Bio

Known as the "gentle giant," Artis Gilmore stands at seven feet two inches and during his career was known for his impressive physical stature. Gilmore began to make a name for himself during his collegiate years when he led the Gardner-Webb (NC) men's basketball team to the NJCAA tournament in 1968 and 1969. In his two seasons at the then NJCAA member institution, Gilmore averaged 22.5 points and 16 rebounds with career totals of 1,530 points and 1,150 rebounds. After Gardner-Webb, Gilmore transferred to Jacksonville University where the leadership of Coach Joe Williams allowed Gilmore to enhance his skills even further. Throughout his two seasons at Jacksonville, he led the 1970 Dolphins team to the NCAA tournament where they finished second after losing in the NCAA Championship against UCLA. Gilmore's success at Jacksonville was apparent as he became one of five college basketball players ever to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds throughout his career. In his two years at Jacksonville, Gilmore led the NCAA in rebounds with a career average of 22.7, still the highest in NCAA Division I history.

After his stint at Jacksonville, he was drafted in 1971 by the Kentucky Colonels in the American Basketball Association (ABA) Draft. Having an illustrious career in the ABA, Gilmore was a 1975 ABA champion, 1972 ABA Most Valuable Player, 1975 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player, five-time All-ABA First-Team, four-time ABA All-Defensive First-Team, and four-time ABA rebounding champion. Gilmore was named the 1972 ABA Rookie of the Year, made the ABA All-Rookie First-Team, and was a member of the ABA All-Time Team. After five years in the ABA, Gilmore transitioned into the NBA where he was chosen first by the Chicago Bulls in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft. During his first NBA season he led the team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks. In 1977, Gilmore had an NBA career high of 42 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists in a 114-112 victory over the Kansas City Kings. After Chicago, Gilmore went on to play for the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and the Italian league Arimo Bologna. Gilmore's professional career spanned 19 years and he retired in 1988 at the age of 36.

Gilmore was a six-time NBA All-Star, NBA All-Defensive Second-Team, and a 2024 recipient of the Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor. He has been inducted into the Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Gilmore's combined ABA/NBA totals of 24,941 points rank him as the 20th leading scorer in professional basketball history.