Most of you may not know much about Armen Gilliam. If you know anything about him, it’s probably just that he was a serviceable player, who was a decent but not great rebound. But this video from the 1987 NBA Draft serves as a reminder of just how good he was at one point.
Armen Gilliam Dies At 47; Video Shows His ‘87 Draft Day, UNLV Highlights
Gilliam was downright dominant his senior year at UNLV, averaging 23.2 points and 9.1 rebounds. We can see he already had a decent midrange jumper and was a physical presence, two things that served him well over a 13-year NBA career.
But really, the more notable thing from this video is Gilliam himself. What’s with the outfit? That suit is downright ... respectable. Did they not do garish and over the top in 1987. I mean, wasn’t that the era of break dancing and Electric Boogaloo? Were NBA players not wearing day glo track suits to the draft back then?
Also note the spelling of Gilliam’s first name. Apparently, he got tired of people mispronouncing “Armon” and went with the phonetic spelling.
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