UNLV great Armen Gilliam dies at 47

UNLV great and former NBA player Armen Gilliam died Tuesday night while playing pickup basketball at a Pittsburgh-area health club. He was 47.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday that Gilliam died Tuesday night at the LA Fitness gym in Bridgeville while he was playing basketball.

The office says a cause of death has not yet been determined pending an autopsy.

Gilliam, a 6-foot-9 forward, played 13 NBA seasons with six teams after leading UNLV to a 37-2 record and the Final Four in 1987. He was the No. 2 overall pick of the Phoenix Suns in the 1987 NBA draft.

Nicknamed "The Hammer," Gilliam played for the Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz.

Gilliam, who averaged 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds during his NBA career, changed the spelling of his first name from Armon to Armen during his professional playing days.

UNLV retired Gilliam's No. 35 jersey in 2007 and inducted him into the school's athletic hall of fame in 2008. He was a consensus second-team All-America and Big West player of the year in 1986-87 as UNLV went 18-0 in conference play and reached the school's second-ever Final Four.

"He was one of the greatest Rebels ever and one of the best players we have ever had," Jerry Tarkanian, his coach at UNLV, said in a statement released by the university. "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."

"The Runnin' Rebel family lost a true legend," current UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "As great a player as Armen was, he was even a better person."

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

I rarely troll.

Awesome.

Would he beat Bobby Phills in a game of 1 on 1?

He had the facial structure of Wesley Snipes.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

He probably doesn't anymore.

There's a guy, Bobby Phills. Was he with the Cavs? He had the facial structure of Wesley Snipes.

Awesome.

I meant Phills, not the dead dude!

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

I rarely troll.

Snipes might as well be dead. His career sure is.

Awesome.

Snipes might as well be dead. His career sure is.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

They're both dead.

Phils and Gilliam. Not Snipes.

When I read the title I thought "I always thought it was Armon".

Why would you bother to change your name from Armen to Armon? I mean - what's the difference?

Why goes through the hassle? Who cares?

Awesome.