The basketball star who was told his feet were too big
In short: Imagine being rejected from your school's sports team because you were deemed "too clumsy" and had feet that were already size 11 at age eleven. Bob Lanier defied those early doubts to become an NBA legend, enduring a grueling history of knee surgeries while reaching the pinnacle of professional basketball.
Bob Lanier’s journey to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame began with significant obstacles. At Bennett High School, he was initially denied a spot on the varsity squad by coach Nick Mogavero, who labeled him too clumsy. It wasn't until his junior year that biology teacher Fred Schwepker encouraged him to try out again, leading Lanier to average 25.0 points as a senior and earn All-Western New York State honors.
Lanier chose St. Bonaventure University over more than 100 other offers, largely because his parents could attend every game. His collegiate career was defined by dominance and physical sacrifice. In the 1968–69 season, he set a school scoring record with 51 points against Seton Hall and turned down a $1.2 million offer from the ABA's New York Nets to stay in school. However, his senior year (1969–70) was marked by a severe knee injury during a regional championship collision that would necessitate eight surgeries over his lifetime.
Despite the injury, Lanier entered the NBA as the first overall pick in 1970. He played through immense pain for the Detroit Pistons, where he remains the all-time leader in scoring average (22.7 ppg). His career was a study in resilience; he averaged double-doubles over 681 games in Detroit and later helped lead the Milwaukee Bucks to five consecutive Midwest Division championships between 1977 and 1982, despite his aging knees.
Lanier's legacy is cemented by both individual accolades—including being the 1974 NBA All-Star Game MVP—and his enduring impact on St. Bonaventure. In 2018, when the Bonnies defeated UCLA, the victory was explicitly dedicated to Lanier, as many believed that had he remained healthy in 1970, he would have led them to a championship over the Bruins.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Bob Lanier
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