Armen Gilliam
A powerful and relentless power forward known as 'The Hammer,' who carved out a solid 13-year NBA career after being a surprise second overall draft pick.
1964–2011 (age 47)·American basketball player·Birthday: May 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Armen Gilliam arrived in the NBA with the weight of expectation, selected second overall in the 1987 draft behind David Robinson. Nicknamed 'The Hammer' for his physical, bruising style of play in the post, he brought a workmanlike consistency to every team he joined. Over 13 seasons, he was a reliable double-double threat, using his strong 6'9" frame to battle for rebounds and score with a soft touch around the basket. His journey took him from the Phoenix Suns, where he was a key piece alongside Kevin Johnson and Tom Chambers, to stints with Charlotte, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Milwaukee, and Utah. After retirement, he channeled his knowledge into coaching at the college level. Gilliam's career wasn't defined by flashy headlines, but by the durable, blue-collar effort that coaches valued and teammates relied upon.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Armen was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Armen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Armen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2011Died at 47
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Selected as the #2 overall pick in the star-studded 1987 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns.
- Averaged a double-double (18.3 points, 9.1 rebounds) for the Charlotte Hornets during the 1991-92 season.
- Played in 929 regular-season NBA games, scoring over 13,000 points and grabbing more than 6,000 rebounds in his career.
- Returned to basketball as head coach of the Penn State Altoona Lions, leading the program from 2002 to 2005.
Did You Know?
He changed the spelling of his first name from 'Armon' to 'Armen' early in his professional career.
Gilliam played his college basketball at UNLV under coach Jerry Tarkanian, helping lead the Runnin' Rebels to the 1987 Final Four.
He was a talented artist and enjoyed painting in his spare time.
Tragically, he died of a heart attack in 2011 while playing a pickup basketball game at a gym near Pittsburgh.
“You show up, you work, you do your job. That's the game.”
