According to The Associated Press, the NBA said the former Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks star died Tuesday following a short illness. His family was by his side at the time of his death, the league said in a news release.
In a statement early Wednesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that while Lanier was “among the most talented centers in the history of the NBA,” his achievements reached “far beyond what he accomplished on the court.”
“For more than 30 years, Bob served as our 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. It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around,” the statement read.
Silver went on to call Lanier “a close friend who I will miss dearly” and expressed condolences to the former player’s family.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s statement regarding the passing of Bob Lanier. pic.twitter.com/8GD9BhKt7C
Lanier, a Buffalo, New York, native, was the No. 1 draft pick in 1970, according to the AP. He began his 14-season NBA career with the Pistons before he was traded to the Bucks in 1980. The eight-time All-Star still holds the Pistons’ franchise record for scoring an average of 22.7 points per game, the AP reported.
In 1992, Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the news agency reported.
Lanier also was rumored to wear size 22 shoes, although a Converse representative once claimed that Lanier’s actual size was 18 1/2, according to the AP.
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years Here are some memorable photos from former NBA star Bob Lanier's life and career. Lanier died Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at age 73, according to The Associated Press. (Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years Circa 1970s: Bob Lanier of the Detroit Pistons in action shooting in front of Joe Pace of the Washington Bullets during a late 1970s NBA basketball game at the Baltimore Coliseum in Baltimore. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years Circa 1970 to 1980: Bob Lanier of the Detroit Pistons looks over the defense during an NBA game circa 1970 to 1980 in Detroit. (NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years 1981: Milwaukee Bucks' Bob Lanier (16) moves for the basket as Philadelphia 76ers' Darryl Dawkins defends during an NBA playoff game, April 13, 1981, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Steve Pyle)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years 1984: Former Milwaukee Bucks player Bob Lanier has his jersey retired during a ceremony on December 4, 1984, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. (Robert Lewis/NBAE via Getty Images)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years 1999: Former Hall of Fame player and coach Bob Lanier, spokesman for NBA's TeamUp, announces that balloting has begun for the NBA All-Star Game to be played in Oakland in February 2000 Monday, Nov. 15, 1999, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years 2004: NBA legend Julius "Dr. J" Erving, left, greets former Milwaukee Bucks' Bob Lanier during the LeBron James presentation for the NBA Rookie of the Year award at the NBA Store on New York's 5th Avenue, Tuesday, April 20, 2004. (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, File)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years 2006: NBA legend Bob Lanier (left) watches a youngster shoot during the tip-off of the 2006-2007 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA season prior to the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns preseason game at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 15, 2006, in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years 2008: Former NBA players Bill Russell, left, and Bob Lanier share a laugh during the ceremonial opening of a new reading and learning center at a community center Friday, June 6, 2008, in Boston. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, File)
Photos: Bob Lanier through the years 2017: Johnny C. Taylor Jr. and Bob Lanier attends the Thurgood Marshall College Fund gala on October 23, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Thurgood Marshall College Fund)
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