Hall of Famer and longtime Detroit Pistons center Bob Lanier died on Tuesday night, the NBA announced.
He was 73.
The league didn’t announce his cause of death, other than saying he battled “a short illness.”
“Bob Lanier was a Hall of Fame player and among the most talented centers in the history of the NBA, but his impact went far beyond what he accomplished on the court,” commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “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.