The Artis Gilmore Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Friday, May 6th, 2005
Gilmore would go on to play four more seasons in the ABA (the league officially closed its doors following the 1975-76 campaign), becoming one of its brightest and most popular stars. Statistically, Gilmore was a beast; in addition to leading the league in rebounding four times and field goal percentage twice, he was consistently in the top ten in points and blocked shots. A five-time All-Star, Gilmore would also lead the Colonels to the ABA Finals twice, both against Indiana. In the first, following the 1972-73 regular season, Kentucky would fall in Game 7. Two seasons later Gilmore, Issel & Co. were kings of the ABA, dispatching Indiana in five games.
The ABA would fold a year later, closing a colorful – and successful – chapter in Gilmore’s basketball career. No longer contractually obligated to the defunct ABA, he set his sights on playing the league built by giants such as Bill Russell and Jerry West. Ironically, it was the same Chicago Bulls that would land the first overall pick in the dispersal draft. With talent such as Moses Malone and Maurice Lucas on the board, Chicago wasted little time in snatching up Gilmore, whom they had long coveted, and whom they considered to be one of the best big men in basketball. A slow start that first season – the Bulls would open with thirteen consecutive defeats – was more than offset by the strong finish, as Gilmore led Chicago to 20 wins in the final twenty-four games. During this stretch he erupted for 32 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks against the Seattle Supersonics, and 29 points and 23 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bulls faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the 1977 NBA Playoffs, splitting the first two games before losing the deciding Game 3 in Portland, 106-98. The Trail Blazers, led by Bill Walton, would go on to win the NBA Championship.
Gilmore’s second season in Chicago landed him on the NBA All-Star Team, as he posted averages of 22.9 PPG and 13.1 RPG. The Bulls, however, struggled to a 40-42 record and missed the playoffs. The 1978-79 season would continue the trend – outstanding play by Gilmore (23.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, a second All-Star appearance), coupled with the 31-51 record and another failed attempt to reach the postseason. Another disappointing season would follow in 1979-80, with Gilmore hurting his knee and the Bulls struggling in his absence. He would make amends a season later, returning to his All-Star form and helping sweep the New York Knicks in the opening round of the playoffs. The Bulls, however, were swept by Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Gilmore would spend one more season in Chicago, making the All-Star team yet again, while the Bulls again failed to qualify for the postseason. By then Gilmore had had enough; he was vilified in the press for being too soft, and for not leading his team to a coveted title. He demanded a trade, landing in San Antonio prior to the 1982-83 regular season.
While there was hardly a shortage of detractors in Chicago, Gilmore consistently put up numbers comparable to those put up while playing in the ABA. He averaged no less than 17.8 points during his six seasons with the Bulls, playing in all 82 games five times. His durability as a professional was remarkable – Gilmore played in a mind-boggling 670 consecutive games, a number almost unheard of when it comes to the warriors who battle underneath the boards. Yet, media and fans alike were quick to criticize Gilmore for the Bulls’ ills; he was too mechanical, too sedate, and too vanilla for their taste. They took one look at his size, and they expected Gilmore to be an unstoppable force on the basketball court. And very few of them were sorry to see him go.
The Spurs, however, gladly took Gilmore in the trade. The big man responded by leading San Antonio to the Western Conference Finals, battling Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and the original Showtime crew. While the Spurs lost that series in six games, Gilmore had clearly put together another great season. He returned to the All-Star Game for the third consecutive season, led the league in field-goal percentage, and helped San Antonio to its best record (53-29) in franchise history.
Gilmore played four more seasons as a Spur, but the team was in a slow decline and unable to find a championship formula. He was traded back to the Bulls following the 1986-87 season, 38 years old and his best basketball behind him. Cut after 24 games in Chicago, Gilmore was picked up by the Celtics for the remainder of the 1987-88 season. In Boston, the soft-spoken giant rekindled his longtime friendship with Larry Bird, a friendship that dated back to Gilmore’s days in the ABA. Gilmore, along with Mark Acres, provided much-needed backup support to ageless wonder Robert Parish. And although Gilmore would officially retire following a bitter six-game loss to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, his quest for an NBA ring unfulfilled, he was clearly moved by his short stint alongside some of the greatest players in NBA history. Talk about a dream come true: He found himself playing basketball in the fabled Boston Garden (as a member of the home team, no less), his name and number being called on the radio by the legendary Johnny Most. He was taken aback by the class of the organization, and the way it treated its players. He was in awe of the Celtics’ patriarch, Arnold “Red” Auerbach, who was quick to make Gilmore feel at home in a Boston uniform. “Once a Celtic, always a Celtic” was Auerbach’s mantra, regardless of how many games a player actually played. Gilmore, in the twilight of his career, and with the perspective of 17 seasons as a professional, certainly appreciated his short-but-sweet ride as a Boston Celtic – something his still cherishes to this day.
“I’ll never forget my time spent in Boston,” he says quickly. “It was a great place to play, and the perfect place to finish my career. Regardless, I’ll always be a Boston Celtic – and that’s something that I’ll always treasure.”
And for Boston Celtic fans everywhere, it was fitting that the A-Train’s final professional stop would be the old North Station. Now, if those who vote for basketball’s highest honor can book Gilmore to that all-important post-career destination, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Celtic Nation is honored to bring you this interview.