JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY VERSUS IOWA, NCAA TOURNAMENT, MARCH 12, 1970

Friends ---

As promised let me begin chipping away at the many great questions you’ve asked. Again --- thank you in advance for being patient as I do this.

I’ll start with a question from Kevin who asks:

“As an Iowa fan you and Pembrook Burrows broke my heart. Do you have any recollections about that game that won't make a middle-aged man cry?”

Well, Kevin --- I was almost the one crying during that game. I’ll tell you why in a minute.

The March 12, 1970 NCAA tournament game between my school, Jacksonville University, and Iowa, was sandwiched in between two other great games. On March 7 our JU Dolphins played its first-ever nationally televised game in Dayton, Ohio against Western Kentucky. We won 109-96 and I was fortunate enough to have a 30-point, 19-rebound game. My team mate Rex Morgan added 24 more points. On March 9 we faced Kentucky in what is one of the single most memorable wins of my career. Kentucky: number one in the nation. Kentucky: a legendary basketball powerhouse. Kentucky: coached by Adolph Rupp. But that’s a story for another day.

In between those games we went up against Iowa in Columbus, Ohio, and our NCAA bid almost ended right then and there.

First: my team mate Vaughn Wedeking was sick as a dog with the flu.

Second: Rex Morgan had an ear infection.

Third: I got a bit too aggressive on defense and fouled out with a full eight minutes left in the game.

A tip-in by Pembrook Burrows off a missed shot by Vaughn gave us a squeaker over Iowa by 104-103 in the last second. Pembrook also made 11 or 12 field goal attempts in that game for a total of 23 points.

Rex Morgan takes every opportunity, even now, to remind me that I almost cost the team the game by fouling out at a crucial moment. He's fond of recalling how I sat on the bench trying to coach Pembrook. According to Rex I said: “Pembrook, listen man, you really have to make this thing happen.” To which Pembrook turned and replied, “I guess so, man, you're sitting on the bench!”

I've posted on this blog entry a couple photos of Pembrook and me from back in the day.

So that, Kevin --- is my Iowa story. I’ll add, just as a matter of trivia --- I almost went to school in Iowa. After my second year at Gardner-Webb junior college I was honored by interest from many schools. I visited Iowa, and I had a chance to spend some time out there it was pretty good program. However, in 1969 JU became my ultimate choice because it was closer to home. My parents were getting older, so it gave me an opportunity to be near them, as well as my younger brothers and sisters.

TO ALL THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZER FANS WHO WROTE TO ME:

Friends ---- thank you all for your very kind words and for having taken time to write to me after I posted the blog below with observations about Greg Oden. I appreciate your interest in what I have to say and I am also grateful for the many suggestions for future blogs. Be patient with me and check back every now and then because I do intend to respond to the great questions and suggestions you made.

In the meanwhile I have attached an old --- VERY OLD --- photo of me during a game with Jacksonville University. This image has special importance to me --- not only because it proves that once upon a time I could actually jump --- but because my father always kept a copy of this newspaper photo on his refrigerator at his home in Chipley, Florida.

Once again --- you all made me feel great. Thanks for sharing your time and your thoughts with me.

Best regards to all ---

A-Train

RESPONSE TO A READER'S QUESTION ABOUT GREG ODEN

A reader of this blog recently left a message asking if I would comment on what Greg Oden of the Trailblazers needs to do to become what fans had hoped he would be in the NBA --- a true force at center. The reader also inquired if I would work with Greg if asked by the Trailblazers to do so.

Second issue first. I’m always open to helping any ballplayer. However, I suspect that in the “young eyes” of most basketball organizations, I’m rapidly becoming part of sports history. Low post players of my era are not too far removed from dinosaurs! Still, if the phone rings I’d sure answer it!

As to Greg. It’s very difficult to comment in that a true evaluation of his potential can only be made if and when he is healthy enough to play sustained minutes over the course of a season. I believe he has put in less that a hundred games and, although his performance showed promise (especially in rebounding and shot blocking), it’s tough to draw hard conclusions from what we’ve seen so far.

What can be said is that, injuries aside, he possesses natural athleticism and power. That is both a plus and a potential minus. Many young players grow to rely overly-much on their sheer strength. I believe I was a physically strong players, as were legends such as Wilt Chamberlain. That only gets you so far. A strong young ballplayer like Greg Oden will also need to pay a lot of attention to learning proper footwork and low post moves to truly take advantage of his physical gifts. I’m not saying he needs to be an offensive superstar but he does need to develop the finer skills necessary to always be a threat to the defenses. In short, he needs to focus on out-thinking his opponents in addition to over-powering them.

The other advice that I would give has nothing to do with physical attributes. It has to do with the fact that, having had to endure so many injuries, Greg Oden’s real challenge in the near-term will be mentally readjusting to the professional game at the highest level. To do this he needs to work closely with the coaching staff and his team mates to understand how and where he fits into the scheme of things. He should not feel that he needs to carry the entire burden of the team on his shoulders but, rather, look for the best ways to work within the system to contribute at optimum levels while his body and his mind get back into the flow of the game.

CHICAGO BULLS GOLF CHARITY

August 31, 2010 -- The annual Chicago Bulls/Verizon Wireless Charity Golf Outing was held on Monday at the White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville, IL.
Bulls’ personalities including Scottie Pippen, Joakim Noah, James Johnson, Artis Gilmore, Toni Kukoc, Jay Williams, Will Perdue, Tom Boerwinkle, Dave Corzine, Bob Love, John Paxson, Gar Forman, Tom Thibodeau, Bill Wennington, Neil Funk, Chuck Swirsky, John Mengelt, Benny the Bull, the Luvabulls and many more including former Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee were all on hand for a day of golf.

Guests attending the event had the opportunity to play golf, have lunch and mingle with their favorite Bulls’ celebrities while bidding on a wide selection of sports memorabilia. The silent auction, raffles and contests included Bulls’ autographed jerseys, shoes and basketballs as well as items from other Chicago sports teams.
All proceeds from the Chicago Bulls/Verizon Wireless Charity Golf Outing benefitted CharitaBulls, the Bulls charity and Prevent Child Abuse America. CharitaBulls is dedicated to enhancing the lives of Chicago’s youth by actively supporting educational, recreational and social programs to help make Chicagoland a better place to live. Prevent Child Abuse America engages communities through the important work of strengthening families and valuing children. For more than 30 years, Prevent Child Abuse America has been the leading national organization focused on preventing child maltreatment before it occurs.

WHO’LL BE LEFT STANDING?

Thoughts about the remaining 2008 NBA Playoffs

UPDATED: June 11, 2008

In my opinion the lag time between games in this series continues to contribute to less-than-peak-performance from both teams. The irony here is that the NBA and the media have gone to great lengths to promote the “historic” Lakers versus Celtics match-up, and yet the schedule, created by the league for the purpose of maximizing the commercial value of the series, has caused the professional athletes involved to be out of sync. The games, quite frankly, have not showcased truly great basketball.

Normally, this loss of rhythm would favor the team playing he best defense. Unlike offense, which can be easily impacted by many factors including excessive downtime between games, defense can be delivered night-in-and-night-out by a team that is committed to the concept of hard-nosed defense. Going into the series it was assumed that Boston would play the toughest defense, but the Lakers have done well on that end of the court too.

Game Four in L.A. may, in fact, be the most important game of the series. Should the Lakers even the series at 2-2 I believe the momentum will swing their way, giving them the energy to take Game Five and return to Boston with a one game cushion. Should L.A. drop Thursday’s game they may have enough pride to win one more game but it’s difficult to see how they would ever win two straight in Boston.

Injuries are now a potential factor against Boston. Rondo is dealing with an ankle bruise. This is potentially critical in that L.A. has already apparently decided that Rondo is the weak link in the Boston offense and are cheating off him to help guard others whose offensive production is more reliable. Perhaps of greater importance, I believe that Paul Pierce’s injury has in fact slowed him in his ability to make quick first steps and also to move strong to the basket. He is now relying on finesse rather than power and speed.

In a series where a consistent level of production from superstar performers is not in strong evidence, I expect to see a continued and perhaps growing importance with regard to role players and substitute players. We may well see the entire series determined not by the big name players, but by those who come off the bench and play above and beyond their normal capabilities.

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

WHO’LL BE LEFT STANDING?

Thoughts about the remaining 2008 NBA Playoffs

UPDATED: June 6, 2008


Game One is done.

Paul Pierce: hurt or hype?

Lakers versus Celtics: history or hype?

Let’s take the second question first.

There is no doubt but that any time the Lakers and Celtics play in a final series history is being made. We’re talking about the two most storied franchises in the history of professional basketball.

And yet --- could it be that the hype made Game One a bit less than what it could have been and should have been? Frankly, I think that the time lag between the Celtic’s last conference finals game and the first game played in the league finals was just too long. It’s obvious that both the NBA and the media want to stretch out the time between games to gain as much promotional value --- and money --- out of the events as possible. For professional sports teams, however, this causes a loss of rhythm that was very obvious in last night’s game. Kobe, who has performed exceptionally all year, had his worst game since having back problems earlier in the season. I believe that this, as well as inconsistent performances from other key players, is the result of having too much downtime. Daily practices can never match the intensity of playoff games and when teams sit too long without doing real combat, even the best squads tend to become out-of-sync.

As for Paul Pierce. Well --- you can’t fault his performance as of late. In years past he has been a scorer but not a leader. He seems now to have matured and is putting the Celtics on his shoulders. It remains to be seen how much weight he can now bear on those shoulders having obviously injured his knee in Thursday’s game. The drama of his exit and entrance is being called legendary by some and showboating by others. As always, proof is in the performance and next game will reveal the extent to which Pierce can continue to contribute.

Because of his injury Pierce now becomes more of an X Factor. Interestingly, there are more X Factors than usual in this year’s match-up. How well Gasol is or isn’t fitting in with the Lakers is an X Factor. Rondo is an X Factor for the Celtics because sometimes he plays like a champ --- sometimes he plays like a kid. If he can consistently hit his jump shots the Lakers will not be able to cheat off of him to double team Garnett, Pierce or Allen. If he is inconsistent with his jumpers, L.A. will gladly let him bang away all night. Bench performance is also a big X-Factor. Guys like Perkins and P.J. Brown can make a huge difference in the eventual outcome of the series if they contribute big for Boston. A player like Radmanovic, for the Lakers, represents the truth of the saying: “live-by-the-three-point-shot, die-by-the-three-point-shot”. Even the coaching staffs constitute X Factors. Doc Rivers, although he is showing exceptional abilities as a coach, has never been this far in the playoffs. Will he be able to master the fine craft of coaching to the betterment of this year’s team? Phil Jackson obviously knows most tricks in the book. Last night, when Paul Pierce returned to the game to thunderous noise from the Boston crowd, Jackson immediately called time out to help take the steam out of the hometown fans. That may sound like a small thing, but at this level of competition, the small things add up to big victories.

What about the next games?

Although Boston has home court advantage, games three, four and five are played in L.A. This makes it EXTREMELY important for Boston to win Game Two.

Will they?

Boston has been great at home, but I give the edge to L.A. in Game Two. Although they didn’t necessarily show it last night, the smooth effective offense of the Lakers will be back in rhythm during the next game and, of great importance, the rust will be off Kobe Bryant. Boston’s defense is outstanding and the Celtics are my sentimental favorite, but I just feel that Laker firepower will be on display during Game Two and will create a significant mountain for Boston to overcome in this series.

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

WHO’LL BE LEFT STANDING?

Thoughts about the remaining 2008 NBA Playoffs

UPDATED: June 1, 2008

Kobe Bryant is on a mission.

Unless something unexpected happens --- which is always possible in professional sports --- I don’t see anything or anyone stopping Kobe from leading the Lakers to the NBA championship in 2008.

The match-up between the Boston Celtics and the L.A. Lakers will certainly make the NBA, the media, and many old school fans very happy. As any student of the game knows, there is no more “classic” rivalry in basketball, with L.A. holding 16 total championships and Boston 14. In head-to-head wars, however, Boston holds the advantage with 8 championships to two.

The 2008 series will be fascinating to watch because of the Laker’s tremendous offensive capabilities versus Boston’s proven defensive talents. The X Factor in the finals, I believe, will be the degree to which Boston’s “Big Three” of Garnett, Pierce and Allen can translate a hunger for victory into a team effort sufficient to contain Kobe just enough to open the door for the Celtics to outpace L.A. One edge that they will have in that challenge will be home court advantage with the first two games being played in Boston where the Celtics have been almost unbeatable all year.

Still, I return to the fact that Kobe is leading an all-out crusade to win it all. He feels that he has a lot to prove. He wants to show the world he can win it all without Shaq. He has had an M.V.P. year and he will only push harder and harder now that the trophy and championship ring are with reach. To date, Kobe has scored at will but has also involved his teammates. Gasol has not always been consistent but he provides a big added weapon for L.A. that cannot be ignored.

Look forward to some hard fought games. The Celtics will play like true warriors but my guess is that Kobe’s mission will result in another NBA championship for the great Laker’s franchise.

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

WHO’LL BE LEFT STANDING?

Thoughts about the remaining 2008 NBA Playoffs

UPDATED: June 1, 2008



Kobe Bryant is on a mission.

Unless something unexpected happens --- which is always possible in professional sports --- I don’t see anything or anyone stopping Kobe from leading the Lakers to the NBA championship in 2008.

The match-up between the Boston Celtics and the L.A. Lakers will certainly make the NBA, the media, and many old school fans very happy. As any student of the game knows, there is no more “classic” rivalry in basketball, with L.A. holding 16 total championships and Boston 14. In head-to-head wars, however, Boston holds the advantage with 8 championships to two.

The 2008 series will be fascinating to watch because of the Laker’s tremendous offensive capabilities versus Boston’s proven defensive talents. The X Factor in the finals, I believe, will be the degree to which Boston’s “Big Three” of Garnett, Pierce and Allen can translate a hunger for victory into a team effort sufficient to contain Kobe just enough to open the door for the Celtics to outpace L.A. One edge that they will have in that challenge will be home court advantage with the first two games being played in Boston where the Celtics have been almost unbeatable all year.

Still, I return to the fact that Kobe is leading an all-out crusade to win it all. He feels that he has a lot to prove. He wants to show the world he can win it all without Shaq. He has had an M.V.P. year and he will only push harder and harder now that the trophy and championship ring are with reach. To date, Kobe has scored at will but has also involved his teammates. Gasol has not always been consistent but he provides a big added weapon for L.A. that cannot be ignored.

Look forward to some hard fought games. The Celtics will play like true warriors but my guess is that Kobe’s mission will result in another NBA championship for the great Laker’s franchise.

WHO’LL BE LEFT STANDING?

Thoughts about the remaining 2008 NBA Playoffs

May 29, 2008

At this moment, the Detroit Pistons are wondering how they can pull out two straight wins to get passed the Boston Celtics. Somewhere, out west, the San Antonio Spurs are wondering why they are going home for the summer having lost 4-to-1 against the L.A. Lakers who now advance to the 2008 NBA finals.

In looking at the three remaining teams, and the potential scenarios involved, several thoughts occur to me.

First, the downward spiral of the Spurs was rooted in fatigue. No player in San Antonio will admit this because they are champions and champs don’t put the blame on such things. Still, I believe that the tough series against the New Orleans Hornets --- and the Game One loss against L.A. --- really took it out of the Spurs. They came back against the Hornets like true winners, but the effort took a toll. San Antonio remains a fundamentally great team with world class personnel, but I’m afraid that they are tired out. Sometimes the hearts of warriors can overcome tired, aging legs. This time not.

As for the Celtics and Pistons, I actually feel that Detroit has a slight edge. Will it be enough to translate into an Eastern Conference victory? It may or may not -- especially with the elbow injury to Hamilton --- but here’s why I feel the way I do. Both teams benefit from depth and veteran talent. The difference is that Detroit is experienced without being old --- and the Pistons feature a squad that has considerably more time playing together as a unit. Although Boston is capable of playing outstanding defense, the Pistons are very physical --- and playoffs are the time for tough players to make themselves felt!

For those reasons, I also believe that Detroit would have an upper hand against the Lakers. In such a match-up Detroit should have enough depth and athleticism to contain Kobe just enough to make a difference. Although L.A. has certainly improved from the trade for Gasol, I’m not sure that the Lakers, as a team, function as efficiently as Detroit because of how long the respective players have all been together with each other.

In any event --- what happens will be entertaining and, I hope, memorable. Many deserving players will be involved in the final series and it will be enjoyable to see who most wants the ultimate victory.


For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

CHECK OUT THE A-TRAIN'S PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2008 NBA PLAYOFFS

Artis has begun a blog posted at:

http://news.jacksonville.com/sportsdesknation

Just logon and, once on that site, scroll down to find his insights about the 2008 NBA playoffs!

ARTIS GILMORE JOINS
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY
AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT

Artis Gilmore, the legendary basketball player and 1970 graduate of Jacksonville University, is joining the school as the Special Assistant to the President.

In his role as Special Assistant, Gilmore will represent the University at various events serving in community relations, working with alumni and donor development, as well as representing the University and the athletics department.

"We are excited to have Artis join the University staff and lend his skills and talents to benefit his alma mater," said JU President Dr. Kerry Romesburg. "His athletic accomplishments speak for themselves, and his outreach in the community shows his true commitment toward positive change for Jacksonville. He was a key part of a golden era at JU - he has been and always will be a key part of this University."

"Having Artis join the University in this role is a tremendous boost and will help rekindle memories and relationships from days gone by," said JU director of athletics Alan Verlander. "He is always a major presence whenever he is in a room and it is going to be great to work with him to promote the University as well as the athletics department."

A native of Jacksonville, Gilmore will also continue mentoring programs and help connect the University with the city of Jacksonville in community service with all JU students.

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

A-TRAIN APPEARS IN WILL FERRELL'S NEW MOVIE: SEMI-PRO

Artis, together with ABA greats George Gervin and James Silas, can be seen in SEMI-PRO, a recently released Will Ferrell comedy.

See movie clip at:

http://www.semipromovie.com

Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) is the owner, promoter, coach, and star player of the Flint Michigan Tropics of the American Basketball Association (ABA). In 1976 before the ABA collapses, the National Basketball Association (NBA) plans to merge with the best teams of the ABA at the end of the season. Only the top four teams will make the move and the worst teams will fold. The Tropics are the worst team in the league and if they want to make it to the NBA, Jackie Moon must rally his team and start winning. The only problem with that scenario is the fact that Jackie Moon is not really the coach and star basketball player he thinks he is. He was able to buy the Tropics franchise with proceeds that he had earned from his hit song Love Me Sexy. To keep his team from oblivion and leave his mark in the city, Jackie Moon must inspire his team to win fourth place in the playoffs. Jackie trades a washing machine to another team for a former NBA benchwarmer, Monix (Woody Harrelson) to reach his goal. This was Monixs last season before he retires, and he wants to go out in a blaze of glory.

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

MEDINA, OHIO SPORTSWRITER
RECALLS PLAYING PICK-UP BASKETBALL
WITH ARTIS GILMORE

by: Rick Noland Medina Gazette

I am a hoops junkie. I'll watch any kind of basketball game, anytime. I'll play in any game, anytime.

Over the years, I've had hundreds — maybe even thousands — of great experiences playing and watching the best sport in the world. I recently added three I'd like to share.

The first occurred Friday night, when a bunch of us old geezers won the 26-and-over championship at Pinnacle Sports Complex in our first year in the league.

I bring this up not to brag, but because I've played in a lot of leagues over the years and this one ranked right near the top due to its diversity in age, race, style of play and team makeup, not to mention its great officiating and sportsmanlike players.

Of course, that Salem Plumbing managed to come out on top with a nine-man roster that featured players 37, 38, 43, 45, 45 and 49 years of age made it even sweeter.

That none of us had a heart attack while laughing hysterically as we watched a videotape of the game — trust me, "slow-motion" replays were not needed — was icing on the cake.

Just how slow we were, are and will continue to be was driven home the next two days when I went to Ray Mellert Park to watch the fourth annual Hoop-n-Que 4-on-4 tournament.

I'm normally not a big fan of unnecessary showmanship — you don't get extra points for a no-look pass, dunk or between-the-legs dribble, after all — but this event was awesome on a number of fronts.

No. 1, it brought me back to the pickup games of my youth, when long jumpers were rare due to wobbly backboards, wind, bright sunlight and bent rims that were too low to begin with.

No. 2, the talent level was absolutely fabulous, the athleticism was phenomenal and the play was amazingly physical, yet clean.

Hoop-n-Que would have gotten raves based on those aspects alone, but what truly made it special was the vibrant atmosphere that existed at a park some people are afraid to visit.

The music was lively, the food was terrific, the play was spectacular and everyone was smiling. About 350 people were on hand each day, and that number should grow in 2007 now that Hoop-n-Que has finally gotten some long overdue publicity.

Organized by Medina natives Mantrell Price and Ramon Burnham, the event was as well-run as the 26-and-over league at Pinnacle and the men's 3-on-3 league at the Medina Community Recreation Center, which brings me to my third great basketball experience in recent days.

While loosening up for our 3-on-3 game Monday, I couldn't help but notice an extremely large gentleman. He was sitting down at the time, so I put him at about 6-foot-9, 6-10. Only when he stood up did I realize he was well over 7 feet tall.

His gait was undeniably that of a former pro athlete, but I did not recognize 7-2, five-time ABA All-Star, six-time NBA All-Star Artis Gilmore until I was told who he was.

Turns out he was in town because he is very good friends with a player on our team. It also turns out he was coming to Pinnacle the next afternoon to play pickup ball with a bunch of us who congregate there on a regular basis.

Gilmore will be 57 in September, so his legs aren't what they used to be. But he's still 7-2, he weighs about 325 pounds, his hands make the basketball look like a grapefruit and his long arms allow him to come within inches of the rim without jumping.

Needless to say, everyone in our group of chuckers was eager to play with and against a guy who scored 9,362 points in five ABA seasons (22.3 average) and 15,579 more in 12 NBA campaigns (17.1).

Now, I've played with and against NBA players and coaches before and the games have always fallen into one of two categories: Either the pro is so nice he holds back the entire time (Larry Nance, Austin Carr) or so unbelievably competitive (Barry Clemens, George Karl) no one else gets to touch the ball. Either way, the games usually aren't all that much fun once the initial thrill of playing with a pro is gone.

This was different. Gilmore proved to be a proud, competitive athlete who wanted to win and did not look down — figuratively, at least — at the unathletic hacks around him. Yet he was sane enough that he didn't suddenly explode in a burst of 100 percent effort and accidentally kill someone.

The games were competitive, yet friendly and fun. Gilmore, who put the ball over his head, muscled his way to the basket and scored whenever he really felt like it, even called a few fouls and debated a few called against him.

It all added up to yet another great basketball experience — my third in a span of just five days.

Hopefully, there are many more still to come.

Who's got next?


Noland may be reached at rickn@ohio.net

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

ARTIS GILMORE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT REFEREES

Artis Answers Questions From Readers

QUESTION:

In the recent series between Miami and Dallas it seems like everyone
was complaining about the refs. Although that has always been part of
the game, did you talk much to refs when you were playing and what is
your attitude about what seems to be a growing tendency of many
players to constantly be bellyaching to referees while the game is in
progress?

ARTIS ANSWERS:

Athletes are always going to complain about the officials --- that really is part of the game. When I was playing Rick Barry had the reputation of being the biggest crybaby of all times because he was always complaining during the game. Sometimes, though, I think refs showed him some favoritism just because they knew he’d complain. There’s one part of this subject that I never hear much about. I regret observing that there are still officials continuing in the game for the earlier years when I was there. More power to them for hanging in that long, but quite honestly, I don’t think that some of them are quick enough any more to properly referee complex situations involving today’s fast moving athletes.

A-Train
June 21, 2006

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

ARTIS GILMORE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT SHAQ

Artis Answers Questions From Readers

QUESTION:

Artis: if you were playing against Shaq, what would you do on defense and how would you come at him on offense?

ARTIS ANSWERS:

The rules of engagement haven't changed very much from the earlier years when I played the league. The best offense players are frequently not matched against each other in games. The key reason is to prevent foul trouble for offense threats, especially with big men during the early stages of the games. Of course, as the game moves forward there are occasions where the big guns go head-to-head. If I were to have had the opportunity to face Shaq I would work to prevent him from catching the ball on the box near the basket. That would mean using phyical strength to force him to catch the ball further away from the basket, and to make him use more energies on all attempts to receive the ball on offense. Many centers simply don’t have the power to do that with Shaq, but hat was exactly the type of physical game I was able to play for many years and I certainly believe that would be my edge against him.


A-Train
May 31, 2006

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

ARTIS GILMORE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT LeBRON JAMES

Artis Answers Questions From Readers

QUESTION:

As one of only three NBA players to be on the same team with both
Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, you have a first hand knowledge of
what made them great. Watching LeBron James, do you have a prediction about whether or not he has the ability to live up to expectations?

ARTIS ANSWERS:

I haven't had the opportunity to observe LeBron James during any of the CAVS practice sessions with his coaches and teammates, but from afar he certainly shows a great appreciation for the game and seems to be growing up with the same perspectives that I remember from other great players like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. Respect for the game and for one’s teammates translates into leadership qualities on the court. If LeBron continues in good health he certainly will be one of the truly great players to watch in the near future.

A-Train

May 16, 2006

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

ARTIS GILMORE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT THE 2006
SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Artis Answers Questions From Readers
QUESTION:

As a former SPURS you've probably been following the San Antonio versus Dallas playoff series. What do the SPURS need to do to recover and get passed the MAVS?

ARTIS ANSWERS:

Unfortunately my beloved SPURS may not have the ability to recover
from this very difficult deficit against the newly revitalized Dallas Mavs.

If I had the opportunity to make some suggestions to this SPURS team, it certainly would focus on the fact that on defense the larger Dirk Nowitzki has been guarded with a smaller defender like Bruce Bowen. As good as he is, Bruce just just doesn't have the size to match up with Dirk. The imbalance in defense is also evident by the fact that the SPURS are giving up way too many points. Reliability on defense is key to success in any game, but especially so in the playoffs.

A-Train

May 16, 2006

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM

ARTIS GILMORE

"A-Train"

This ABA and NBA Legend
Deserves To Be In The Basketball Hall Of Fame.

• Named to Sporting News’ Top 50 of the first 50 Years of the NBA
• Named to Athlon’s Top 50 of the first 50 Years of the NBA
• ABA Championship, Kentucky Colonels, 1975
• Career .599 field-goal percentage - highest in NBA history
• 3rd highest shot blocker in pro basketball history (3,178)
• 4th highest rebounder in pro basketball history (16,330)
• 14th of all time pro basketball scorers (24,941)
• Leading left-handed scorer in professional basketball history
• One of only eight players in college history to average
20 points and 20 rebounds per game over a career
• All Star in 11 of 17 years as a pro
• 5th best all-time for pro minutes played (43,836)
• Played 670 consecutive games
• ABA Most Valuable Player and Rookie, 1971-72
• ABA single-season record for the most blocked shots (422)
• All-time ABA rebounds per game (40)
• Won 4 out of 5 ABA rebounding titles
• Led Jacksonville University to the NCAA championship final game vs UCLA in 1970
• Top of ESPN’s list of “Players Missing From The Hall Of Fame”

For more about Artis Gilmore --- or to e-mail
questions to A-Train --- please visit:
WWW.ARTISGILMORE.COM