Center: Bob Lanier
CAREER: 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.5 blocks
Bob Lanier’s biggest problem is he never stole fans heart with a championship.
Like Grant Hill, Lanier’s Pistons were never title contenders. Playing in an era dominated by the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, Lanier was an offensive force. Talented on the block, Lanier was able to step away from the basket and score.
But when you’re battling Hall of Famers like Kareem Abdul Jabar, Bill Walton, Bob McAdoo, Willis Reed and Wes Unseld on a nightly basis, it’s easy to be forgotten if you’re not hoisting the championship trophy. Lanier was great, though, and he played in an era dominated by great big men.
Eventually Lanier asked to be traded as the Pistons labored through a 16-win season in 1979. And maybe the best quote is the one he gave the Detroit Free Press when asked about being sent to Milwaukee: “When I got on that plane, I cried like a baby.”
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