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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.
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