Position(s) | Center |
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Jersey #(s) | 53 |
Born | September 21, 1949 Chipley, Florida |
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 (NBA and ABA) | |
Points | 15,579 (NBA only) 24,941 (ABA/NBA) |
FG% | 59.9 (NBA only) 58.2 (ABA/NBA) |
Blocks | 1,747 (NBA only) 3,178 (ABA/NBA) |
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Artis Gilmore (born September 21, 1949) is a former professional basketball player in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA).
A star center during his two collegiate years at Jacksonville University, in Jacksonville, Florida, Gilmore led the Dolphins to the NCAA Division I championship game in 1970, where his team was beaten 80-69 by the University of California at Los Angeles Bruins. Gilmore remains the top player in rebounds per game in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.
In the minds of many[who?], Gilmore was surpassed as an ABA star only by Julius Erving. Gilmore followed five All-Star seasons with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA by becoming the first overall pick of the 1976 NBA dispersal draft, which was held after the ABA was disbanded, as four teams transferred to the NBA. In Gilmore's complete pro basketball career, he was an eleven-time All-Star, the ABA Rookie of the Year, and an ABA MVP, and he remains the NBA career leader for field goal percentage.
Nicknamed "The A-Train", the 7' 2" (2.18 m) Gilmore once played in 670 consecutive games.
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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 the Gardner-Webb Junior College for two years and at Jacksonville University for two years, leading the Jacksonville Dolphins team to the NCAA title game in 1970, where they lost 80-69 to the UCLA Bruins. During the two years that Gilmore played NCAA basketball at Jacksonville, he became one of only five college basketball players ever to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds over his career. Gilmore led the NCAA in rebounding both years at Jacksonville, and his career average of 22.7 rebounds per game is still the highest in NCAA Division I history.[1]
When departing from college, Gilmore was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1971 American Basketball Association draft, and also by the Chicago Bulls in the 1971 NBA Draft.[2]
ABA career
Gilmore began his professional career with the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association for the 1971-72 season, signing a record high-paying contract. He was so immediately dominant that he earned the rare distinction of being selected both the Rookie of the Year award and the league Most Valuable Player award for 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 time in the ABA 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]
NBA career
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, the Kentucky Colonels, had folded, Gilmore went into the special 1976 ABA dispersal draft, and he was chosen with the first overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. While not the same awesome force that he had been in the ABA, after four All-Star selections in five solid basketball seasons in Chicago, Gilmore 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.
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 67.0% 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.
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.
After basketball
Following his playing career, Gilmore has been active in the Jacksonville community and has been an employee for W.W. Gay Construction.
In 2007, Gilmore took a position as Special Assistant to the President at his alma mater, serving in various public relations capacities. [5]
Gilmore also provides radio color commentary for his alma mater on the school's flagship station, WJXL. Gilmore was also a frequent guest on the basketball call-in show Ballin' with Al Edwards, also on WJXL.[6]
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association top individual field goal percentage seasons
- List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played
- List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 30 or more rebounds in a game
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
- ^ http://www.judolphins.com/mbasketball/news/4/8775/
- ^ http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030408abc.html
External links
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 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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