Armen Louis Gilliam (born Armon Louis Gilliam; May 28, 1964 – July 5, 2011) was an American professional

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player who played 13 years in the

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(NBA) from 1987 to 2000. He also played one season for the

Pittsburgh Xplosion The Pittsburgh Xplosion was a professional basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh were members of the Continental Basketball Association from 2006 to 2008. Founded in 2004 as the Pittsburgh Hard Hats as a member of the A ...

of the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

. Gilliam returned to the court after retirement as the head basketball coach for the (NCAA) Division III Penn State Altoona Lions from 2002 to 2005.

College career

Gilliam began his college basketball career in 1982–83 at Independence Junior College in

Independence, Kansas Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,548. It was named in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. History Independence w ...

. That year, Gilliam was a standout player on the basketball team that reached the Junior College Finals and finished sixth in the nation. Gilliam averaged 24.9 points and 14 rebounds in five tournament games and was named to the National Junior college finals all-tournament team. Gilliam continued his college basketball career with UNLV. Gilliam played for UNLV from 1984 to 1987 and was an integral part of a team that was 93–11 in the three years he played for the Rebels. The UNLV team was ranked number one in the country for most of the three years Gilliam competed and the team made it to the NCAA tournament every year during his stay. In 1987, the team reached the Final Four and Gilliam was named to the NCAA Final Four all-tournament team. Gilliam scored 998 points in his senior year, which remains a school record for the most points scored in a season by a UNLV player. Gilliam also played on the UNLV team that won 38 games in a season, which is still an NCAA Division 1 record for most wins in a season. In 1987, Gilliam was selected for a number of All-American Teams and voted the top contender for the

John Wooden John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed the Wizard of Westwood, he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as head ...

award. While at UNLV, teammate Frank James gave him the nickname "The Hammer" after seeing Gilliam's biceps combined with his pounding action under the basket. Gilliam said, "He knew I was from a steel town, too. I think that was a factor." The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' dismissed the notion that he got the name from a baking powder,

Arm & Hammer Arm & Hammer is a brand of baking soda-based consumer products marketed by Church & Dwight, a major American manufacturer of household products. The logo of the brand depicts the ancient symbol of a muscular arm holding a hammer inside a red ci ...

. Gilliam was selected to play in the 1986 World Championships. The team fielded college standouts such as

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

Kenny Smith Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacrame ...

Tommy Amaker Harold Tommy Amaker Jr. (; born June 6, 1965) is an American college basketball coach and the head coach of the Harvard University men's basketball team. He has also coached for the University of Michigan and Seton Hall University. He played po ...

Tom Hammonds Tom Edward Hammonds (born March 27, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and National Hot Rod Association drag racer. He was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and attended Crestview High School (Florida), Crestview High Sc ...

, Charles D. Smith and

Derrick McKey Derrick Wayne McKey (born October 10, 1966) is an American former basketball player who played most of his National Basketball Association (NBA) career at the small forward and the power forward positions. Early life and college career McKey a ...

and coached by

Lute Olson Robert Luther "Lute" Olson (September 22, 1934 – August 27, 2020) was an American basketball coach, who was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the head co ...

of Arizona, proceeded to shock the world with its play. The international community did not consider the team a medal-contender, but they advanced to the championship game and competed against the heavily favored Russians for the gold medal; overcoming great odds, they won the tournament.

Professional career

After graduating from UNLV with a degree in communications, Gilliam was the second pick in the first round of the 1987 NBA draft. Gilliam was named to the

NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...

in 1988 while playing for the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

. He went on to play 13 years in the NBA. Gilliam averaged 20 points and 9 rebounds for the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

, played three years with the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

, and played three years with the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, where he averaged between 12 and 18 points and 6 to 9 rebounds a game. He later played for the Milwaukee Bucks and finally the Utah Jazz. Gilliam came out of retirement in 2005 to play for the

of the

(ABA). He averaged 23 points and 9 rebounds per game during the 2005–06 season. Gilliam was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 ABA All-Star Game and named to the All-ABA Second Team.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 1987–88 , align="left" ,

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 55 , , 53 , , 32.9 , , .475 , , .000 , , .679 , , 7.9 , , 1.3 , , 1.1 , , 0.5 , , 14.8 , - , align="left" , 1988–89 , align="left" ,

, 74 , , 60 , , 28.6 , , .503 , , .000 , , .743 , , 7.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , 0.4 , , 15.9 , - , align="left" , 1989–90 , align="left" ,

, 16 , , 7 , , 16.7 , , .430 , , .000 , , .696 , , 4.4 , , 0.5 , , 0.4 , , 0.3 , , 8.9 , - , align="left" , 1989–90 , align="left" ,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, 60 , , 59 , , 36.0 , , .527 , , .000 , , .727 , , 8.8 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , 0.8 , , 18.8 , - , align="left" , 1990–91 , align="left" ,

, 25 , , 25 , , 38.0 , , .513 , , .000 , , .813 , , 9.4 , , 1.1 , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 19.8 , - , align="left" , 1990–91 , align="left" ,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, 50 , , 50 , , 33.9 , , .470 , , .000 , , .816 , , 7.3 , , 1.6 , , 0.7 , , 0.6 , , 15.0 , - , align="left" , 1991–92 , align="left" ,

, 81 , , 81 , , 34.2 , , .511 , , .000 , , .807 , , 8.1 , , 1.5 , , 0.6 , , 1.0 , , 16.9 , - , align="left" , 1992–93 , align="left" ,

, 80 , , 26 , , 21.8 , , .464 , , .000 , , .843 , , 5.9 , , 1.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.7 , , 12.4 , - , align="left" , 1993–94 , align="left" ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 5 , , 24.0 , , .510 , , .000 , , .759 , , 6.1 , , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 0.7 , , 11.8 , - , align="left" , 1994–95 , align="left" ,

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 30 , , 30.1 , , .503 , , .000 , , .770 , , 7.5 , , 1.2 , , 0.8 , , 1.1 , , 14.8 , - , align="left" , 1995–96 , align="left" ,

, 78 , , 76 , , 36.6 , , .474 , , .000 , , .791 , , 9.1 , , 1.8 , , 0.9 , , 0.7 , , 18.3 , - , align="left" , 1996–97 , align="left" ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, 80 , , 25 , , 25.6 , , .471 , , .000 , , .768 , , 6.2 , , 0.7 , , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 8.6 , - , align="left" , 1997–98 , align="left" ,

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 25 , , 25.8 , , .484 , , .000 , , .802 , , 5.4 , , 1.3 , , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 11.2 , - , align="left" , 1998–99 , align="left" ,

, 34 , , 5 , , 19.6 , , .453 , , .000 , , .782 , , 3.7 , , 0.6 , , 0.6 , , 0.4 , , 8.3 , - , align="left" , 1999–00 , align="left" ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, 50 , , 0 , , 15.6 , , .436 , , .000 , , .779 , , 4.2 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 0.3 , , 6.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 929 , , 527 , , 28.4 , , .489 , , .000 , , .776 , , 6.9 , , 1.2 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , 13.7

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 1988–89 , align="left" ,

, 9 , , 0 , , 14.0 , , .529 , , .000 , , .864 , , 5.0 , , 0.2 , , 0.1 , , 0.2 , , 8.1 , - , align="left" , 1990–91 , align="left" ,

, 8 , , 8 , , 35.9 , , .462 , , .000 , , .848 , , 6.5 , , 1.3 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 16.9 , - , align="left" , 1993–94 , align="left" ,

, 4 , , 0 , , 28.0 , , .441 , , .000 , , .750 , , 6.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.5 , , 1.8 , , 10.5 , - , align="left" , 1998–99 , align="left" ,

, 3 , , 0 , , 11.7 , , .400 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 1.7 , , 0.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.3 , , 5.7 , - , align="left" , 1999–00 , align="left" ,

, 10 , , 0 , , 13.2 , , .326 , , .000 , , .385 , , 2.9 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 3.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 34 , , 8 , , 20.4 , , .444 , , .000 , , .784 , , 4.6 , , 0.5 , , 0.4 , , 0.6 , , 8.9

Coaching career

Gilliam began his coaching career in 2000 as a volunteer assistant at Mt. Lebanon High School. In 2001, Gilliam was named head coach of

Penn State McKeesport Penn State Greater Allegheny (PSUGA) is a commonwealth campus of the Pennsylvania State University that sits on the border of McKeesport and White Oak in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of ...

's men's basketball team, which played at the

junior college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

level. In his first year as a head coach, he helped lead the team to a regular season record of 12–7. The team played well in the playoffs and reached the conference finals. The next year Gilliam accepted the Head Men's coaching position at

Penn State Altoona Penn State Altoona is a Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth campuses, commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University, The Pennsylvania State University located in Logan Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania, Logan Township, Pennsylvan ...

, where he coached from 2002 to 2005. He had a couple of unsuccessful seasons as their head coach.

Awards and achievements

Among other awards Gilliam was inducted into the Bethel Park Hall of Fame for the Sport of Basketball in 1997 and the UNLV Hall of Fame in 1998. He was selected to the Division 1 All- American Team in 1987 and was a finalist for the John Wooden award the same year. He was honored in 1996 for scoring 10,000 points during his NBA career. In November 2007, his college jersey (#35) was retired at half-time of the UNLV vs. Washburn University game in Las Vegas.

Name spelling

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 people so long that I got tired of it. I just thought that if I put the 'e' in there, it would make it a lot easier to pronounce. I'm not Muslim. It's not religious or anything like that."

Death

Gilliam collapsed during a basketball game at the

LA Fitness LA Fitness (doing business as LA Fitness International LLC) is an American gym chain with more than 700 clubs across the United States and Canada. The company was formed in 1984 and is based in Irvine, California. History LA Fitness was founde ...

gym in the Pittsburgh suburb of

Bridgeville, Pennsylvania Bridgeville is a borough in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 4,804 at the 2020 census. Geography Bridgeville is located along Chartiers Creek, about southwest of downtown Pittsburgh at . According to the U ...

, on the evening of July 5, 2011. He was rushed to St. Clair Hospital in nearby Mt. Lebanon, where he was pronounced dead of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. He is survived by his three children, Jeremiah Gilliam, Joshua Gilliam, and Cheryl Gilliam.

References

External links

* * *
Press Release
@ Penn State Altoona {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilliam, Armen 1964 births 2011 deaths 1986 FIBA World Championship players 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball coaches African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players ABA All-Star Game players Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania Basketball players from Pennsylvania Charlotte Hornets players Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games FIBA World Championship-winning players High school basketball coaches in Pennsylvania Independence Pirates men's basketball players Junior college men's basketball coaches in the United States Milwaukee Bucks players New Jersey Nets players People from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Philadelphia 76ers players Phoenix Suns draft picks Phoenix Suns players Power forwards (basketball) Sports deaths in Pennsylvania Sportspeople from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area United States men's national basketball team players UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball players Utah Jazz players