Artis Gilmore Signed Chicago Bulls Jersey with HOF Inscription

Artis Gilmore entered professional basketball as the top pick in the 1971 ABA Draft by the Kentucky Colonels, immediately establishing himself as one of the most dominant centers in basketball with his size, strength, and incredible efficiency around the basket. His five seasons in the ABA saw him win a championship, earn league MVP honors, and establish statistical dominance before the ABA-NBA merger brought him to the Chicago Bulls in 1976.

Gilmore's NBA career began in Chicago, where he continued his dominant play before a trade to the San Antonio Spurs in 1982, where he spent five productive seasons as one of the league's most efficient big men. His journey concluded with brief veteran stints with the Bulls and Celtics, but his legacy was defined by over a decade of statistical excellence, remarkable consistency, and his reputation as one of the most unstoppable forces in the paint during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2011)

ABA Champion (1975)

ABA Most Valuable Player (1972)

5× ABA All-Star

6× NBA All-Star

5× ABA All-Star First Team

NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1978)

Boston Celtics (1987-1988)
San Antonio Spurs (1982-1987)
Chicago Bulls (1976-1982, 1987)
Kentucky Colonels (1971-1976)
Jacksonville Dolphins (1967-1971)

Artis Gilmore revolutionized the center position with his combination of overwhelming size, soft touch around the basket, and historic efficiency that resulted in the highest field goal percentage in NBA history. His nickname "The A-Train" perfectly captured his unstoppable force in the paint, where his 7'2" frame, long arms, and fundamental post skills made him nearly impossible to defend one-on-one throughout his prime years.

Gilmore's impact extends beyond his statistical dominance to his role as one of the ABA's greatest stars who successfully transitioned to NBA excellence after the merger. His consistency across two professional leagues, his remarkable efficiency that set records which still stand today, and his sustained excellence well into his late thirties established him as one of the most underrated centers in basketball history and a dominant force whose impact on winning transcended the attention given to flashier stars of his era.