Armen Gilliam facts for kids
Gilliam with the Phoenix Suns in 1987
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | May 28, 1964 Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
| Died | July 5, 2011 (aged 47) Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| High school | Bethel Park (Bethel Park, Pennsylvania) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1987 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1987–2000, 2005–2006 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2000–2005 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | Phoenix Suns | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Charlotte Hornets | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Philadelphia 76ers | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | New Jersey Nets | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1999 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||
| 2000 | Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Pittsburgh Xplosion | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Mt. Lebanon HS (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Penn State McKeesport | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Penn State Altoona | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 12,700 (13.7 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 6,401 (6.9 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 1,088 (1.2 apg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Armen Louis Gilliam (born Armon Louis Gilliam; May 28, 1964 – July 5, 2011) was an American professional basketball player. He played for 13 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1987 to 2000. He also played one season for the Pittsburgh Xplosion in the American Basketball Association. After retiring from playing, Gilliam became a basketball coach. He coached the (NCAA) Division III Penn State Altoona Lions from 2002 to 2005.
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College Career Highlights
Armon Gilliam started his college basketball journey in 1982 at Independence Community College in Kansas. He was a star player there, helping his team reach the Junior College Finals. They finished sixth in the nation that year. Gilliam played so well that he was named to the National Junior College Finals All-Tournament Team.
He then moved on to play for UNLV from 1984 to 1987. During his time at UNLV, the team had an amazing record of 93 wins and only 11 losses. They were ranked number one in the country for most of those three years. In 1987, UNLV made it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. Gilliam was recognized for his great play and made the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team.
In his senior year, Gilliam scored 998 points. This is still a school record for the most points scored by a UNLV player in one season. His UNLV team also set an NCAA Division I record by winning 38 games in a single season. In 1987, Gilliam was named to several All-American Teams. He was also a top candidate for the John Wooden award, which honors the best college basketball player. His teammate, Frank James, gave him the nickname "The Hammer" because of his strong build and powerful play near the basket.
In 1986, Gilliam was chosen to play for the United States team in the World Championships. This team included other future NBA stars like David Robinson and Kenny Smith. Many people didn't expect the college team to win a medal. But they surprised everyone by reaching the championship game. They played against the strong Russian team for the gold medal and won the tournament!
Professional Basketball Career
After finishing college, Armon Gilliam was the second player chosen in the 1987 NBA draft. He started his NBA career with the Phoenix Suns. In his first year, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1988.
Gilliam played for 13 years in the NBA. He played for several teams, including the Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Utah Jazz. He was known for being a strong power forward who could score and grab rebounds. For the Charlotte Hornets, he averaged 20 points and 9 rebounds per game. During his time with the New Jersey Nets, he usually scored between 12 and 18 points and grabbed 6 to 9 rebounds each game.
In 2005, Gilliam came out of retirement to play for the Pittsburgh Xplosion in the ABA. He played well, averaging 23 points and 9 rebounds per game during the 2005–06 season. He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2006 ABA All-Star Game. He was also selected for the All-ABA Second Team.
Coaching Career
Armon Gilliam started coaching basketball in 2000. His first job was as a volunteer assistant coach at Mt. Lebanon High School. In 2001, he became the head coach for the men's basketball team at Penn State McKeesport. This team played at the junior college level. In his first year, he led them to a good record of 12 wins and 7 losses. They even made it to the conference finals. The next year, Gilliam became the Head Men's coach at Penn State Altoona, where he coached from 2002 to 2005.
Awards and Achievements
Armon Gilliam received many honors during his life. In 1997, he was inducted into the Bethel Park Hall of Fame for basketball. The next year, in 1998, he was inducted into the UNLV Hall of Fame. He was chosen for the Division 1 All-American Team in 1987. That same year, he was a finalist for the John Wooden award, which goes to the best college basketball player. In 1996, he was honored for scoring 10,000 points during his NBA career. In November 2007, UNLV retired his college jersey number, 35, during a game in Las Vegas. This means no other UNLV player will wear that number again.
Name Spelling
Towards the end of his NBA career, Armon Gilliam changed the spelling of his first name from "Armon" to "Armen." He said he was tired of people always saying his name wrong. Most people pronounced it "Ar-MON." He thought that adding the "e" would make it easier for people to say it correctly. He also said it wasn't for religious reasons.
Death
Armon Gilliam passed away on July 5, 2011. He collapsed during a basketball game at a gym in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. He was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead from a heart attack. He is survived by his three children: Jeremiah, Joshua, and Cheryl.
See also
In Spanish: Armen Gilliam para niños
