Artis Gilmore

Artis Gilmore Sr. (born September 21, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player who competed as a center in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He starred in two years of college basketball at Jacksonville University, leading the Dolphins to the 1970 NCAA Division I championship game, where they were beaten 80–69 by the UCLA Bruins. Averaging 22.6 rebounds per game, Gilmore ranks second all-time in rebounds per game in Division I history and holds the highest mark of any player since 1971.

In 1971 Gilmore was drafted by both the Kentucky Colonels in the ABA and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. He signed with the Colonels and immediately became one of the most dominant players in the league, winning both the ABA Rookie of the Year and ABA Most Valuable Player awards in his first season. He was named an ABA All-Star in all five of his seasons in the league. Gilmore was the Most Valuable Player of the 1975 ABA playoffs, recording 28 points and 31 rebounds in the decisive Game 5 to capture his first and only championship. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.