Bob Lanier
A Hall of Fame center who played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks, known for his All-Star play despite knee injuries.
Bob Lanier played center for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the first overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1970 NBA draft, not by the Bucks. Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. In 14 NBA seasons, he played in eight NBA All-Star Games and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1974 game. After retiring from playing, he was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors and briefly served as their interim head coach. He went on to work as an NBA Cares Global Ambassador.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 10 September 1948
- Birthplace
- Buffalo, New York, U.S.
- Died
- 10 May 2022
- Place of death
- Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
- High school
- Bennett (Buffalo, New York)
- College
- St. Bonaventure (1967–1970)
- Draft round
- 1
- Drafted by
- Detroit Pistons
Lore & Background
Lanier was born on September 10, 1948, in Buffalo, New York. Growing up, he was initially rejected from his grammar school basketball team because a coach said his feet (size 11 at age 11) were too large. At Bennett High School, he did not make the varsity squad as a sophomore because coach Nick Mogavero deemed him too clumsy. During his junior year, new coach Fred Schwepker, who taught Lanier in biology class, encouraged him to try out again. Lanier made the team, averaged 21.5 points, and was named to the All-City team. In his senior year, he averaged 25.0 points and earned All-Western New York State honors, leading Bennett to a Buffalo city title each year. He graduated in 1966. Lanier was recruited by more than 100 universities but chose to attend St. Bonaventure University, about an hour and a half from his home, so his parents could watch him play. In 2009, The Buffalo News named Lanier to the All-time All-Western New York team.
Reader's Guide
Bob Lanier was the first overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1970 NBA draft. He played while still recovering from knee surgery and was named to the 1971 NBA All-Rookie Team, averaging 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds for the 45–37 Pistons. He became a star for Detroit, averaging more than 21 points per game for each of the next eight seasons, with a high of 25.7 PPG in 1971–72. On November 28, 1972, Lanier scored 48 points, a Pistons franchise record for points scored in a game by a center, during a 129–96 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. On January 15, 1974, he led all scorers in that season's NBA All-Star Game with 24 points and was named the All-Star Game MVP. Lanier played under eight coaches in ten seasons with Detroit. He had his No. 16 jersey retired by both the Pistons and the Bucks, and his No. 31 jersey retired by St. Bonaventure University.
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