Artis Gilmore facts for kids

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Artis Gilmore
Personal information
Gilmore in 2011
Born	(1949-09-21) September 21, 1949 (age 75) Chipley, Florida, U.S.
High school	T. J. Roulhac (Chipley, Florida) Carver (Dothan, Alabama)
Listed height	7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College	Gardner–Webb (1967–1969) Jacksonville (1969–1971)
NBA Draft	1971 / Round: 7 / Pick: 117th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	1971–1989
Career history
1971–1976	Kentucky Colonels
1976–1982	Chicago Bulls
1982–1987	San Antonio Spurs
1987	Chicago Bulls
1988	Boston Celtics
1988–1989	Arimo Bologna

Career highlights and awards
ABA champion (1975) ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player (1975) ABA Most Valuable Player (1972) 6× NBA All-Star (1978, 1979, 1981–1983, 1986) 5× ABA All-Star (1972–1976) ABA All-Star Game MVP (1974) 5× All-ABA First Team (1972–1976) 4× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1973–1976) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1978) ABA Rookie of the Year (1972) ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972) 4× ABA rebounding champion (1972–1974, 1976) ABA All-Time Team Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor Consensus first-team All-American (1971) Second-team All-American – AP, NABC, UPI (1970) 2× NCAA rebounding leader (1970, 1971) No. 53 retired by Jacksonville Dolphins Third-team Parade All-American (1967)

Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points	24,941 (18.8 ppg)
Rebounds	16,330 (12.3 rpg)
Blocks	3,178 (2.4 bpg)

Artis Gilmore Sr., born on September 21, 1949, is a famous American former professional basketball player. He played in two major leagues: the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Artis Gilmore was honored by being added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

He was an amazing center during his college years at Jacksonville University. Gilmore led the Jacksonville Dolphins team to the NCAA Division I championship game in 1970. His team played against the UCLA Bruins but lost 80–69. Even today, Gilmore holds the record for the most rebounds per game in Division I history.

After playing five All-Star seasons with the Kentucky Colonels in the ABA, Gilmore was the very first player picked in the 1976 ABA Dispersal draft. This special draft happened when some ABA teams, like the Colonels, didn't join the NBA. Throughout his career, Gilmore was chosen as an All-Star 11 times. He was also named the ABA Rookie of the Year and an ABA Most Valuable Player (MVP). People called the 7-foot-2-inch tall Gilmore "The A-Train" because he was so big and powerful. He even played in 670 games in a row!

Early Life and School
College Basketball Journey
Professional Basketball Journey
Life After Basketball
Awards and Honors
ABA and NBA Career Statistics
- Regular season
- Playoffs
See Also

Early Life and School

Artis Gilmore was born in Chipley, Florida, and was one of 10 children. He grew up there and went to Roulhac High School. By the time he was 15, Gilmore was already 6 feet 5 inches tall! He first wanted to play football, but his family couldn't afford the special insurance needed for him to play.

Later, when public schools started to allow students of all races, he briefly attended Chipley High School. Then, he moved to Dothan, Alabama, a bigger town, to attend Carver High School. He finished high school at Carver in 1967, standing 6 feet 10 inches tall. He was even named a Third Team All-American, which means he was one of the best high school players in the country.

College Basketball Journey

Gilmore started his college basketball career at Gardner–Webb Junior College in North Carolina from 1967 to 1969. With coach Eddie Holbrook, Gilmore helped Gardner-Webb reach the NJCAA tournament in both 1968 and 1969. He played alongside another great player, George Adams. During his two years at Gardner-Webb, Gilmore averaged 22.5 points and 16.0 rebounds per game. He scored a total of 1,530 points and grabbed 1,150 rebounds there.

Coach Holbrook said that having a 7-foot-2-inch player like Artis who could do so much brought a lot of attention. He also mentioned that Artis and George Adams were two of the hardest-working players he ever coached.

In 1969, Gilmore moved to Jacksonville University. He led the Jacksonville Dolphins to an amazing 27–2 record under coach Joe Williams. In the 1970 NCAA tournament, Gilmore led his team all the way to the championship game. They played against John Wooden's UCLA Bruins and lost 80–69. In that game, Gilmore scored 19 points and had 16 rebounds.

To reach the Final Four, the Dolphins beat tough teams like Western Kentucky, the University of Iowa, and the University of Kentucky. In the Semi-Final, they defeated St. Bonaventure. For the whole season, Gilmore averaged 26.5 points and 22.2 rebounds per game.

At Jacksonville University, Gilmore became one of only five college basketball players ever to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds throughout their college careers. His average was 24.3 points and 22.7 rebounds. Gilmore led the NCAA in rebounding in both his years at Jacksonville. His career average of 22.7 rebounds per game is still the highest in NCAA Division I history.

Professional Basketball Journey

Artis Gilmore had a long and successful career playing professional basketball. He played in both the ABA and the NBA.

Playing in the ABA

Kentucky Colonels (1971–1976)

Artis Gilmore was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1971 American Basketball Association draft. He was also picked by the Chicago Bulls in the 1971 NBA draft. ABA teams really wanted Gilmore to stay in their league. They made sure he went to a team that could pay him well. So, he joined Kentucky as the 7th pick and signed a big 10-year contract worth $2.5 million. The Bulls knew Gilmore wouldn't sign with them, so they just used a late draft pick to keep any future rights to him.

Gilmore was incredibly good right away. In his first season, 1971–1972, he won both the ABA Rookie of the Year Award and the ABA Most Valuable Player Award. This was a rare achievement, especially since he won over another future superstar, Julius Erving. The Kentucky Colonels improved a lot that season, finishing with a 68–16 record after being 44–40 the year before.

Gilmore continued his strong play in the next season. He and teammate Dan Issel led the Colonels to a 56–28 record and the 1973 ABA Playoffs. They made it to the ABA Finals but lost to the Indiana Pacers in a tough seven-game series. Even though they lost, Gilmore averaged 22.1 points, 17.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 4 blocks per game during those playoffs.

During his five years in the ABA, Gilmore led the league in rebounding four times. He also led in field goal percentage and blocks per game twice. He was named to the All-ABA First Team for five straight seasons and the All-Defense team four times. He played in the ABA All-Star Game every year he was in the league, and he was named the MVP of the 1974 game.

In the 1974–75 season, Gilmore and Dan Issel led the Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA championship. Gilmore was amazing in the playoffs and was named the ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player. In the final game against the Indiana Pacers, he scored 28 points and grabbed an incredible 31 rebounds!

While playing in the ABA, Gilmore set league records for career blocked shots (1,431) and blocked shots in a single season (422 in 1971–72). He also set a record for rebounds in a game with 40. In his 5 seasons and 440 ABA games, he averaged 22.3 points, 17.7 rebounds, 58.5% shooting, 3.4 blocks, and 3.0 assists per game.

Playing in the NBA

Chicago Bulls (1976–1982)

The ABA league closed down after the 1976 season. Four of its teams joined the NBA, but others, like the Kentucky Colonels, stopped playing. Because of this, Gilmore was part of a special 1976 ABA dispersal draft. The Chicago Bulls picked him first overall. He signed with them for $1.1 million over three years.

In his first season with the Bulls, Gilmore was their top player in scoring, rebounds, and blocks. He also helped the Bulls have the best defense in the league, allowing opponents to score only 98 points per game. On March 18, 1977, Gilmore had his best NBA scoring game, with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists in a win against the Kansas City Kings. However, in the 1977 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls lost in the first round.

Artis Gilmore playing for the Chicago Bulls in 1977

Overall, Gilmore was chosen for the NBA All-Star team four times during his five strong seasons in Chicago. He averaged 19.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game there.

San Antonio Spurs (1982–1987)

In July 1982, Gilmore was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. There, he teamed up with the talented shooting guard George “The Iceman” Gervin. Together, they made the Spurs a very strong team. In his first season with the Spurs (1982-83), Gilmore helped them finish first in their division with a 53–29 record.

In the playoffs, Gilmore and the Spurs beat his former Kentucky Colonel teammate Dan Issel and the Denver Nuggets. Then, they faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. In Game 2 of that series, Gilmore led the Spurs to a 122–113 win with 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 blocks. However, the Spurs eventually lost to the Lakers in six games.

The Spurs continued to make the playoffs in the following years, but they didn't get past the first round again while Gilmore was there. He was named an NBA All-Star twice more during his time in San Antonio, up until 1987.

Chicago Bulls (1987)

Gilmore returned to play for the Bulls for a short time during the 1987–88 season before he was released.

Boston Celtics (1988)

Gilmore finished his NBA career with the Boston Celtics in 1988. He and the Celtics made it to the conference finals. However, he played only about 6 minutes per game in the playoffs as a reserve player.

Playing in Italy

After his NBA career, Gilmore played the 1988–89 season for Arimo Bologna in the Italian league. He averaged 12.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game there and was chosen for the European All-Star Team.

NBA Achievements

Artis Gilmore played in a total of six NBA All-Star Games. He led the NBA in field goal percentage (how often he made his shots) for four years in a row. In the 1980–81 season, he had a career-best 67% field goal percentage. At that time, this was the third-highest percentage in NBA history. When he retired in 1989, Gilmore was the NBA's all-time leader in field goal percentage (for players who made at least 2,000 shots), with 59.9%.

Life After Basketball

In 1972, Gilmore married his college sweetheart, Enola Gay. They have five children together.

In 2007, Gilmore started working as a Special Assistant to the President at Jacksonville University, his old college. He helps with public relations there.

Gilmore also provides radio commentary for Jacksonville University basketball games on the station WJXL. He was also a frequent guest on a basketball call-in show called Ballin' with Al Edwards on the same station.

Awards and Honors

Artis Gilmore has received many honors for his amazing basketball career:

In 1993, he was inducted into the Stars Hollow University Hall of Fame.
In 1995, Gilmore was inducted into the Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame.
Even though he retired as one of the top players in professional basketball history, 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' first-ever Ring of Honor class.

ABA and NBA Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

†	Denotes seasons in which Gilmore's team won an ABA championship
*	Led the league
*	ABA record

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1971–72	Kentucky (ABA)	84	–	43.6	.598*	–	.646	17.8*	2.7	–	5.0*	23.8
1972–73	Kentucky (ABA)	84*	–	41.7	.559*	.500	.643	17.6*	3.5	–	3.1*	20.8
1973–74	Kentucky (ABA)	84	–	41.7*	.493	.000	.667	18.3*	3.9	0.7	3.4	18.7
1974–75†	Kentucky (ABA)	84*	–	41.6*	.580	.500	.696	16.2	2.5	0.8	3.1	23.6
1975–76	Kentucky (ABA)	84	–	39.1	.552	–	.682	15.5*	2.5	0.7	2.4	24.6
1976–77	Chicago	82	–	35.1	.522	–	.660	13.0	2.4	0.5	2.5	18.6
1977–78	Chicago	82	–	37.4	.559	–	.704	13.1	3.2	0.5	2.2	22.9
1978–79	Chicago	82*	–	39.8	.575	–	.739	12.7	3.3	0.6	1.9	23.7
1979–80	Chicago	48	–	32.7	.595	–	.712	9.0	2.8	0.6	1.2	17.8
1980–81	Chicago	82	–	34.5	.670*	–	.705	10.1	2.1	0.6	2.4	17.9
1981–82	Chicago	82	82	34.1	.652*	1.000	.768	10.2	1.7	0.6	2.7	18.5
1982–83	San Antonio	82	82	34.1	.626*	.000	.740	12.0	1.5	0.5	2.3	18.0
1983–84	San Antonio	64	59	31.8	.631*	.000	.718	10.3	1.1	0.6	2.1	15.3
1984–85	San Antonio	81	81	34.0	.623	.000	.749	10.4	1.6	0.5	2.1	19.1
1985–86	San Antonio	71	71	33.7	.618	.000	.701	8.5	1.4	0.5	1.5	16.7
1986–87	San Antonio	82*	74	29.3	.597	–	.680	7.1	1.8	0.5	1.2	11.4
1987–88	Chicago	24	23	15.5	.513	–	.514	2.6	0.4	0.2	0.5	4.2
1987–88	Boston	47	4	11.1	.574	–	.527	3.1	0.3	0.2	0.4	3.5
Career ABA		420		41.5*	.557	.286	.668	17.1*	3.0	0.7	3.4*	22.3
Career NBA		909	804	32.7	.599	.000	.713	10.1	2.0	0.5	1.9	17.1
Career Total		1329	476	35.5	.582	.150	.698	12.3	2.3	0.6	2.4	18.8

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1972	Kentucky (ABA)	6	–	47.5	.571	.000	.711	17.7	4.2	–	–	21.8
1973	Kentucky (ABA)	19	–	41.1	.544	–	.626	13.7	3.9	–	–	19.0
1974	Kentucky (ABA)	8	–	43.0	.559	–	.576	18.6	3.5	0.9	3.8	22.5
1975†	Kentucky (ABA)	15	–	45.3	.539	–	.772	17.6	2.5	1.0	2.1	24.1
1976	Kentucky (ABA)	10	–	39.0	.608	–	.757	15.2	1.9	1.1	3.6	24.2
1977	Chicago	3	–	42.0	.475	–	.783	13.0	2.0	1.0	2.7	18.7
1981	Chicago	6	–	41.2	.583	–	.691	11.2	2.0	1.0	2.8	18.0
1983	San Antonio	11	–	36.5	.576	–	.696	12.9	1.6	0.8	3.1	16.7
1985	San Antonio	5	5	37.0	.558	–	.689	10.0	1.4	0.4	1.4	17.8
1986	San Antonio	3	3	35.7	.667	.000	.571	6.0	1.0	2.3	0.3	13.3
1988	Boston	14	0	6.1	.500	–	.500	1.4	0.1	0.0	0.3	1.1
Career ABA		58		42.7	.559	.000	.692	16.1*	3.2	1.0	2.9*	17.7
Career NBA		42	8	27.4	.566	.000	.680	8.0	1.1	0.6	1.7	11.7
Career Total		100	8	36.3	.561	.000	.688	12.7	2.3	0.8	2.2	17.7