Sam Lacey, a leading N.B.A. center of the 1970s who could do just about anything on the court but was often overlooked, playing for mostly lackluster teams, died on Friday at his home in Kansas City, Mo. He was 66.
His daughter Gretchen Downey said the cause had not yet been determined.
Spending most of his 13 National Basketball Association seasons with the Cincinnati Royals and the Kansas City Kings, the Royals’ successor franchise, Lacey was a rugged rebounder, at 6 feet 10 inches and 235 pounds, and an outstanding shot blocker. He also hit timely baskets and was a fine playmaker.