Armen Gilliam, the the former No. 2 overall draft pick who spent 13 seasons in the NBA, is dead at 47 of an apparent heart attack. Gilliam, 47, reportedly died while playing a pickup basketball game in a suburban Pittsburgh gym. Gilliam was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area before attending UNLV where he was a collegiate star.
Armen Gilliam Dead Of Apparent Heart Attack At 47; Journeyman Was No. 2 Overall Pick In 1987
Gilliam last played in the NBA during the 1999-2000 season when he played 50 games for the Utah Jazz when he averaged 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds. During his career, he averaged 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds over 929 games for six teams.
After the Phoenix Suns made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 1987 draft following a junior season in which he averaged 23.2 points and 9.3 rebounds, Gilliam burst onto the scene by averaging 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds while earning NBA All-Rookie Team honors in the 1987-88 season. Over the next eight seasons, he averaged at least 11.8 rebounds and at least 5.9 rebounds every year. He turned int a career year in 1995-96 with the New Jersey Nets when he averaged 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds.
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