Artis Gilmore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Artis Gilmore | |
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| Position(s): Center |
Jersey #(s): 53 |
| Born: September 21, 1949 Chipley, Florida |
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| Career information | |
| Year(s): 1971–1989 | |
| NBA Draft: 1971 / Round: 7th / Pick: 117 (Chicago Bulls) | |
| College: Gardner-Webb Junior College, Jacksonville | |
| Professional team(s) | |
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| Career stats | |
| Points | 15,579 (NBA Only) |
| FG% | 59.9 |
| Blocks | 1,748 |
| Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Artis Gilmore (born September 21, 1949) is a former professional basketball star in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA).
A stand-out in two collegiate years with Jacksonville University, Gilmore led the Dolphins to the NCAA title game in 1970 and remains the top rebound per game player in Division I history.
Surpassed as an ABA star only by Julius Erving, Gilmore followed five outstanding seasons with the Kentucky Colonels with becoming the No. 1 pick of the 1976 NBA dispersal draft. In all, he was an eleven-time professional all-star, the ABA Rookie of the Year and MVP, and remains the NBA career leader in field goal percentage.
Nicknamed "The A-Train" for his unprententious but dominating style of play, the durable 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) Gilmore once played in 670 consecutive games.
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[edit] Early years
Gilmore was born in Chipley, Florida, and reared there and in Dothan, Alabama — a larger community 35 miles to the north. He graduated from Dothan's Carver High School in 1967. He played college basketball at Gardner-Webb Junior College and Jacksonville University, leading the Dolphins to the NCAA title game in 1970, where they lost to the UCLA Bruins. During the two years Gilmore played NCAA basketball at Jacksonville, he became one of only five college players ever to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds over a career. He led the NCAA in rebounding both years, and his career average of 22.7 rebounds per game is still the highest in NCAA Division I history.[1]
Coming out of college Gilmore was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1971 American Basketball Association draft and by the Chicago Bulls in the 1971 NBA Draft.[2]
[edit] ABA career
Gilmore began his professional career with the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association for the 1971-72 season, signing a record rich contract. He was so immediately dominant that he earned the rare distinction of being selected both the Rookie of the Year and league Most Valuable Player in his first season.
Over his five-year ABA career, Gilmore led the ABA four times in rebounding average, twice in both field goal percentage and blocks per game, and once in personal fouls. He was named to the All-ABA First team five straight seasons, and the All-Defense team four times. He played in the ABA All-Star Game all five years he was in the league, earning the 1974 game's MVP. The capstone of his ABA tenure was leading the 1974-75 Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA championship and being named the ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player.
During his days as an ABA dominator, Gilmore established league records for career field goal percentage (0.557), career blocked shots (750), blocked shots in a season (287 in the 1973-74 season), and rebounds in a game (40).[3]
[edit] NBA Career
[edit] Number 1 NBA draft pick
The ABA ended its existence after the 1976 season, with four of its teams (Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs) joining the NBA in the ABA-NBA merger, and the remaining teams, including Kentucky Colonels, folding. Since his team had folded, Gilmore went into the special 1976 ABA dispersal draft, and was chosen with the first overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. While not the same force he had been in the ABA, after four All-Star selections in five solid years in Chicago he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1983. Twice again an All-Star in San Antonio through 1987, he rejoined the Bulls for part of the 1988 season before finishing his NBA career with the Boston Celtics in 1988.
Gilmore played the 1988-89 season with Arimo Bologna of the Italian league, where he averaged 12.3 points and 11.0 rebounds and made the European All-Star Team.
[edit] NBA achievements
Gilmore played in a total of six NBA All-Star Games. He led the NBA in field goal percentage in four consecutive seasons, including a career best .670 during the 1980-81 season — the third highest percentage in NBA history. He remains the NBA's career leader in field goal percentage (minimum 2000 shots made) with a 59.9 percentage.
[edit] Hall of Fame controversy
Despite an ABA career in which he averaged 22.3 points and 17.1 rebounds per game, NBA career averages of 17.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, ranking in the top ten in rebounds, blocked shots, games, and minutes played, among the top 25 all-time in points, and first overall in field goal percentage, Gilmore has yet to be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
No other player with comparable statistical accomplishments has been omitted from the Hall.[4] For the past three years, he failed to receive even a single vote of support from a panel of nine anonymous members serving on the North American screening committee. He remains ineligible for enshrinement until 2012.
[edit] References
- ^ "Artis Gilmore bio at Jacksonville University Dolphins Hall of Fame". http://www.judolphins.com/halloffame/default/95/2078.
- ^ BasketballReference.com Artis Gilmore page
- ^ The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia,. Villard Books. 1994. pp. 208–209. ISBN 0-679-43293-8.
- ^ BasketballReference.com Career Player Efficiency Rating
[edit] External links
[edit] Further reading
- Heisler, Mark (2003). Giants: The 25 Greatest Centers of All Time. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 1-57243-577-1.
| Preceded by Dan Issel and Charlie Scott |
American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year 1972 |
Succeeded by Brian Taylor (basketball) |
| Preceded by Mel Daniels |
American Basketball Association Most Valuable Player 1972 |
Succeeded by Billy Cunningham |
| Preceded by Warren Jabali |
American Basketball Association All Star Game Most Valuable Player 1974 |
Succeeded by Freddie Lewis |
| Preceded by Julius Erving |
American Basketball Association Playoffs Most Valuable Player 1975 |
Succeeded by Julius Erving |
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