NBA Hall of Famer Bob Lanier Passes Away at 73

Bob Lanier, a legendary basketball player who later served as a global ambassador for the NBA, has passed away at the age of 73.

On Wednesday, the NBA announced the tragic news that Lanier died earlier that day after suffering an undisclosed “short illness.” They noted that he was surrounded by family at the time of his death.

In a statement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said basketball “was a labor of love for Bob,” whom he described as “one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around.”

“I learned so much from Bob by simply watching how he connected with people,” Silver said. “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.”

Born on September 10, 1948, in Buffalo, New York, Lanier played college basketball at St. Bonaventure University and was the number one pick in the NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.

After playing for the Pistons from 1970 to 1980, Lanier played for the Milwaukee Bucks from 1980 to 1984.

Additionally, Lanier appeared in eight All-Star games between 1972 and 1982, including being honored as All-Star MVP in 1974.

In 1978, he earned the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, an annual NBA award given to a member of the league that has shown “outstanding service and dedication to the community.”

Following his storied basketball career, Lanier became a global ambassador for the NBA in which Silver said he traveled “the world to teach the game’s values and make a positive impact on young people everywhere.”

“His enormous influence on the NBA was also seen during his time as president of the National Basketball Players Association, where he played a key role in the negotiation of a game-changing collective bargaining agreement,” Silver added.

Lanier also joined the Golden State Warriors for the 1995 season as an assistant coach and filled in as head coach following Don Nelson’s resignation.

In 2007, the St. Bonaventure basketball arena was named in his honor.

During a 2018 interview with NBA.com, Lanier spoke about the importance of community when it came to the NBA.

“There’s so much need out here,” he said at the time. “When you’re traveling around to different cities and different countries, you see there are so many people in dire straits that the NBA can only do so much. We make a vast, vast difference, but there’s always so much more to do.”

Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones for their loss.

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