By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Lanier has passed away. He was 72.
An official cause of death has not been announced yet. He died on Tuesday.
According to the NBA, he had a brief illness. He had been working for the league as a global ambassador.
READ MORE: Click here for our latest Death coverage.
“For more than 30 years, Bob served as a global ambassador and as a special assistant to David Stern and then me, traveling the world to teach the game’s values and make a positive impact on young people everywhere,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around.”
During his basketball career, he was an eight-time All-Star. He also was named the 1974 All-Star Game MVP.
Lanier was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. After playing for the Pistons, he also spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks.
He spent nine-plus seasons with the Pistons. He also played parts of four-plus seasons with the Bucks.
READ MORE: Click here for our latest Sports coverage.
“Bob-A-Dob” appeared in 959 games in his career. He averaged 20.1 points per contest.
He was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
