Considered one of the strongest players to ever play, he was to the ABA what Wilt Chamberlain was to the NBA, a physically dominant force that was simply too big and too strong for his competition, Artis Gilmore put together one of least talked about all time great careers. He was made NCAA history with the University of Jacksonville Dolphins, leading them on an improbable run to the 1970 NCAA title game. He would choose the ABA over the NBA, where he would join forces with Dan Issel and Louie Dampier on the Kentucky Colonels. Gilmore put together one of the greatest ABA careers of all time, winning rookie of the year, being a perennial all star and all defensive team member, an ABA champion and league MVP. He was the first pick in the 1976 Dispersal draft and would join a Chicago Bulls team that was never able to put it together while they had one of the best players in the league in Gilmore. During his time there, he was routinely one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the league while shooting the ball with incredible efficiency, but with his best teammate being a young Reggie Theus, Chicago made just two playoff appearances in Gilmore’s time there. He was traded to San Antonio late in his career to team up with George Gervin, but both of these players’ best years were behind them, and although they made a conference finals in 1983, the team would decline after that. Gilmore would spend his final year in the league between Chicago and Boston and even spend a year overseas. But when he wrapped up his professional career, his ABA and NBA totals were some of the highest in history at the time, and he also holds the highest career field goal percentage in both the ABA and NBA. He was incredibly durable and unselfish and although he was knocked for not having a mean streak, he still dominated year in and year out, and that’s why the A-Train deserves more credit.
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22 май 2024
