Tuesday night brought the NBA world some unfortunate news that has certainly shaken up many around the game of basketball.
NBA Hall of Famer Bob Lanier passed away at the age of 73. Lanier is revered by many as an icon in the sport and has stayed close to the game even after his retirement over 30 years ago.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has released a statement regarding Lanier’s unfortunate passing, detailing Lanier’s work as a global ambassador for the NBA long after his retirement in 1984.
“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,” Silver said in a statement. “It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around.”
Many around the NBA world took their chance to take to social media and acknowledge both the incredible career that Lanier had (which even saw him referenced by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Airplane!), as well as Lanier’s character as a person.
The NBA on TNT crew also had a very touching moment Tuesday night while they detailed stories of their encounters with Lanier, who by all accounts was a pretty incredible person.
Lanier played 15 seasons in the NBA, spending time with both the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons organizations. He made the All-Star Game eight times during the duration of his career. And his impact will be felt throughout the NBA community for years to come.
[Adrian Wojnarowski; screengrab via NBA on TNT]