Photo: photo taken by flickr user compujeramey (Jeramey Jannene) / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Bob Lanier is a giant in every sense, and I rank him among the truly complete figures in NBA history. Fourteen seasons, eight All-Star selections, the 1974 All-Star MVP, and a 1992 Hall of Fame induction tell you about the player. But the detail that moves me most is the 1978 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, proof that he gave as much off the floor as on it. A skilled, soft-handed big man from Buffalo who led with both talent and decency. His passing in 2022 was a real loss, and to me his legacy is as much about character as dominance.
Overview
Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. In 14 NBA seasons, Lanier played in eight NBA All-Star Games and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1974 game.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bob Lanier
- Name (Japanese)
- ボブ・レイニア
- Reading
- ぼぶ・れいにあ
- Born
- September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Rat
- Origin
- Buffalo, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 211 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- basketball player / basketball coach
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Bennett High School
- University
- St. Bonaventure University
Awards & achievements
- 1971 NBA All-Rookie Team
- 1974 NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award
- 1978 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
- 1992 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Basketball player — see all → · Basketball coach — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.