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25 Greatest Players in ABA History

By Maxwell Ogden

SPRINGFIELD, MA - AUGUST 12: Artis Gilmore shakes hands with Hall of Fame Player Julius Erving during the Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on August 12, 2011 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
SPRINGFIELD, MA - AUGUST 12: Artis Gilmore shakes hands with Hall of Fame Player Julius Erving during the Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on August 12, 2011 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /
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2. Artis Gilmore

Position: Center
Years Active: 1971-1976
Team(s): Kentucky Colonels
ABA Averages: 41.5 MPG, 22.3 PPG, 17.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 3.4 BPG
Accolades: ABA Champion, ABA Playoffs MVP, ABA MVP, 5x All-ABA First Team, 4x All-ABA Defensive First Team, 5x ABA All-Star, ABA All-Star Game MVP, ABA Rookie of the Year

In the spirit of comparing ABA greats to their NBA parallels, Artis Gilmore was Wilt Chamberlain of the American Basketball Association. He was a physically dominant player who controlled the pace of games on both ends of the floor and posted gaudy statistics.

With intimidating size, remarkable endurance, and the toughness to fight through injuries, Gilmore is nothing short of an ABA icon.

Over the course of five ABA seasons, Gilmore played in every one of a possible 420—84 per year—regular season games. He averaged at least 41 minutes per game in four of those five campaigns, and bottomed out at 39.1 minutes per contest in the fifth.

Tack on 58 postseason games, including a 1973 ABA Finals run and a 1975 championship win, and Gilmore was the epitome of a basketball ironman.

That was terrible news for the opposition, as Gilmore did more than just remain on the court; he was a masterful centerpiece. He could score at will at 7’2″ and 240-plus pounds, led the ABA in rebounding on four different occasions, and patrolled the paint as a dominant shot-blocker.

Gilmore’s dominance was immediate, as he won both MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1972.

After losing in the 1973 ABA Finals, Gilmore led Kentucky to the championship in 1975. He deservingly won Playoffs MVP for his efforts, and earned his fourth of five All-ABA First Team appearances during the regular season—a year during which he received his third of four All-Defensive First Team selections.

Gilmore is a Hall of Famer who should be mentioned more often amongst the greatest big men in basketball history.

Next: No. 1