The Detroit Pistons lose a legend

Fans of the Detroit Pistons and the NBA were saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Lanier, who died at age 73 after a short illness.

In his 9+ seasons with the Detroit Pistons, the Hall-of-Famer made the All-Star team seven times and is still at or near the top of several Pistons’ records, coming in 3rd in both points and rebounds for the franchise and still holding the all-time record for scoring average at 22.7 points per game.

Even though he never had much team success with the Pistons (Lanier had EIGHT different coaches in Detroit), he embodied the culture of Detroit basketball and was as good a man off the court as he was a player on it.

Detroit Pistons: Bob Lanier and what could have been

What’s crazy about Lanier is that as great as he was, he could have been even better had he played in the modern age when player health was taken more seriously.

Lanier limped to the Pistons as the number one pick who was literally signed as he lay in a hospital bed recovering from knee surgery.

He played through the pain, as players back then had little security or control over their careers compared to now. Lanier undoubtedly did long-term damage to himself by playing on a wrecked knee but still played all 82 games in his rookie season.

In fact, Lanier only missed four games in the first four years of his career, setting the tone for future Pistons with his toughness and grit.

Lanier was the anti-Ben Simmons, a guy who sacrificed for his team even though they probably didn’t deserve it after encouraging him to play even though he was injured.

As good as Lanier was (averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds per game in his second season), you have to wonder what kind of numbers he could have put up on two legs.

But Lanier wasn’t just some tough-guy bruiser, in many ways he was the prototype of the modern skilled center, as he could score, protect the rim and set up teammates. Lanier was an underrated passer who once averaged 4.6 assists per game and was one of those guys who probably could have played in any era.

You can see his all-around game in these highlights, where you’ll see a strong post game, a guy who could hit a jumper, make slick passes out of the post and block shots.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar considered Lanier one of his toughest opponents and even mentioned him in this classic scene from the comedy Airplane:

There was one way to slow Bob Lanier down according to Kareem. This is an anecdote that always made me laugh, as it shows how much things have changed.

"“Bob liked to smoke cigarettes at halftime. So in the second half I made Bob run and he was in pain, I could see it. It really affected his game, and he never knew that I knew that. I’ve talked to him about that since we’ve been retired and he was like, ‘What?! … Geez, I should’ve known better.'”"

The NBA is lucky that knee injuries and cigarettes slowed Bob Lanier down, as he was still a dominant force on the court and an even nicer guy off of it.

Detroit Pistons: Bob Lanier off the court

Lanier also had a huge impact off the court, acting as a global ambassador for the game, a mentor to young people and an advocate for players.

Here is what commissioner Adam Silver had to say about Lanier’s impact on the NBA:

"“Bob Lanier was a Hall of Fame player and among the most talented centers in the history of the NBA, but his impact on the league went 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. 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.“I learned so much from Bob by simply watching how he connected with people. 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. We send our deepest condolences to Bob’s family and friends.”"

Players like Shaquille O’ Neal have been paying tribute to Lanier and we’re sure to see more over the coming days.

Lanier’s #16 hangs in the rafters of Little Caesar’s Arena because of his greatness on the court, but he was even more impactful off of it.

RIP Bob Lanier, the Detroit Pistons are down a legend.