Artis Gilmore

The most dominant center in ABA history — six-time All-Star with the highest field goal percentage in NBA history.

Artis Gilmore was born in Chipley, Florida in 1949. Jacksonville University developed him before Kentucky Colonels selected him in the 1971 ABA Draft. His combined ABA and NBA career produced 18.8 points and 12.3 rebounds per game across 17 professional seasons. He won the ABA championship with the Kentucky Colonels in 1975 and was named ABA MVP that season. He was selected to 11 All-Star games across both leagues — five in the ABA and six in the NBA. His NBA career field goal percentage of .599 is the highest in NBA history. His combination of size — 7ft 2in — strength and a surprisingly soft scoring touch around the basket made him virtually unguardable at close range. His ABA statistics — 22.3 points and 17.1 rebounds per game — are among the finest produced by any big man in professional basketball history. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 — a recognition that many felt was long overdue given the quality of his production across two leagues. The ABA era he played in has historically been undervalued in assessments of his career.

Dominant post player with exceptional shooting accuracy and rebounding

One of the most efficient centers in basketball history, ABA legend

• ABA Champion (1975)
• ABA MVP
• All-Star 11x
• Hall of Fame (2011)
• NBA career FG% record (.599)