Played for Pittsburgh Xplosion last year, but had a veery good NBA career, averaging 7 ebounds and 14 points during his 13 year NBA career. Also one of the last great moustaches before Morrison brought it back. (Not counting Pollard's sideburns)
Quote:
Armen Louis Gilliam (born Armon Louis Gilliam on May 28, 1964, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), nicknamed "The Hammer", is an American professional basketball player for the Pittsburgh Xplosion of the American Basketball Association (ABA). In the 2005-2006 ABA All-Star Game at the BankAtlantic Center, Armen Gilliam was named MVP.
Gilliam began his professional career with the NBA when he was selected second overall in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. He retired from the NBA in 2000 after 15 seasons with six different teams. He holds averages of 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Towards the end of his NBA career he altered the spelling of his first name from "Armon" to "Armen" because he was tired of it continually being mispronounced. At the time, he was quoted as saying: "Most people pronounced it Ar-MON. I've been correcting it a long time, and I got tired of it. I just thought that if I put the 'e' in there, it would make it a lot easier. I'm not Muslim. It's not religious or anything like that."
From what I've read he actually is a very respectable a person who holds very high standards about things. I think that's cool because a lot of players nowadays aren't like that. I think he was different in his mindset, probably someone who'd make a good intellectual if he put the effort into it. Kudos to him, and of course, Kudos to his potential nickname.
Armon used to remind me of the guy from the rap group "Three Times Dope" with the gumby fade. They were at their peak in the late 80s/early 90s. Remember them?
Played for Pittsburgh Xplosion last year, but had a veery good NBA career, averaging 7 ebounds and 14 points during his 13 year NBA career. Also one of the last great moustaches before Morrison brought it back. (Not counting Pollard's sideburns)
Gilliam had one of the UGLIEST games I've ever seen. His shot made Marty Conlon's look like Ray Allen's, and his post game was just revolting to watch. Somehow, he got things done, but never that great. A lot like Aaron Williams today, although his game is nowhere near as ugly.
Last edited by JalenRawley : 12-04-2006 at 03:43 PM.
the thing i remember most about gilliam is watching him and barkley trying to play side by side. what a weird draft pick. who wants two dumpy power forwards trying to co-exist in the same starting line-up?
UNLV great and former NBA player Armen Gilliam died Tuesday night while playing pickup basketball at a Pittsburgh-area health club. He was 47.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday that Gilliam died Tuesday night at the LA Fitness gym in Bridgeville while he was playing basketball.
The office says a cause of death has not yet been determined pending an autopsy.
Gilliam, a 6-foot-9 forward, played 13 NBA seasons with six teams after leading UNLV to a 37-2 record and the Final Four in 1987. He was the No. 2 overall pick of the Phoenix Suns in the 1987 NBA draft.
Kinda scary, really. I bet, at 47 years old, that dude was in much better shape than me and he died playing hoops. I play 2-3 times a week in 100 degree temperatures. I pray every time I go out there.