Former NBA star Armen Gilliam dies at the age of 47 – NBA Update
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Hall of Famer and former NBA player Armen Gilliam died at the age of 47 in Pennsylvania during a pickup basketball game.
According to the sources, the 6 foot 9 inch Gilliam, who was nick named as ‘The Hammer’ in his heyday, was playing basketball at the LA Fitness Gym when he collapsed during the game. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where
he was pounced dead. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office stated that the cause of death is yet to be confirmed and it will become apparent after the autopsy report. However, it appears that Armen died of a heart attack.
The prolific power forward was considered as one of Nevada’s sporting legends. He spearheaded the UNLV team to a brilliant record of 37 wins and only 2 defeats in 1987.
Gilliam’s coach at UNLV Jerry Tarkanian was shocked to hear about the news of his death, "He was one of the greatest Rebels ever and one of the best players we have ever had. He was such a great person. Everybody loved him and
he loved everybody. He was such a gentle person and such a caring guy. I am all shook up over it. I think the world of him and am just really shocked."
Gilliam brought his glorious talent in the world of NBA during the 1987 Draft when he was selected with the second overall by the Phoenix Suns. Armen showcased his brilliance in six different teams during his NBA career. The teams
included New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets which is now known as New Orleans Hornets. The dynamic power forward has an exceptional NBA career as well. He was considered as a constant double-double threat
and finished his career with averages of 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Lon Baby, the president of Phoenix Suns was deeply saddened to hear about their star player Gilliam and said, "On behalf of the entire Phoenix Suns family, I'd like to express our sadness at the news of the passing of Armen Gilliam
and offer our condolences to his family. Armen will always have a place in Suns history”.
Towards the end of his career in the NBA, Gilliam changed the spelling of his first name from Armon to Armen. He also had an experience of coaching at Penn State and Pittsburgh Xplosion. During his coaching stint with Explosion,
he also played and guided them to a sixth position among 24 teams in the American Basketball Association.
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