Bob Lanier

Bob Lanier was proof that a 6-foot-11 center could play with the touch and footwork of a guard. A left-handed cornerstone for the Detroit Pistons and later the Milwaukee Bucks, he paired a soft turnaround jumper with deft passing out of the post, averaging better than 20 points and 10 rebounds a night across 14 seasons. Detroit took him first overall in 1970, and he became a Pistons scoring mainstay before a 1980 trade sent him to Milwaukee, where he stabilized a contender that reached back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. Beyond the box score, Lanier was a respected leader who served as the players' union president, and his gentle-giant reputation belied how much skill he packed into that frame. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1992 and passed away in 2022.