Artis Gilmore Sr. (born September 21, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
A star center in his two years of college basketball at Jacksonville University, Gilmore led the Dolphins to the NCAA Division I championship game in 1970, where his team was beaten 80–69 by the UCLA Bruins. Averaging 22.6 rebounds per game, Gilmore is second all-time in rebounds per game in Division I history and has the most for all players since 1971.
Gilmore was drafted in both the ABA draft by the Kentucky Colonels and the NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls in 1971. He signed with the Colonels and immediately became one of the most dominant players in the league. In his first season, he won the ABA Rookie of the Year and the ABA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. He was an ABA All-Star in all five seasons he played in the league. He was the Playoffs MVP of the 1975 ABA playoffs, recording 28 points and 31 rebounds in the decisive Game 5 for his first and only championship. In the 1976 ABA dispersal draft, which dispersed the players in teams not making the NBA such as the Colonels, Gilmore was moved to the Chicago Bulls. During his career, Gilmore was an 11-time All-Star, the ABA Rookie of the Year, and an ABA Most Valuable Player (MVP). Nicknamed "The A-Train", the Gilmore once played in 670 consecutive games. Gilmore would play for the Bulls, the San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics before departing the NBA in 1988; he closed his career out with Arimo Bologna, playing from 1988 to 1989.
Early years
Gilmore was born in Chipley, Florida, one of 10 children. He was raised there, and attended Roulhac High School. Gilmore was 6'5" at age 15. Initially most interested in playing football, Gilmore could not play because his father, who was a fisherman, could not afford the required insurance for him to participate. When public schools were integrated, he attended Chipley High School for one week before leaving home to attend Carver High School in Dothan, Alabama, a larger community 35 miles to the north. He graduated from Dothan's Carver High School in 1967, at 6'10" as a Third Team All-American.
College career
Gilmore played college basketball beginning at Gardner–Webb Junior College in Boiling Springs, North Carolina from 1967 to 1969. Under coach Eddie Holbrook, Gilmore led Gardner–Webb to the NJCAA tournament in 1968 and 1969, playing alongside George Adams. Gilmore averaged 22.5 points and 16.0 rebounds in his two seasons, with career totals of 1,530 points and 1,150 rebounds at Gardner–Webb.
Reflected Coach Holbrook, “Bringing in a player like Artis who was 7-foot-2 and could do so many things drew a lot of attention. But Artis showed that he was deserving of that attention. I would say Artis and George Adams were two of the hardest-working players I ever coached. They were relentless. Anything you asked them to do or pushed them to do, they did it — or tried to do it anyway.”
At Jacksonville University, Gilmore became one of five college basketball players ever to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds over his career at 24.3 and 22.7.
Professional career
ABA
Kentucky Colonels (1971–1976)
Gilmore was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1971 American Basketball Association draft, and by the Chicago Bulls in the 1971 NBA draft. ABA teams were interested in keeping Gilmore in the ABA and wanted to ensure he was signed by a team that could afford him. Therefore, he went to Kentucky with the 7th pick and signed a 10-year, $2.5 million contract. NBA teams knew Gilmore would not sign, so the Bulls strategically used a 7th-round pick to secure any possible future rights to Gilmore.
He was so immediately dominant that he earned the rare distinction of being selected for both the ABA Rookie of the Year Award and the ABA Most Valuable Player Award in 1971–1972, both over Virginia Squires rookie Julius Erving. Kentucky finished 68–16 after being 44–40 the season before. The following season Gilmore's strong play continued, as he and Dan Issel led the Colonels to a
56–28 record and the 1973 ABA Playoffs. Eventually, after beating the Carolina Cougars in a seven-game division finals series, Gilmore and the Colonels made it to the ABA Finals, but lost to the Indiana Pacers in another hard-fought seven-game series, despite Gilmore averaging 22.1 points, 17.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 4 blocks per game.
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.
In 1974–75, Gilmore, alongside teammate Dan Issel led 1974–75 Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA championship, as Gilmore was dominant, being named the ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player. In the final game of the series against the Indiana Pacers, Gilmore scored 28 points and grabbed 31 rebounds in front of 16,000 fans at Freedom Hall. and rebounds in a game (40). He averaged 22.3 points and 17.7 rebounds, 58.5% shooting, 3.4 blocks and 3.0 assists per game in his 5 seasons and 440 ABA games" On March 18, 1977, Gilmore scored an NBA-career-high 42 points, along with grabbing 15 rebounds and recording 9 assists, in a 114–112 win over the Kansas City Kings. However, in the 1977 NBA playoffs, the Bulls lost to the eventual champion Trail Blazers 2–1 in the first round.
thumb|upright=0.8|left|Gilmore with the Chicago Bulls, 1977
In total Gilmore received four All-Star selections in five solid basketball seasons in Chicago (19.3 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game).
San Antonio Spurs (1982–1987)
Gilmore was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in July 1982 for Dave Corzine, Mark Olberding, and cash considerations. There, coached by Stan Albeck, he teamed with spidery 6’8” shooting guard George “The Iceman” Gervin to provide the Spurs with a potent inside-out game. During the 1982–83 San Antonio Spurs season, his first with the team, Gilmore helped the team finish in first place in their division with a record of 53–29. During the playoffs, Gilmore and the Spurs advanced by Gilmore's former Kentucky Colonel co-star Dan Issel and the Denver Nuggets in the second round, before facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. In Game 2 of the series, Gilmore led the Spurs to a 122–113 win with 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 blocks. However, the Spurs would ultimately lose to the Lakers in six games.
While the Spurs would continue to make the postseason in subsequent years, they would not again advance out of the first round during Gilmore's tenure. He was twice named an All-Star in San Antonio through 1987.
Chicago Bulls (1987)
Gilmore rejoined the Bulls for part of the 1988 season before being released.
Boston Celtics (1988)
Gilmore finished his NBA career with the Boston Celtics in 1988. Gilmore and the Celtics would advance to the conference finals, though he played just over 6 minutes per postseason game as a reserve.
Italian League
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% during the 1980–81 season — at the time, the third-highest percentage in NBA history. At the time of his retirement in 1989, Gilmore was the NBA's career leader in field goal percentage (minimum 2,000 shots made) with 59.9%.
Personal life
In 1972, Gilmore married his college sweetheart Enola Gay. They have had five children.
Gilmore provides radio color commentary for Jacksonville University 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.
Honors
In 1993, Gilmore was inducted into the Stars Hollow University Hall of Fame.
Gilmore was inducted into the Gardner–Webb Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.
Despite retiring among all time pro basketball leaders in several statistical categories, Gilmore was not elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until April 2011.
In May 2012, Gilmore was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
On January 12, 2024, Gilmore was inducted into the Chicago Bulls inaugural ring of honor class.
ABA and NBA career statistics
{|class ="wikitable"
|-
|style="background:#afe6fa; width:3em;"|†
|Denotes seasons in which Gilmore's team won an ABA championship
|-
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |*
|Led the league
|-
| style="background:#E0CEF2; width:3em;" |‡
|ABA record
|}
Regular season
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| 84 || – || 43.6 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|.598* || – || .646 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|17.8* || 2.7 || – || style="background:#E0CEF2;"|5.0‡ || 23.8
|-
| style="text-align:left"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| bgcolor="CFECEC"|84* || – || 41.7 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|.559* || .500 || .643 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|17.6* || 3.5 || – || bgcolor="CFECEC"|3.1* || 20.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| 84 || – || bgcolor="CFECEC"|41.7* || .493 || .000 || .667 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|18.3* || 3.9 || 0.7 || 3.4 || 18.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;"|†
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
|bgcolor="CFECEC"|84* || – || bgcolor="CFECEC"|41.6* || .580 || .500 || .696|| 16.2 || 2.5 || 0.8 || 3.1 || 23.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| 84 || – || 39.1 || .552 || – || .682 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|15.5* || 2.5 || 0.7 || 2.4 || 24.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
| 82 || – || 35.1 || .522 || – || .660 || 13.0 || 2.4 || 0.5 || 2.5 || 18.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
| 82 || – || 37.4 || .559 || – || .704 || 13.1 || 3.2 || 0.5 || 2.2 || 22.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
| bgcolor="CFECEC"|82* || – || 39.8 || .575 || – || .739 || 12.7 || 3.3 || 0.6 || 1.9 || 23.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
| 48 || – || 32.7 || .595 || – || .712 || 9.0 || 2.8 || 0.6 || 1.2 || 17.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
| 82 || – || 34.5 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|.670* || – || .705 || 10.1 || 2.1 || 0.6 || 2.4 || 17.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
| 82 || 82 || 34.1 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|.652* || 1.000 || .768 || 10.2 || 1.7 || 0.6 || 2.7 || 18.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio
| 82 || 82 || 34.1 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|.626* || .000 || .740 || 12.0 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 2.3 || 18.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;|
| style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio
| 64 || 59 || 31.8 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|.631* || .000 || .718 || 10.3 || 1.1 || 0.6 || 2.1 || 15.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio
| 81 || 81 || 34.0 || .623 || .000|| .749 || 10.4 || 1.6 || 0.5 || 2.1 || 19.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio
| 71 || 71 || 33.7 || .618 || .000 || .701 || 8.5 || 1.4 || 0.5 || 1.5 || 16.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio
|bgcolor="CFECEC"|82* || 74 || 29.3 || .597 || – || .680 || 7.1 || 1.8 || 0.5 || 1.2 || 11.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
|24 || 23 || 15.5 || .513 || – || .514 || 2.6 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 0.5 || 4.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
|47|| 4 || 11.1 || .574 || – || .527 || 3.1 || 0.3 || 0.2 || 0.4 || 3.5
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career ABA
| 420 || || style="background:#E0CEF2;"|41.5‡ || .557 || .286 || .668 ||style="background:#E0CEF2;"|17.1‡ || 3.0 || 0.7 || style="background:#E0CEF2;"|3.4‡ || 22.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career NBA
| 909 || 804 || 32.7 || .599 || .077 || .713 || 10.1 || 2.0 || 0.5 || 1.9 || 17.1
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career total
| 1329 || 476 || 35.5 || .582 || .150 || .698 || 12.3 || 2.3 || 0.6 || 2.4 || 18.8
Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|1972
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| 6 || – || 47.5 || .571 || .000 || .711 || 17.7 || 4.2 || – || – || 21.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1973
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| 19 || – || 41.1 || .544 || – || .626 || 13.7 || 3.9 || – || – || 19.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1974
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| 8 || – || 43.0 || .559 || – || .576 || 18.6 || 3.5 || 0.9 || 3.8 || 22.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;"| 1975†
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| 15 || – || 45.3 || .539 || – || .772 || 17.6 || 2.5 || 1.0 || 2.1|| 24.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1976
| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky (ABA)
| 10 || – || 39.0 || .608 || – || .757 || 15.2 || 1.9 || 1.1 || 3.6 || 24.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1977
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
| 3 || – || 42.0 || .475 || – || .783 || 13.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 2.7 || 18.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1981
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago
| 6 || – || 41.2 || .583 || – || .691 || 11.2 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 2.8 || 18.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|1983
| style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio
| 11 || – || 36.5 || .576 || – || .696 || 12.9 || 1.6 || 0.8 || 3.1 || 16.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1985
| style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio
| 5|| 5 || 37.0 || .558 || – || .689 || 10.0 || 1.4 || 0.4 || 1.4 || 17.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|1986
| style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio
| 3 || 3 || 35.7 || .667 || .000 || .571 || 6.0 || 1.0 || 2.3 || 0.3 || 13.3
|-
| style="text-align:left"| 1988
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 14 || 0 || 6.1 || .500 || – || .500 || 1.4 || 0.1 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 1.1
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career ABA
| 58 || || 42.7 || .559 || .000 || .692|| style="background:#E0CEF2;"|16.1‡ || 3.2 || 1.0 ||style="background:#E0CEF2;"|2.9‡ || 17.7
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career NBA
| 42 || 8 || 27.4 || .566 || .000 || .680|| 8.0 || 1.1 || 0.6 || 1.7 || 11.7
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career total
| 100 || 8 || 36.3 || .561 || .000 || .688|| 12.7 || 2.3 || 0.8 || 2.2 || 17.7
See also
- List of NBA career blocks leaders
- List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
- List of NBA annual field goal percentage leaders
- List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
- 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
Further reading
External links
- NBA.com: Artis Gilmore Summary
- Radio Interview With Artis Gilmore "The Week Artis Is Inducted Into Hall of Fame" – Miller on Sports Radio