistons' all-time leader in scoring average (22.7 ppg); he ranks second in total rebounds (8,063), third in total points (15,488), and was voted to seven All-Star games.


Milwaukee Bucks (1980–1984)

On February 4, 1980, Lanier was traded by the Pistons to the Milwaukee Bucks for Kent Benson and a 1980 first-round draft pick (which the Pistons used to select Larry Drew). On April 20 of that year, Lanier scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a Game 7 loss against the
Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly shortened to Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Division (1967–1970), and ...
in the Western Conference Semifinals (the final season for the Bucks in that conference). On May 5, 1982, Lanier's 27 points led the Bucks to a Game 5 playoff victory against the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. The Bucks eventually lost the series. Lanier's 27 points represented his highest single post-season game point total for the Bucks. In Lanier's five seasons with the Bucks, they won the Midwest Division championship each year under Coach
Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...
, with Lanier playing alongside teammates
Marques Johnson Marques Kevin Johnson (born February 8, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player and character actor who is a basketball analyst for the Milwaukee Bucks on Bally Sports Wisconsin. He played as a small forward in the National B ...
,
Sidney Moncrief Sidney Alvin Moncrief (born September 21, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player. As an NCAA college basketball player from 1975 to 1979, Moncrief played for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, leading them to the 1978 F ...
,
Quinn Buckner William Quinn Buckner (born August 20, 1954) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiate basketball for the Indiana University Hoosiers, and won a national championship in 1976. He was a captain of both ...
, Junior Bridgeman, and
Dave Cowens David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At , he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the B ...
. Still highly effective, but with aging knees, Lanier played a key role with the Bucks while averaging nearly 10 minutes less per game in his Milwaukee tenure that he had in Detroit (36.2 to 26.8). Of going to Milwaukee, Lanier said, "I wanted the trade. I got to Milwaukee... and the people gave me a standing ovation and really made me feel welcome. It was the start of a positive change. I just wish I had played with that kind of talent around me when I was young. But if I had had Marques ohnsonand Sidney oncriefand all of them around me? Damn." Lanier officially retired from the Milwaukee Bucks on September 24, 1984. He cited reoccurring knee injuries as the reason for his retirement. In 278 games with the Bucks, Lanier averaged 26 minutes, 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He played in the 1982 All-Star Game with Milwaukee. During Lanier's five-season tenure, the Bucks advanced as far as the Eastern Conference Finals twice.


NBA career summary

Over his fourteen-season NBA career, Lanier played in 959 games, averaging 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He scored 19,248 total points and had 9,698 total rebounds. In 67 career playoff games, Lanier averaged 18.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks. Lanier played in eight NBA All-Star Games; he never appeared in an NBA Finals game. "Bob probably wasn't as good a total player as he could have been because of the knee injury," said Hall of Famer
Willis Reed Willis Reed Jr. (June 25, 1942 – March 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and general manager. He spent his entire ten-year pro playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball ...
. Reed acknowledged that Lanier "probably was one of the best all-around big men ever to play the game of basketball." Lanier was known across the league as being tenacious, and was referred to as an "enforcer" due to his physical style of play. His intensity sometimes spilled over from playing into fighting, as he knocked out Atlanta's Bob Christian in 1971 and broke the nose of Detroit's Bill Laimbeer in 1983. In the
1977 NBA Playoffs The 1977 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1976–77 NBA season, 1976–77 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champion 1976–77 Portland Trail ...
, in the third game of a best of three series against
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
, the game was marred by a 3rd quarter fight with Charles Dudley of Golden State tangling with Eric Money of the Pistons. The fight spilled into the stands as a Warriors fan punching Piston
M. L. Carr Michael Leon Carr (born January 9, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA), and former head coach and General Manager of the Boston Celtics. ...
and Lanier then decking the fan. Reflective of the different era in the game, personal fouls were called on Dudley and Money, and the game resumed with the Warriors winning 109–101.


Coaching career


Golden State Warriors (1994–1995)

From 1994–95, Lanier served as an assistant coach for the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
under his former coach,
Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...
. After Nelson resigned, Lanier was named interim head coach on February 13, 1995. He compiled a 12–25 win–loss record in 37 games and the Warriors finished 26–56 overall.


Other ventures

Lanier owned and operated Bob Lanier Enterprises, Inc., a promotional marketing company which was a member of the Proforma network. Lanier was a spokesperson and chairman of the NBA's "Stay In School" program (later renamed Read to Achieve) from 1989 to 1994. From 2005 to 2022, Lanier was the NBA Cares Global Ambassador. Lanier routinely worked with youth-serving programs that supported education, youth, and family development, and health-related causes.


In popular culture

Lanier appeared as a member of the Detroit team in the cult classic basketball film ''
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh ''The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' is a 1979 American sports/fantasy comedy film directed by Gilbert Moses and coproduced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar and distributed by United Artists. The film was shot on lo ...
'' in 1979 alongside Pistons teammates
Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford (January 11, 1949 – January 17, 2023) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mad Bomber", Ford played most of his NBA career on the D ...
, Eric Money, John Shumate, Kevin Porter, and
Leon Douglas Leon Douglas (born August 26, 1954) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before transitioning to an extensive professional career overseas in Europe. ...
. Lanier was hired as basketball coach for the film ''
White Men Can't Jump ''White Men Can't Jump'' is a 1992 American Sports film, sports comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton. It stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball Hustling, hustlers. The film was released in the United States on March 27 ...
''. Lanier was impressed with lead actors
Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...
and
Wesley Snipes Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor and martial artist. In a film career spanning more than thirty years, Snipes has appeared in a variety of genres, such as numerous thrillers, dramatic feature films, and comedies, th ...
, suggesting both reached a Division II college basketball skill level. He also noted that between the two of them, Harrelson was the better player. Lanier was also mentioned in the 1980 movie "
Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American disaster film, disaster comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams and brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker in their List of directorial debuts, directoria ...
" when an exasperated Kareem Abdul Jabbar admonished Joey, "Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!"


Personal life and death

Lanier was married and divorced twice and had five children: Walter “Jack” Lanier, Kimberly Lanier, Tiffany Lanier, Robert Lanier III, and Khalia Lanier. At the time of his death, he had 7 grandchildren. The knee injuries that plagued Lanier's later career worsened as he aged. He underwent several surgeries after his retirement, the last being in 2017. At the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in
Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...
, visitors are able to compare the size of their foot to that of Lanier. The largest shoe ever created by shoe company Allen Edmonds was a size 22 for Lanier. In September 2018, Lanier shared one of his most notable NBA memories: "...when I was still playing in Milwaukee and I was getting gas at a station on, I think it was Center St. A guy came up to me and said, 'My dad is sick. And you're his favorite player. Could you come up to the house and say hello to him? The house is right next door.' So I went over, I went upstairs. The guy was laying there in his bed. His son said, 'This is Bob,' and he was like, 'I know.' And he just had a little smile, a twinkle in his eye. And he grabbed my hand and squeezed it. And we said a little prayer. About two weeks later, his dad had died. And he left a card at the Bucks office, just saying 'Thank you for making one of my dad's final days into a good day.'" Lanier died on May 10, 2022, after a brief illness. He was 73.


Honors

* Inducted into the St. Bonaventure Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975. * St. Bonaventure retired Lanier's No. 31 jersey. * In 1978, Lanier was selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) as the recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for outstanding community service. * In 1981, the
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
organization presented Lanier with the "
Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the Baseball color line, ...
Award." The award is given for service to youth, good citizenship and leadership. * Lanier was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. * Lanier's No. 16 jersey has been retired by both the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks retired his jersey in 1984. The Pistons retired his jersey in 1993. * Lanier was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. * In 2000, Lanier was the recipient of the Congressional "Horizon & Leadership Award." The award is presented annually by the Joint Leadership Commission of the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
and the Board of Directors of The Congressional Award Foundation to individuals who have made an exceptional impact on the lives of America's young people. * In 2006, Lanier was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame. * In 2007, Lanier received the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award. It was awarded for his significant contribution to civil and human rights internationally in the spirit of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
* The basketball court at Lanier's ''alma mater'', St. Bonaventure, was named in his honor in 2007. "Bob Lanier Court" is in the Reilly Center Arena. Said the 2007 press release, "Bob Lanier elevated an already established St. Bona basketball program to the next level and is an ideal ambassador of the sport. When we were thinking about names for the court he was the obvious choice and a perfect fit." * Lanier was named co-recipient of the 2009 "The Mannie Jackson – Basketball's Human Spirit Award." The award was given by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of his passion for the game of basketball and his continued commitment to community service. * Following Lanier's death, Detroit Pistons players wore a black stripe with No. 16 across the right shoulder (as seen from the front) of their jerseys for the 2022–23 NBA season.


NBA career statistics


Regular season

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, 80 , , , , 38.7 , , .493 , , , , .768 , , 14.2 , , 3.1 , , , , , , 25.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 81 , , , , 38.9 , , .490 , , , , .773 , , 14.9 , , 3.2 , , , , , , 23.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 81 , , , , 37.6 , , .504 , , , , .797 , , 13.3 , , 4.2 , , 1.4 , , 3.0 , , 22.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 76 , , , , 39.3 , , .510 , , , , .802 , , 12.0 , , 4.6 , , 1.0 , , 2.3 , , 24.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 64 , , , , 36.9 , , .532 , , , , .768 , , 11.7 , , 3.4 , , 1.2 , , 1.3 , , 21.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 64 , , , , 38.2 , , .534 , , , , .818 , , 11.6 , , 3.3 , , 1.1 , , 2.0 , , 25.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 63 , , , , 36.7 , , .537 , , , , .772 , , 11.3 , , 3.4 , , 1.3 , , 1.5 , , 24.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 53 , , , , 34.6 , , .515 , , , , .749 , , 9.3 , , 2.6 , , .9 , , 1.4 , , 23.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 37 , , , , 37.6 , , .546 , , .000 , , .781 , , 10.1 , , 3.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.6 , , 21.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 26 , , , , 28.4 , , .519 , , 1.000 , , .785 , , 6.9 , , 2.4 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 67 , , , , 26.2 , , .525 , , 1.000 , , .751 , , 6.2 , , 2.7 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 14.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 74 , , 72 , , 26.8 , , .558 , , .000 , , .752 , , 5.2 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , 13.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 39 , , 35 , , 25.1 , , .491 , , .000 , , .684 , , 5.1 , , 2.7 , , .9 , , .6 , , 10.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
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, 72 , , 72 , , 27.9 , , .572 , , .000 , , .708 , , 6.3 , , 2.6 , , .8 , , .7 , , 13.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 959 , , , , 33.5 , , .514 , , .154 , , .767 , , 10.1 , , 3.1 , , 1.1 , , 1.5 , , 20.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 8 , , 0 , , 15.1 , , .582 , , , , .833 , , 5.6 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .6 , , 9.2


Playoffs

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1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
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, 7 , , , , 43.3 , , .507 , , , , .789 , , 15.3 , , 3.0 , , .6 , , 2.0 , , 26.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
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, 3 , , , , 42.7 , , .510 , , , , .750 , , 10.7 , , 6.3 , , 1.3 , , 4.0 , , 20.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
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, 9 , , , , 39.9 , , .552 , , , , .900 , , 12.7 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , 2.3 , , 26.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
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, 3 , , , , 39.3 , , .630 , , , , .842 , , 16.7 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.3 , , 28.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
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, 7 , , , , 36.6 , , .515 , , , , .738 , , 9.3 , , 4.4 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 19.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
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Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 7 , , , , 33.7 , , .588 , , , , .719 , , 7.4 , , 4.0 , , 1.7 , , 1.1 , , 17.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
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, 6 , , , , 35.3 , , .513 , , .000 , , .560 , , 7.5 , , 3.7 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , 16.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
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, 9 , , , , 27.8 , , .573 , , , , .600 , , 7.0 , , 2.6 , , .6 , , 1.6 , , 13.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
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Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 16 , , , , 31.2 , , .480 , , , , .886 , , 7.3 , , 3.4 , , .7 , , .6 , , 12.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 67 , , , , 35.2 , , .532 , , .000 , , .768 , , 9.6 , , 3.5 , , .9 , , 1.5 , , 18.6 , - class="sortbottom" , colspan="13" style="text-align: center;", Source:


Head coaching record


NBA

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, , —, , —, , —, , — , style="text-align:center;", Missed playoffs , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 37, , 12, , 25, , , ,  , , 0, , 0, , 0, , , ,  


See also

*
List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders This article provides two lists: :A list of National Basketball Association List of NBA players, players by total career season (sports), regular season rebound (basketball), rebounds recorded. :A progressive list of rebound leaders showing how the ...
* List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds


References


External links

*
Bob Lanier bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lanier, Bob 1948 births 2022 deaths 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from New York (state) Basketball players from Buffalo, New York Centers (basketball) Detroit Pistons draft picks Detroit Pistons players First overall NBA draft picks Golden State Warriors head coaches Milwaukee Bucks players Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees National Basketball Players Association presidents National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees NBA All-Stars NBA broadcasters NBA players with retired numbers New York Nets draft picks St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball players