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Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Bob Lanier, Hall of Famer and NBA Ambassador, Passed Away at Age 73
Bob Lanier, one of the NBA's best centers in the 1970s during an era when the league had several Hall of Fame centers, has passed away after a brief illness. The 73 year old Lanier was just as renowned for being a great person as he was for being a great player. He won the 1978 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award in recognition of his contributions to the world away from the basketball court.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement shortly after Lanier's death was confirmed:
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.
Early in his career, Lanier faced off against older legends who started their careers in the 1960s, including Wilt Chamberlain and Willis Reed. Lanier also battled against great contemporaries, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, Bob McAdoo, Moses Malone, Wes Unseld, and Bill Walton. Lanier twice finished in the top five in regular season MVP voting (third in 1974, fourth in 1977). He won the 1972 ABA-NBA All-Star Game MVP, and he won the 1974 NBA All-Star Game MVP. Lanier ranked in the top 10 in scoring six times, and he finished in the top 10 in rebounding four times. He finished his career as a member of the elite 20-10 club (20.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg).
In 1972, Lanier was crowned as the NBA's one-on-one champion, defeating Jo Jo White in the finals and winning $15,000 plus a fancy trophy:
The NBA on TNT crew just did a nice tribute segment about Lanier, and what Charles Barkley said during that segment echoed what he told me when I interviewed Barkley during the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend: "I know Bob personally. He lives in
Arizona. Obviously, he was a great, great, great player, but the one
thing that I'll say about Bob is that Bob is one of the nicest men I've
met in my life, period. He's a wonderful person. You can look at his
stats and the fact that he's in the Hall of Fame and see that he was a
great player. Living in Phoenix, I've gotten to know him really well and
he's just a wonderful person."
It
was an honor and a treat to interview Lanier, because he was one of the
NBA's best players when I first fell in love with the sport, and he was
one of the players profiled in one of the first basketball books that I
read as a child, Basketball's Biggest Stars by Angelo Resciniti.
The Lanier quote that always resonated the most with me is what he told me during our first interview after I asked him to describe the greatest moment of his NBA career. Lanier replied, "Greatest moment? To me--and I know that this might sound a little
trite--the greatest moment is that basketball has enabled me to touch
other people's lives. I've always been able to do that. Since day one,
being an NBA player and visiting a hospital or going to a senior
citizens' home and listening to an elderly person who has much more
wisdom than I'll ever have and brightening their day and giving my
energy. It's something that is very, very special that the NBA has been
able to do. It's terrific for me. (NBA Senior Vice President) Kathy (Behrens) talked about seeing our players
making words come to life. That is very special because I see them in
gyms and community centers with these kids, bright eyed kids draped all
around them. They've got their hands on these books that they almost
cover up because their hands are so big. Then, the energy that they have
by making the words come to life and then going over to a tech center
where they get on these computers. It's funny sometimes, because really
the kids know more about how to do online stuff than our players, so
they end up teaching our players. It's really, really nice."
Observations from Barkley and Naismith (2006 NBA All-Star Weekend)
Note: This article was originally published
on February 17, 2006 at HoopsHype.com but the link no longer works, so I
have reprinted the article in its entirety below.
All-Star Weekend actually began several days before
most of the players, celebrities and fans arrived in Houston. The NBA
Read to Achieve Caravan, led by Bob Lanier, conducted
Reading Timeouts at three Houston elementary schools on Monday. Three
Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA fitness clinics were held on Tuesday and on Wednesday
the NBA and NBA Players Association partnered with Habitat for Humanity
to break ground on the first of two houses that they will build this
week. Thursday activities included an NBA Cares hospital visit and the
eighth National Wheelchair Basketball Association All-Star Classic at
the NBA All-Star Jam Session, which is located in the George R. Brown
Convention Center.
The 13th NBA All-Star Jam Session opened to
the public at 4 p.m. on Thursday and it will be open daily starting at 9
a.m., Friday through Monday. It features clinics, contests, basketball
collectibles for sale and the opportunity to get autographs from NBA
players and legends.
Thursday night it was also the site for TNT's studio show featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith (who left after the halftime of the first game to go host his party).
Fans ringed the set to take pictures and get autographs. After the
halftime show for the Chicago-Philadelphia game, I had the opportunity
to speak with Barkley as he and the rest of the TNT group relaxed in
their trailer to watch the second half of the game.
I had introduced myself to Barkley a few minutes before the interview,
but wasn't sure that he heard what I was saying with all of the Jam
Session commotion, so when I came into the trailer I introduced myself
again. Barkley, looking serious, remarked that I had just told him that a
minute ago and he hadn't forgotten my name. When I mentioned the noise
outside, he retorted that he had read my name tag also. Then he paused a
beat and said, "Relax, man. I'm just messing with you."
With
my "initiation" out of the way, I asked Barkley what he is most looking
forward to this weekend. He answered, "I get nominated for the Hall of
Fame tomorrow, so that makes it a little bit more special for me. I
would be disingenuous if I said that I am thinking about something else.
I am really honored and flattered. It's going to be pretty special.
This is the first time that I've been eligible and when my name is
mentioned tomorrow it’s going to be special."
I
said that I thought that his induction is a foregone conclusion and
Barkley replied, "That would be cocky of me to say. This is the first
time that I've been eligible and when my name is mentioned tomorrow it's
going to be very special. Obviously I feel good about my chances, but
it's a long, drawn-out process. I don't even know when they do the
voting, but everything starts tomorrow."
Ernie Johnson walked by and deadpanned, "You didn't hear?" and Barkley quipped, "Me and Dominique both got left off?"
I asked Barkley what his favorite All-Star memories are and he said, "The first time that I played, in Seattle, that's special--the first time is always special--and the time that I received the MVP (1991)."
Naturally, Barkley can't reveal who TNT's "Next 10"-–their additions to the 50 Greatest Players List--will be but I asked him to speak a little about Bob McAdoo, the subject of my recent HoopsHype.com article
and a teammate of his in 1985-86. Barkley said, "I can't remember, but I
think that I put McAdoo on my next 10...He was nice and quiet. I grew up
watching him as a little kid. He was a prolific jump shooter. It's
pretty cool to play with somebody you watched as a little kid."
Barkley had not seen Michael Jordan's new shoe commercial, so we stopped talking when it came on the air.
Before it came on, Miller told Barkley that it was good and that Barkley
should watch it. After seeing it, Barkley agreed and added that he is
not a big fan of the "LeBrons" commercial: "Let him talk and show his personality. I don't know what they're doing with his commercials--he's dressed up as his grandfather. He needs to showcase his
personality. He's a terrific player (but) when you are out there to
represent your league and sell products you have to let people get to
know you."
Barkley is a fan of Bob Lanier,
another player who did not make the 50 Greatest Players List but was
nominated for TNT's Next 10: "I know Bob personally. He lives in
Arizona. Obviously, he was a great, great, great player, but the one
thing that I'll say about Bob is that Bob is one of the nicest men I've
met in my life, period. He's a wonderful person. You can look at his
stats and the fact that he's in the Hall of Fame and see that he was a
great player. Living in Phoenix, I've gotten to know him really well and
he's just a wonderful person."
After talking with
Barkley, I walked through the Hall of Fame exhibition at Jam Session,
which displayed items ranging from a 1974-75 ABA basketball to a pair of
Dr. J's shoes to a photo of Michael Jordan playing against Chris Mullin in the 1982 Hall of Fame tipoff classic and much more.
My
next stop was a display organized by the Naismith International
Basketball Foundation. Sitting behind the counter was none other than Ian Naismith, the non-profit organization's founding director and the grandson of Dr. James Naismith,
the inventor of basketball. Ian Naismith opened up a bulletproof
briefcase and showed me the original 13 rules of basketball that were
typed up by his grandfather. The Foundation is offering the document for
sale, but with some important stipulations: the buyer must donate it to
the Smithsonian Institution and the funds must go to support children's
charities.
Naismith told me that he gets varying
reactions when people hear his last name, depending on how well versed
they are in basketball history. My first thought was to wonder if he had
a chance to talk to his grandfather about inventing basketball.
This
is what he told me: "I was born in Dallas, Texas and my grandfather
lived in Lawrence, Kansas for 41 years after he invented the game. When I
was born he took a train from Lawrence, Kansas to Dallas and baptized
me. He stayed for three days with my parents and then he went home and
passed away three months later. I didn't get to know him, but he
baptized me, which is very important to me. He put his hands on my head
and the family joke is that he called me the first dribbler."
Naismith
is conducting a 43-city tour to spread the word about his Foundation
and to promote good sportsmanship. He feels very passionately about how
the game should be played and since 1998 the Foundation has honored
individuals and groups who represent the game positively. Michael Jordan
was the first player who won the award; winners are selected by a
nine-member committee whose names are not divulged to the public. The
Naismith Good Sportsmanship Tour is in its fifth year and has made stops
at each All-Star Game and Final Four during this time. Over 1.5 million
visitors have seen it. Naismith says that his grandfather stood for
"respect, dignity, positive role-modeling and teamwork. Sportsmanship
was his biggest thing."
He cited Steve Nash, Tim Duncan and John Stockton as three players who embody these traits.
I
couldn't have asked for a better start to All-Star Weekend than talking
to Charles Barkley and Ian Naismith. Here are some things that I am
looking forward to seeing during the rest of the weekend:
*The moment when Flip Saunders puts four Detroit Pistons on the court at the same time facing off against the Western Conference’s best players.
*Watching 5-9 Nate Robinson in the Slam Dunk Contest. Many people are down on this event, saying
that it is played out, but Robinson will almost certainly bring the fans
out of their seats. It is unfortunate that we won't get to see Kobe, Vince or LeBron but Andre Iguodala, Hakim Warrick and defending champion Josh Smith are all outstanding dunkers.
*Will Kobe Bryant make a run a Wilt Chamberlain's All-Star Game record of 42 points?
*Watching Ray Allen in the Three-Point Shootout. Allen has the game's sweetest, most effortless looking shooting stroke from deep--it's like watching a healthy Ken Griffey, Jr. swing a baseball bat.
*A moment or play that no one predicted--and no one will ever forget.
Quotes from Legends Roundtable Featuring Julius Erving, Bob Lanier, Bill Russell and Bill Walton
On Friday January 14, NBA TV aired a "Legends Roundtable" featuring Julius Erving, Bob Lanier, Bill Russell and Bill Walton. Erving was the star of the show, both in terms of how much time he spent talking and in terms of how much the other three said about him.
The show's introduction featured highlights of the four players, with one of the voiceovers (George McGinnis, Erving's ABA rival and NBA teammate) declaring of Erving, "Without question, without any doubt, the absolute greatest forward that has ever put on a pair of basketball shoes."
Erving explained that the person who had the most impact on his basketball career during his formative years was Don Ryan, a then-19 year old Salvation Army coach from Hempstead, New York who mentored the then-nine year old Erving; Erving felt so strongly about Ryan's effect on him that when Erving was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Hall asked Erving what kind of banner/display Erving wanted Erving asked for a Hempstead Salvation Army banner and made sure that Ryan was there for the ceremony.
While Russell, Walton and, to a lesser extent, Lanier became nationally known stars as collegians, the young Julius Erving was putting up 27 ppg-20 rpg averages for the University of Massachusetts in the obscure (and now defunct) Yankee Conference. Erving received an invitation to the Olympic Development camp in 1970 but did not make the cut as one of the 40 best players; Erving said that this shook his confidence and that he returned home to coach at the local recreation center during the summer. However, Erving had been selected as one of four alternates, so when a player went down because of injury Erving was invited back to Colorado Springs to join the Olympic Development tour. Erving recalled that the other players on the tour--including future All-Star/current Sacramento Coach Paul Westphal--openly spoke about becoming pro basketball players, something that Erving had never seriously considered at that time. Erving proved to be the best player on the tour and that is when he first realized that playing professionally was not a distant dream but rather a likely possibility. That story is a powerful reminder that even the most talented people need the right opportunities in order to build their confidence and reach their full potential. "I didn't even have the mentality of thinking that I was going to be a pro, period, or a Hall of Famer," Erving remembered, "until after that camp, because once we got out (there) and we started playing and I performed as well or better than all the other guys there I said, 'If they're going to make it, I've got a pretty good chance of making it.'"
Walton declared, "The minute that Dr. J started floating over that court with the hair and the beard--he would just come at you and it was exhilarating." Erving added, "(Hall of Fame Coach) Lou Carnesecca used to talk about with certain athletes it's just like taking a blank canvas and when that player performs they are actually painting a picture. George Gervin and Tiny Archibald--that's what comes to mind for me when you watch them play: there's the arena and there is what this guy is doing. There are a handful of guys who painted pictures for people and those pictures made indelible impressions that they will have for the rest of their lives."
Walton said, "Dr. J had the responsibility and the pressure of everybody wanting something spectacular every single night. How did you deal with that responsibility?"
Erving replied, "I wanted to undertake the challenge of daring to be great. It's like, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' and 'No risk, no reward,' so I would hold that in my heart that I was not going to be afraid to dare to be great and to do something that maybe nobody had ever seen before. It's an individual expression and it's rooted in taking that up as a challenge." Erving spoke those words over the highlight clip for the "No Way Even for Dr. J Reverse Layup."
Erving also said that he adopted the motto of his college coach Jack Leaman: "Attitude is altitude"; Rod Thorn and Bobby Jones are just two of the many people who have raved about how great Erving was as a teammate: Erving explained, "I always brought a certain attitude to practice and to games because I knew it would take things to the next level if I had a positive attitude as the leader of the team."
Erving is a role model for the class and dignity with which all athletes should conduct themselves. He said that he was guided by this thought: "I always wanted to win without boasting and lose without crying. If you chew on that one, it's going to keep you in a good place that helps you maintain your sanity while all the madness is going on around you."
Russell said, "I thought that what distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere." As Erving looked at Russell and listened intently, Walton delivered a knowing smile and pointed at Erving as if to say, "Dr. J embodied that trait to the fullest." Russell concluded, "It's like, if you're in the game and Doc's playing, everybody is watching him warm up." That sentiment echoes what a scout recently said to me about how everyone on the court knows that Kobe Bryant is the best player and defers to his greatness. As the saying goes, "game recognizes game"--players know who is great, who is good and who is just taking up space, whether the "game" is basketball, chess or writing: strip away the hype, strip away the nonsense and true greatness always shines through.
Lanier lamented that he was the only player on the panel who never won a championship and he asked the other three players what made their championship teams special. Erving replied, "Let me just set the record straight, too, because sometimes I am a little offended when the championship discussion comes about because I did not have an opportunity to win NBA championships or be a part of the NBA championship experience my first five years--but I wasn't just sitting around picking my nose: I was playing five years in the formidable ABA and I was part of two championship experiences there." That is a crucial historical point that I have made several times, including a 2001 article that I wrote for Basketball Digest about ABA statistics, a 2007 article that I wrote for NBCSports.com about the ABA's legacy and my Pantheon series article about Erving. Erving's performance in the 1976 ABA Finals--culminating in a classic 31 point, 19 rebound, five assist, five steal, four blocked shot effort in the decisive game six--has been described as "the greatest individual performance by a basketball player at any level anywhere--ABA, NBA, BAA or UCLA."
Erving then talked about his NBA Finals experiences: "In my first seven years in the NBA we were part of four championship experiences, three of which we did not win: one compliments of Bill (Walton) and two compliments of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. So I had multiple opportunities to be in the championship arena, went to the Finals six times in 16 years--something that I am very individually proud of and also something that I am proud of for the Nets and 76ers organizations and for my teammates...Each of those times, succeed or fail, what it takes to get there is at the foundation and the core of it all. And that is the sense of setting a goal, being able to focus on it and then going through that process of trying to accomplish that goal. Even in the times when you come up short...I certainly did not feel at the end of the season, being the second place team, that it was all over. I actually felt more determined about coming back the next year because I knew that we probably could get back there again, until 1983 with the Sixers when I felt that the window was closing up after that--I didn't feel like the next few years that I played that I was ever on a team that had enough to accomplish what had already been accomplished in those previous 12 seasons, which was six attempts for the title and winning three times."
Lanier concluded the show by echoing a sentiment that he expressed to me in an interview almost six years ago: the most meaningful part of his NBA experience is that it has enabled him to have a positive impact on other people's lives.
I wrote the chapter about the NBA in the 1970s for the 2005 anthology Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond. This is the fifth of 12 installments reprinting that chapter in its entirety.
I have removed the footnotes that accompanied the original text; direct quotations are now acknowledged in the body of the work and I will post a bibliography at the end of the final installment. I hope that you enjoy my take on one of the most fascinating and eventful decades in NBA history.
Celtic Pride Reborn
Wilt Chamberlain jumped to the ABA to be a player coach for the San Diego Conquistadors in the 1973-1974 season, but the Lakers successfully sought an injunction that kept him from playing for San Diego for one year. This was the same option clause that forced Rick Barry to sit out a year before joining the Oaks and that Connie Hawkins' representatives removed from his Pipers' contract so that he could join the NBA as soon as his case was resolved. The option only existed from the point of view of the team, which could choose to sign a player to a new contract when the original one expired or else restrain the player from signing with another team for a year; the player's "option" consisted of re-signing with the same team on their terms or losing a year's worth of earnings. This was a convenient way for the owners to restrict player movement and contain salaries but the cases of Rick Barry, Spencer Haywood and others were the first steps in eliminating this clause from standard player contracts.
The Lakers' championship hopes were dealt a second blow by injuries that limited Jerry West to 31 regular season games and a 14 minute cameo appearance in one playoff game before he retired. The Lakers acquired Hawkins from the Suns but he was no longer a star player. They also dealt Jim McMillian to the Buffalo Braves for journeyman center Elmore Smith, who led the league in blocked shots with a 4.85 per game average in the first year that the NBA recorded this statistic; Portland's aptly named Larry Steele averaged 2.68 steals per game as the NBA's first official leader in that category. The 47-35 Lakers won their fourth consecutive Pacific Division title but were no longer a legitimate title contender.
Oscar Robertson struggled with age and injuries in his last season but he, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bob Dandridge combined to lead the Bucks to their fourth straight Midwest Division crown with a league best 59-23 record. The Bulls and a fine Detroit Pistons team led by center Bob Lanier (22.5 points per game, 13.3 rebounds per game and 3.05 blocked shots per game) rounded out the playoff field in the Western Conference.
Similarly, the Eastern Conference playoffs featured three established playoff teams and one newcomer. The Celtics won the Atlantic Division for the third straight year, this time with a conference best 56 victories, while the 47-35 Capital (formerly Baltimore) Bullets took their fourth Central Division title in a row. The veteran Knicks (49-33) and young Buffalo Braves (42-40) were the other participants in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Buffalo featured Bob McAdoo, a center who won the first of three straight scoring titles (30.6 points per game) while leading the league in field goal percentage (54.7), ranking third in rebounding (15.1 rebounds per game) and third in blocked shots (3.32 blocks per game). His shooting prowess was remarkable considering that many of his attempts were long jump shots, while his rebounding and shot blocking were impressive because he was undersized (6-9, 215) for a center. No less an authority than Bill Russell offered this high praise: "He's the greatest shooter of all time, period. Forget that bit about 'greatest shooting big man.'"
McAdoo scored 31.7 points per game versus Boston in the playoffs, but the Celtics won the series four games to two. The Knicks and Bullets squared off for the sixth year in a row and the Knicks won for the fifth time, taking game seven 91-81 in New York. The Bucks annihilated the Lakers in five games, while Chicago and Detroit slugged it out for seven games before the Bulls advanced after a 96-94 triumph at home. The Celtics avenged the previous year's loss to the Knicks with a five game victory in the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Bucks swept the Bulls in the Western Conference Finals.
The Finals proved to be a seesaw affair. Milwaukee won a dramatic 102-101 double overtime game six in Boston and seemed to have matters in control heading home for game seven. Instead the Celtics blew the Bucks out, 102-87. Dave Cowens scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. During an 18 minute stretch Abdul-Jabbar went 0-3 from the field, due mainly to Cowens' physical, aggressive defense, the Celtics' double teaming in the post, and tremendous defensive pressure on the Bucks' ball handlers. "Their team concept of pressure was more than we could handle. With all the adjustments we tried, we just couldn't cope with it. Boston is a great team with no weaknesses. At least I haven't been able to find any," commented Bucks' Coach Larry Costello. Havlicek averaged 27.1 points per game during the postseason and won the Finals MVP.
Interview with Bob Lanier and NBA Senior VP Kathy Behrens
This article was originally published at Suite101.com on March 16, 2005.
Hall of Famer Bob Lanier averaged 20.1 ppg and 10.1 rpg in his 14 year career, making the All-Star team eight times and winning the All-Star Game MVP in 1974 (24 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocked shots). Lanier was also the MVP of the 1972 NBA-ABA All-Star Game, scoring 15 points in the NBA's 106-104 victory over its younger rival. In 1978 he won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award, foreshadowing the commitment to community service that has characterized his life since his playing career ended in 1984. Before the 2005 All-Star Saturday Night events, Lanier and NBA Senior Vice President Kathy Behrens shared their thoughts about some of the NBA's community service programs.
Behrens: "I'll just talk a little bit about what we’re doing here in Denver. We started on Monday with our 'Read to Achieve Caravan.' Bob led a group of former players, WNBA players and family members of NBA players out to visit two schools here and had a great time. We had reading rallies in both schools, reading to kids and talking about the importance of education. We did 'basketball and books' clinics the next day with some members of the Junior NBA and Junior WNBA programs. We had a WNBA fitness day on Wednesday. We did a basketball clinic for wheelchair bound kids who are part of the 'Junior Rolling Nuggets' program. On Thursday we visited the Children's Hospital of Denver and brought them books, teddy bears—beautiful visit with them, very emotional, very moving, more for our guys than for anybody else."
Lanier: "Yeah, all of the people who went there got just emotionally choked up. I think that's a good word for it, because there are so many children and families who are going through very difficult times and we went there to lift their spirits and then you see some of these kids who are so passionate about life itself. It makes you just say that it's all worth it. That to me—with the legends, NBA players, WNBA players, wives and all of the people in our NBA family caravan—was probably the most special thing that we can do for this week. We do a lot of great things in the community, as she said, but I don't think that anything could top that—putting a smile on those young people’s faces."
Friedman: "How many schools a year, approximately, do you go to in a year with your program?"
Lanier: "We go to schools, community groups, gymnasiums…"
Behrens: "Thousands, because teams are doing events all the time. One of the great things about the program is that so much of it happens at the local level. Players are going out visiting schools, visiting Boys and Girls clubs, just talking to kids and interacting with them, making the words in the books come to life and stressing to them the importance of not just getting an education but developing a love of reading."
Friedman: "Is the work that you do primarily in NBA and WNBA cities?"
Behrens: "It's all over the world, because obviously our game is global and our players come from all over the world, so we've tried to take the program outside of our own borders. That's been one of the great things that we've been able to do, opening a reading and learning center in Soweto in South Africa and opening one in Brazil. Those are the kinds of things that tell you that no matter where you are, you can still have an impact on people."
Friedman (to Lanier): "What is the single greatest moment that you experienced in your playing career?"
Lanier: "Greatest moment? To me—and I know that this might sound a little trite—the greatest moment is that basketball has enabled me to touch other people's lives. I've always been able to do that. Since day one, being an NBA player and visiting a hospital or going to a senior citizens' home and listening to an elderly person who has much more wisdom than I'll ever have and brightening their day and giving my energy. It's something that is very, very special that the NBA has been able to do. It's terrific for me. Kathy talked about seeing our players making words come to life. That is very special because I see them in gyms and community centers with these kids, bright eyed kids draped all around them. They've got their hands on these books that they almost cover up because their hands are so big. Then, the energy that they have by making the words come to life and then going over to a tech center where they get on these computers. It's funny sometimes, because really the kids know more about how to do online stuff than our players, so they end up teaching our players. It's really, really nice.”
Friedman: "What you are saying, in effect, is that being an NBA player, an NBA legend, has given you a platform that you might otherwise not have had to touch people's lives or to touch more people's lives than you might otherwise have reached."
Lanier: "Without question it has given me a platform to touch people's lives all around the world and that’s the perfect ending to this whole thing."
Since this interview took place at an NBA All-Star Weekend event being held in Denver, an original ABA city, it seemed only fitting to conclude by asking Lanier about his participation in the second of two NBA-ABA All-Star Games. Before the interview, I gave Lanier a copy of an article that I wrote about the NBA-ABA All-Star Games for the September-October 2004 issue of Basketball Digest (a magazine which ceased operations at the end of 2004).
Friedman: "What do you remember most about the NBA-ABA All-Star Game and also about the rivalry between the leagues in general?"
Lanier: "I remember that it was a strong rivalry. The only edge I think that the NBA had at the time was that it had more big people of skill. They (the ABA) really were equal or better at the guard and small forward positions. They had some players that could flat out play the game. It was very competitive playing against them. I was quite lucky to be the MVP that year."
It is easy to focus on negative stories--as the cliche goes, "If it bleeds, it leads." Crimes and wrongdoings committed by high profile athletes are newsworthy, but positive stories are equally worthy of attention. Why does it seem like we hear more about superstars having out of wedlock kids than we do about the students who receive educations as a result of multi-million dollar charitable donations by David Robinson (to cite just one example out of many)?
Bob Lanier averaged more than 20 ppg and 10 rpg during his Hall of Fame career, but his lasting legacy will be the lives that he has impacted around the world. Lanier serves as a special assistant to Commissioner David Stern in charge of the NBA's Team-Up community service programs. Hoopshype.com has just published my profile of Lanier (9/21/15 edit: the link to HoopsHype.com no longer works, so I have posted the original article below):
Although Bob Lanier is a Hall of Famer, it is easy to overlook his career. He did not play
on a championship team, his game was not flashy and he retired before
the NBA became the global, multimedia product that it is today. Some
fans may remember him more for his famously large sneakers than for his
accomplishments as a player. That is most unfortunate, because Lanier
had tremendous impact during his playing days--and even greater impact
since his retirement.
Lanier averaged 27.6 ppg, 15.7 rpg and shot .576 from the field while leading
St. Bonaventure University to a 65-12 record in his three varsity
seasons, including two NCAA Tournament appearances. During his senior
year in 1970, St. Bonaventure stormed to a 22-1 record in the regular
season and a third place ranking in the final AP regular season poll.
The Bonnies had an excellent chance to end UCLA's streak of NCAA
championships until Lanier suffered a devastating knee injury in a 97-74
victory over Villanova in the East Regional Final. Playing without
their star center, St. Bonaventure lost 91-83 to Artis Gilmore's Jacksonville Dolphins in the Final Four.
Lanier was still recuperating when the Detroit Pistons made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft. He did not miss a
single game in his rookie season, but Lanier thinks that his haste to
return to action may have set him up for future problems.
"In hindsight," Lanier says, "what we should have done--if I had had any
sense and if there was some sophistication with the powers that be way
back then in Detroit--is have me sit out the first half of the season,
at least, and just worked on getting my knee right, getting the swelling
down, strengthening it up. But rehab wasn't as sophisticated then and
there was so much pressure to get Bob Lanier out there playing--even on
one knee--because I was a No. 1 draft choice and because Detroit was a
fledgling team. I think, consequently, because of that I had so many
problems with my knees over the years because I started out my career
that way as opposed to really getting myself together."
On
March 19, 1971 he scored 40 points, setting a new franchise single game
scoring record for centers. Lanier averaged 15.6 ppg and 8.1 rpg and
made the All-Rookie Team. Detroit's 45-37 record was a 14-game
improvement over the previous season, but only good enough for last
place in the powerful Midwest Division. The Milwaukee Bucks, led by Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, won the division title with a 66-16 mark en route to capturing the NBA title. For
the next seven seasons, Lanier never averaged less than 21.3 ppg or
11.3 rpg.
Blocked shots and steals were not recorded during his first
three years. In 1973-74, Lanier ranked fourth in the NBA with 3.05 bpg,
totaling 247 blocked shots. He also had 110 steals, a most impressive
display of quickness by a 6-11, 265-pound center; only 11 other players
in NBA/ABA history have had 200-plus blocked shots and 100-plus steals
in the same season. Lanier
showcased his playmaking abilities by averaging 4.2 apg that year and a
career-high 4.6 apg in 1974-75.
Lanier won the 1972 NBA-ABA All-Star
Game MVP Award, no small feat considering that luminaries such as Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek, Connie Hawkins, Julius Erving and Rick Barry participated in the second annual contest between the rival leagues. In
1974, he added the NBA All-Star Game MVP to his trophy collection.
Perhaps
the most interesting piece of hardware that Lanier won came from a
one-on-one contest that included many of the NBA’s greatest stars. "They brought us all to a high school gym somewhere," Lanier recalls. "I think that they figured that Pistol Pete
was going to win it. Vitalis was the sponsor and they made a deal with
Pistol to do the TV commercials for the event. But he didn't win; he got
knocked out just before the finals. Jo Jo (White)
and I ended up playing in the finals. Jo Jo and I kind of made a little
pact. I knew how quick Jo Jo was--he'd break your ankles if you didn't
watch out. So I said, 'Jo Jo, just don't embarrass me out here.' Man,
the cameras went on and Jo Jo took off--I think he made the first five
hoops. He would make a little fake and when I got too close to him then
he would drive around me. After about the third shot he made I'm saying,
'Jo Jo, come on man, slow down, slow down.' I'm begging him. He served
me a couple more after that and then he missed. I said to myself, 'OK,
I'm going to just rock him to sleep now.' I wasn't just big and slow; I
was fairly quick for a big guy and I could shoot the outside jump shot. I
think that within the 17-foot range I could shoot as well as anyone who
ever played. I wasn't worried once he missed, because it was make it,
take it. If you made a shot you didn't have to give the ball back. So
when he missed I rocked him a little bit with some quick back down moves
and short shots until I got within range. Once the score was close
again, I shot some jumpers."
Lanier
still remembers the scene after he defeated White to earn the crown as
the NBA's best one-on-one player: "They gave me a Vitalis trophy and a
satchel that contained about $15,000. I remember unzipping it and
pretending that I was tossing the money out to the fans."
Lanier
did not just excel in All-Star games and the one-on-one contest. He
twice finished in the top five in regular season MVP balloting (third in
1974 behind Jabbar and Bob McAdoo, fourth in 1977 behind Jabbar, Bill Walton
and Pete Maravich), but there were always two centers ahead of him, so
he never made the All-NBA team. This is somewhat reminiscent of Hal Greer, the great Sixers guard who made the Hall of Fame and the 50 Greatest Players List but
never made the All-NBA 1st Team because he played at the same time as
Oscar Robertson and Jerry West
Lanier holds the Pistons franchise record with 20 games of 40-plus points, including a career-high 48 in a 120-116 victory over Portland on November 28, 1972. Lanier's 33 rebounds on December 22, 1972 versus Seattle stood as a team record until Dennis Rodman had 34 rebounds versus Indiana in 1992.
He averaged 22.7 ppg and 11.8 rpg in a little over nine seasons as a
Piston. Detroit did not win a championship during Lanier's time with the
team, but he can hardly be blamed for this: he elevated his averages to
25.6 ppg and 13.8 ppg in his 22 playoff games as a Piston. Frustrated
by Detroit's postseason failures, Lanier requested a trade and on
February 11, 1980 the Pistons sent him to Milwaukee. The Bucks went 20-6
down the stretch after Lanier's arrival and finished first in the
Midwest Division. The defending champion Seattle SuperSonics defeated
Milwaukee in seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals, winning
the clinching game 98-94.
In 1980-81, Milwaukee moved to the Eastern Conference's Central Division.
The Bucks had a 226-112 record during Lanier's four full seasons with the team, winning the Central Division crown each year. They lost Eastern Conference Finals showdowns to Philadelphia in 1983 and Boston in 1984. Each of those teams won the NBA title.
"The bad thing was if we got past Philly we ran into Boston and if we got
past Boston we ran into Philly," Lanier says. "That was when Philly had a hell of a team with Julius, Moses and a couple great guards, Mo Cheeks and Andrew Toney. God bless America, was he tough, man. He would wear Sidney Moncrief out. He was really tough. Then if we got by them, shoot, we had to face three Hall of Famers--Robert Parish, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale--plus Dennis Johnson. Think about it--that's really tough."
Lanier retired after the 1984 season with career averages of 20.1 ppg and 10.1 rpg. Bob Lanier's basketball prowess does not define him as a human being. He is a special assistant to commissioner David Stern
in charge of the NBA's Team-Up community service programs, but Lanier's
devotion to helping others predates his involvement with the NBA.
"It started long before I was a player," he explains. "It happened in high
school and even prior to that because my mother got me to do things with
kids in the church. We would mentor and do clinics and stuff like that
with kids in the church. That's how all that got started. Then, when I
was in college, I used to go and help the Seneca Indian nation. They
gave me a beautiful Indian headdress with eagle feathers."
The Seneca also bestowed an Indian name upon Lanier ("he who leaves big
tracks") which superficially could refer to his imposing physique, but
on a deeper level reflects the impact that he had on their lives.
Lanier is proud that his example has inspired other NBA players to reach out and help others. "We have a lot of players who have foundations and who are doing some
really wonderful things in their communities around the country and I
dare say around the world," he says. "Dikembe Mutombo has given large amounts of time and money to people in Africa to build
hospitals and build places for young kids to have beds and showers and
washing machines. He has done a wonderful job. Stephon Marbury,
through his Starbury Foundation, has done a wonderful job for kids,
making a difference in communities. We have a bunch of guys who continue
to do great, great work, trying to make a difference in the world."
Lanier
laments that NBA players do not receive enough recognition for these
efforts: "It is unfortunate because I dare say that there is not a group
of young men who do more to make a difference around the world than NBA
players. I travel around the world with our 'Basketball Without
Borders' program in which our ambassadors of basketball run basketball
clinics. But we also talk to these players in different countries about
how to deal with life issues and tell them that they need to make it and
then reach back to help others to make it. That is truly important and
that is one of the things that we take very, very seriously in the NBA."
Bob Lanier did not achieve his dream of winning an NBA championship, but
his efforts are helping countless people to have better opportunities to
fulfill their dreams. It's hard to imagine a greater legacy than that.
"A work of art contains its verification in itself: artificial, strained concepts do not withstand the test of being turned into images; they fall to pieces, turn out to be sickly and pale, convince no one. Works which draw on truth and present it to us in live and concentrated form grip us, compellingly involve us, and no one ever, not even ages hence, will come forth to refute them."--Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Nobel Lecture)
"The most 'popular,' the most 'successful' writers among us (for a brief period, at least) are, 99 times out of a hundred, persons of mere effrontery--in a word, busy-bodies, toadies, quacks."--Edgar Allan Poe
"In chess what counts is what you know, not whom you know. It's the way life is supposed to be, democratic and just."--Grandmaster Larry Evans
"It's not nuclear physics. You always remember that. But if you write about sports long enough, you're constantly coming back to the point that something buoys people; something makes you feel better for having been there. Something of value is at work there...Something is hallowed here. I think that something is excellence."--Tom Callahan
