Post by Chuck on Oct 8, 2007 15:17:21 GMT -5
Lanier popularized Bona basketball
Charlie Specht
Issue date: 10/5/07
For four years in the 1960s, Bob Lanier brought St. Bonaventure Universitybasketball to its greatest heights. On Oct. 12, St. Bonaventure will honor him with a new basketball court dedicated in his name.
As Lanier's much anticipated return grows closer, fans are compelled to wonder just how good Lanier was. One look at the basketball record books gives a clear-cut answer; the numbers don't lie.
Lanier scored 2,067 points in his varsity career at St. Bonaventure, third all-time. Still, Lanier averaged 27.5 points before the introduction of the three-point basket.
Even more amazing are Lanier's game-by-game point totals. Yes, many players in today's era can drop three-pointer after three-pointer into the basket, but how many 50-point games have we seen from a St. Bonaventure basketball player at Madison Square Garden?
Lanier is the only one.
He scored 50 points on Dec. 20, 1969, against Purdue in a game that Boilermakers center Ken Frankline said Lanier would "find out what happens when he meets a big dog."
To top that, he scored 51 against Seton Hall in the Reilly Center on Feb. 24, 1969. To say nothing of clutch performances, he netted 43 against Little Three rival Niagara University Feb. 22, 1969.
If points are an indication of how big a shadow Lanier cast at St. Bonaventure, then rebounds absolutely separate him from the rest.
Nowadays, a double-double (10-plus points and rebounds in a game) is applauded. In Lanier's heyday, though, he seemed to aim for 30 each in a game. Lanier nearly accomplished this feat, and his favorite target was Loyola (Md.)
Lanier netted 27 rebounds on Feb. 22, 1967 (his freshman year!) and pulled down 24 on Jan. 7, 1970. Five of the top-ten rebounding performances in the Bona record books have Lanier's name attached to them.
Feb. 7, 1969, was a typical game for Lanier. He scored big, and the Brown Indians won. He racked up 38 points to go along with his 26 rebounds and seven blocks in a 105-80 win over Fairfield. Against Belmont Abbey, Lanier led St. Bonaventure to a 131-64 win.
Almost as amazing as the statistics and records are the paths that Lanier took before, during and after his days in brown and white.
He grew up on the east side of Buffalo and was actually cut from his high school team his sophomore year. After joining a local boys club and dedicating himself to improving, Lanier made All-City his junior year while leading Bennett High to two straight city titles.
After choosing St. Bonaventure from more than 100 schools, Lanier led the Brown Indians to an undefeated regular season record his sophomore year. The Brown Indians lost to North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
During Lanier's senior year of 1969-70, everything seemed to "come together." The Brown Indians got off to a sizzling start and won their first 12 games en route to a 26-3 season in which they held the No. 3 ranking in the final Associated Press Coaches Poll.
Fans remember the "Big Cat" for leading St. Bonaventure's starting five out onto the court with Ramsey Lewis' "Wade in the Water" (the team's warm-up tune) playing in the background.
In the NCAA Tournament, Lanier led the team past Davidson, North Carolina State and Villanova. Against Villanova, Lanier suffered a season-ending knee injury, leaving Bona fans to wonder what might have been. The team lost to Jacksonville in the Final Four, ending what fans simply refer to as "the year" - the most successful season in St. Bonaventure basketball history.
Lanier graduated with a degree in business administration and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons as the number-one overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft. Despite his continuing recovery from a knee injury sustained in the NCAA Tournament, Lanier played in all 82 games of his rookie year and was named to the 1970-71 NBA All-Rookie Team. Lanier played in his first NBA All-Star game in 1971-72 and was the game's most valuable player in 1973.
Because of franchise instability, Lanier was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1979. He led the Bucks to division titles the next five years and was voted the president of the NBA Players Association before his retirement after the 1983-84 season. Lanier's No. 16 jersey was retired by both the Pistons and Bucks. In 1993, Lanier was inducted into the pro basketball hall of fame.
After his NBA career, he founded Bob Lanier Enterprises, an advertising promotions business. In 1989, Lanier became chairman of the NBA's Read To Achieve program and has served as special assistant to the NBA commissioner since 1988.
In July, St. Bonaventure announced its new state-of-the-art basketball court would be named "Bob Lanier Court." In a press release, lead donor Samuel Molinaro explained, "When we were thinking about names for the court he was the obvious choice and a perfect fit."
Because of all these accolades and a Hall of Fame career which started right here, the Bonaventure community will welcome a legend back next weekend.
Schedule of events for Bob Lanier's return to St. Bonaventure
Oct. 12-13:
Friday, Oct. 12
7 p.m.
Dedication of Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center AND Introduction of the Men's and Women's Basketball Teams
A slate of "midnight madness"-type promotions including scrimmages by both teams, shooting contests and a dunk contest. The event is free and open to the public.
Saturday, Oct. 13
1 p.m.
Men's Basketball Alumni Game
6 p.m.
Tipoff Gala, Premier Banquet Center (Olean) -- $100 per person
Charlie Specht
Issue date: 10/5/07
For four years in the 1960s, Bob Lanier brought St. Bonaventure Universitybasketball to its greatest heights. On Oct. 12, St. Bonaventure will honor him with a new basketball court dedicated in his name.
As Lanier's much anticipated return grows closer, fans are compelled to wonder just how good Lanier was. One look at the basketball record books gives a clear-cut answer; the numbers don't lie.
Lanier scored 2,067 points in his varsity career at St. Bonaventure, third all-time. Still, Lanier averaged 27.5 points before the introduction of the three-point basket.
Even more amazing are Lanier's game-by-game point totals. Yes, many players in today's era can drop three-pointer after three-pointer into the basket, but how many 50-point games have we seen from a St. Bonaventure basketball player at Madison Square Garden?
Lanier is the only one.
He scored 50 points on Dec. 20, 1969, against Purdue in a game that Boilermakers center Ken Frankline said Lanier would "find out what happens when he meets a big dog."
To top that, he scored 51 against Seton Hall in the Reilly Center on Feb. 24, 1969. To say nothing of clutch performances, he netted 43 against Little Three rival Niagara University Feb. 22, 1969.
If points are an indication of how big a shadow Lanier cast at St. Bonaventure, then rebounds absolutely separate him from the rest.
Nowadays, a double-double (10-plus points and rebounds in a game) is applauded. In Lanier's heyday, though, he seemed to aim for 30 each in a game. Lanier nearly accomplished this feat, and his favorite target was Loyola (Md.)
Lanier netted 27 rebounds on Feb. 22, 1967 (his freshman year!) and pulled down 24 on Jan. 7, 1970. Five of the top-ten rebounding performances in the Bona record books have Lanier's name attached to them.
Feb. 7, 1969, was a typical game for Lanier. He scored big, and the Brown Indians won. He racked up 38 points to go along with his 26 rebounds and seven blocks in a 105-80 win over Fairfield. Against Belmont Abbey, Lanier led St. Bonaventure to a 131-64 win.
Almost as amazing as the statistics and records are the paths that Lanier took before, during and after his days in brown and white.
He grew up on the east side of Buffalo and was actually cut from his high school team his sophomore year. After joining a local boys club and dedicating himself to improving, Lanier made All-City his junior year while leading Bennett High to two straight city titles.
After choosing St. Bonaventure from more than 100 schools, Lanier led the Brown Indians to an undefeated regular season record his sophomore year. The Brown Indians lost to North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
During Lanier's senior year of 1969-70, everything seemed to "come together." The Brown Indians got off to a sizzling start and won their first 12 games en route to a 26-3 season in which they held the No. 3 ranking in the final Associated Press Coaches Poll.
Fans remember the "Big Cat" for leading St. Bonaventure's starting five out onto the court with Ramsey Lewis' "Wade in the Water" (the team's warm-up tune) playing in the background.
In the NCAA Tournament, Lanier led the team past Davidson, North Carolina State and Villanova. Against Villanova, Lanier suffered a season-ending knee injury, leaving Bona fans to wonder what might have been. The team lost to Jacksonville in the Final Four, ending what fans simply refer to as "the year" - the most successful season in St. Bonaventure basketball history.
Lanier graduated with a degree in business administration and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons as the number-one overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft. Despite his continuing recovery from a knee injury sustained in the NCAA Tournament, Lanier played in all 82 games of his rookie year and was named to the 1970-71 NBA All-Rookie Team. Lanier played in his first NBA All-Star game in 1971-72 and was the game's most valuable player in 1973.
Because of franchise instability, Lanier was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1979. He led the Bucks to division titles the next five years and was voted the president of the NBA Players Association before his retirement after the 1983-84 season. Lanier's No. 16 jersey was retired by both the Pistons and Bucks. In 1993, Lanier was inducted into the pro basketball hall of fame.
After his NBA career, he founded Bob Lanier Enterprises, an advertising promotions business. In 1989, Lanier became chairman of the NBA's Read To Achieve program and has served as special assistant to the NBA commissioner since 1988.
In July, St. Bonaventure announced its new state-of-the-art basketball court would be named "Bob Lanier Court." In a press release, lead donor Samuel Molinaro explained, "When we were thinking about names for the court he was the obvious choice and a perfect fit."
Because of all these accolades and a Hall of Fame career which started right here, the Bonaventure community will welcome a legend back next weekend.
Schedule of events for Bob Lanier's return to St. Bonaventure
Oct. 12-13:
Friday, Oct. 12
7 p.m.
Dedication of Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center AND Introduction of the Men's and Women's Basketball Teams
A slate of "midnight madness"-type promotions including scrimmages by both teams, shooting contests and a dunk contest. The event is free and open to the public.
Saturday, Oct. 13
1 p.m.
Men's Basketball Alumni Game
6 p.m.
Tipoff Gala, Premier Banquet Center (Olean) -- $100 per person