Bob Lanier, NBA force who left big shoes to fill, dies at 73

Basketball big man Bob Lanier has died after a short illness. He was 73. Lanier was one of the NBA’s top players of the 1970s, muscling up beside the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Lanier played 14 seasons with the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. The left-hander averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds. He was the No. 1 draft pick in 1970 after leading St. Bonaventure to the Final Four. In 1992, he made the Hall of Fame, where a bronzed pair of his giant sneakers are displayed.