Best NBA Draft Sleepers of All-Time
4. Artis Gilmore (1971 NBA Draft, 7th Round, 117th Overall)
One of the most interesting parts of the NBA’s history is how the ABA affected the league. Artis Gilmore is prime example of that. Coming out of college, Gilmore wasn’t selected until the seventh round of the 1971 NBA Draft. As a result, he opted to go play in the ABA, which he did for five years as an All-Star in each of his seasons with the Kentucky Colonels. It wasn’t until the 1976-77 season that he moved to the NBA as a member of the Chicago Bulls.
From 1976-86, the 7-foot-2 Gilmore was one of the most dominant forces in the NBA as a member of the Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs. Over those 10 seasons before age caught up with him, Gilmore averaged 19 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 blocks per game while converting on an absurd 60 percent of his shot attempts. He not only had the game, but his look with a huge frame and even larger afro helped him become one of the defining players of his era in the game of basketball.
Gilmore dominated the NBA on the interior for a solid decade and eventually went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame because of his success. However, it’s incredible to think that he was drafted so low when he first turned professional that he opted to play in a different league entirely rather than come to the NBA. If teams could go back and try that again, you have to imagine Gilmore wouldn’t be sitting there for the taking anywhere close to the seventh round. He might not have even made it to the seventh pick.
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