Artis Gilmore

Who is Artis Gilmore?

Artis Gilmore is a retired professional basketball player from the National Basketball Association (NBA). Artis Gilmore is regarded as one of the NBA’s best left-handed scorers.

He has also participated in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

From 1971 through 1976, he was a member of the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels.

Gilmore went on to play in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics.

He also played center for the ABA and NBA clubs, wearing jersey number 53.

The basketballer also played in the Italian League with the Arimo Bologna for the 1988-89 season.

Besides that, he represented the Gardner–Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs and Jacksonville Dolphins during his collegiate career.

Childhood, Families, and Education

Artis Gilmore was born in the Florida town of Chipley.

Otis Gilmore and Mattie Lou Gilmore are his parents.

The former basketball player comes from a poor and hardworking household.

Gilmore’s father worked as a fisherman, and his mother raised him and his nine siblings.

Otis didn’t have steady work as a fisherman.

As a result, the Gilmores struggled financially.

As the second oldest kid, his boyhood was cut short by his family’s financial difficulties.

Nonetheless, the upbeat and hardworking footballer counted himself fortunate.

Education

Initially, the NBA center attended T, an all-black high school.

J. Roulhac before transferring to Chipley High School.

He did not stay at the school for more than a week and transferred to Carver High School in Alabama.

Furthermore, the former Bulls player graduated from Carver High School in 1967.

He was mostly a high school basketball player for T. J.

as well as Carver Nonetheless, he was well-known as a player in Carver.

Height, Weight, and Age

The former ABA player is 72 years old as of 2022.

He is 7 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 240 lb (109 kg).

Gilmore walked about barefoot as a youngster and young athlete since he needed a size 13.

However, Chipley’s local stores did not stock such large sizes, so he made do without them.

Wife, Marriage, and Children

Enola Gay is the wife of the former Bulls center.

They met in college and have been together ever since.

Furthermore, they married right out of college in 1972.

At the time of his marriage, Gilmore was only 23 years old.

The couple has five children and has been happily married for 49 years.

Artis and Enola have three daughters, Shawna, Priya, and Tiffany, as well as two boys, Otis James, and Artis II.

All of their children are adults who have settled into their lives.

Aside from that, the couple has a few grandchildren.

Basketball Career

The basketballer attended Roulhac High School and Carver High School, where he participated in basketball and other sports.

He graduated from Carver with honors, including Third Team All-American status.

The athlete decided to attend Gardner-Webb University after graduating from high school.

Similarly, he played collegiate basketball for George Washington University’s Runnin’ Bulldogs.

Eddie Holbrook, the then-head coach at GWU, regarded Gilmore as one of the hardest working athletes he had ever coached.

Artis led the Bulldogs to the NJCAA tournaments in 1968 and 1969 while playing for them. The NBA player then transferred to Jacksonville University.

NBA center

Artis Gilmore, a former NBA and ABA center,

It’s no surprise that Gilmore is one of the most accomplished American and NBA players.

Artis has been named Most Valuable Player in both the playoffs and the All-Star game.

He was also named to the ABA All-Star games five times.

Furthermore, many fans, experts, and media outlets regard him as the best Bulls center of all time.

The player was frequently compared to other legendary centers including Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Russell.

More Facts about Artis Gilmore

Bulls player

While playing for the Chicago Bulls, The Big-A

He was also grateful to his parents for doing everything they could to provide for him and his siblings.

Aside from that, he had sports to fall back on.

The athlete was passionate about football and aspired to be a tight end.

His family, however, did not have enough money to cover his insurance.

Furthermore, he recognized his gifted height and transitioned to basketball.

The A-Train was an instant success, and he soon improved his basketball talents.

Jacksonville University

Artis Gilmore was a collegiate basketball player for the Jacksonville Dolphins.

He helped the Jacksonville Dolphins to the NCAA Tournament and, finally, the NCAA Championship game in 1970.

The UCLA Bruins, on the other hand, defeated the Dolphins.

Nonetheless, he had a fantastic career in Jacksonville.

Furthermore, his career average of 22.7 rebounds per game remains the most in NCAA Division I history.

A Job in the ABA

The ABA and NBA were very interested in the player’s college basketball careers.

Both of the leagues were anxious to have him play with their teams.

As a result, he was selected in the 1971 NBA and ABA drafts.

Gilmore, on the other hand, chose to play for the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels.

Colonels of Kentucky

Following his draft into the ABA, the center signed a ten-year, $2.5 million contract with the Colonels.

Despite this, he only played for five seasons before the ABA folded in 1976.

He made his presence known shortly after joining the ABA team.

The former athlete won the ABA Rookie of the Year Award and the ABA Most Valuable Player Award in his first season with Kentucky.

Colonels’ Center

While playing for the Kentucky Colonels, Artis

Aside from that, he topped the American league in rebounding, FGPs, blocks per game, and so on.

Similarly, The Big A was a five-time All-ABA First Team selection, a four-time All-Defense selection, and a participant in five ABA All-Star Games.

Furthermore, the former NBA player was named Most Valuable Player in 1974.

He earned the Playoffs MVP in the 1974-75 ABA season after winning the ABA Championship.

NBA Profession

Artis joined the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball League through the dispersal draft when the ABA folded in 1976.

Furthermore, he agreed to a three-year, $1.1 million contract with the Bulls.

In 1978, the Spurs’ center was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

He also appeared in four All-Star games for the Bulls.

In addition, Chicago extended his contract for three years, allowing him to play from 1976 to 1982.

Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs

After being dealt to the Spurs in 1982, the A-Train brought his A-game.

He was also named to two All-Star teams while playing for San Antonio.

Furthermore, he collaborated with shooting guard George Gervin to create some jaw-dropping games for the Spurs.

In 1988, he joined the Boston Celtics.

The Italian League

Following his NBA career, Artis spent a season with Arimo Bologna in the Italian League.

The former Celtics player was also named to the European All-Star Team.

Hall of Fame for Basketball

In 1993, Gilmore was honored in the “Jacksonville University Hall of Fame.

” In 1995, he was inducted into the “Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame.”

Artis was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

However, he had to wait 17 years after his eligibility to be inducted.

In 2012, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Look up the top 18 quotes by Wilt Chamberlain, one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Highlights, Awards, and Accomplishments

• ABA champion in 1975
• In 1975, he was named the ABA Playoffs’ Most Valuable Player.
• In 1972, he was named the ABA’s Most Valuable Player.
• Six-time NBA All-Star (1978-1979, 1981-1983, and 1986).
• From 1972 to 1976, he was a five-time ABA All-Star.
• MVP of the 1974 ABA All-Star Game
• From 1972 to 1976, he was a five-time All-ABA First Team selection.
• From 1973 through 1976, he was a four-time ABA All-Defensive First Team selection.
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1978
• Rookie of the Year in the ABA in 1972
• In 1972, he was named to the ABA All-Rookie First Team.
• From 1972 through 1974, and again in 1976, he was the ABA rebounding champion four times.
• All-Time ABA Team
• In 1971, he was a unanimous first-team All-American.
• 1970 AP, NABC, and UPI second-team All-American
• In 1970 and 1971, he led the NCAA in rebounding.
• In 1967, he was a third-team Parade All-American.

Impaired Driving

The former athlete was driving under the influence of alcohol when he overturned his automobile in 2006.

Nonetheless, he was not seriously hurt.

He smashed his automobile into a tree at 3 a.m.

A pedestrian assisted him in exiting the vehicle because the seatbelt had caught him.

When a state trooper arrived on the scene, he noted a strong alcohol odor emanating from Gilmore and his vehicle.

As a result, he administered a sobriety test, which the basketball player failed terribly.

Following his arrest, officials measured the NBA player’s blood-alcohol level, which was 0.14, well above the legal limit.

As a result, Artis was charged with a misdemeanor.

Salary And Net Worth

Through his career in the ABA and NBA, the Spurs’ center has amassed a sizable fortune.

His net worth exceeds $5 million. Furthermore, he was under contract with the Colonels for $2.5 million and the Bulls for $1.1 million.

Also, Read        Bobby Cox,         Moses Malone,         Derrick Thomas,

Presence on social media

The iconic facility is not particularly active on social media.

Despite this, he has over 973 followers on Twitter.

However, he hasn’t recently shared or tweeted anything.

Aside from that, Artis’ Twitter account has primarily been used to share basketball-related news, events, and highlights.

Furthermore, the basketball player’s cover photo is of his family.

He’s also shared sweet photos of himself with his wife and grandchildren.