Artis Gilmore is happy about returning to Chicago because this time he`s not expected to be the second coming.
When Gilmore first joined the Bulls, in 1976, their fans expected a lot from him. Too much, it turned out, even for a 7-foot-2-inch center with unlimited potential. The Big A took the Bulls to the National Basketball Association playoffs just twice in six seasons, then was traded to the San Antonio Spurs on July 22, 1982.
Dave Corzine came here as part of that deal. Now, Gilmore, unloaded by the Spurs for a 1988 second-round draft pick, will be asked to solve the Bulls` problems at center by splitting the position with Corzine.
”This is a new role for me and a chance to end my career by winning an NBA championship,” the 16-year pro said at Wednesday`s welcome-home press conference. ”I never had an opportunity to be on the same team with a player like Michael Jordan.
”I`ll help Michael any way I can. He`ll attract a lot of attention and open things up for me in the low post. I`m going to take a leadership role with the younger players.”
Giving pep talks never was Gilmore`s style, even when he sparked the Kentucky Colonels to the 1973 American Basketball Association championship. The mild-mannered pivotman was a target of abuse from some Bulls` fans for appearing lethargic at times, but he insisted Wednesday that rap no longer bothers him.
”I used to hear it everywhere I played, including Chicago,” Gilmore said. ”It`s just my personality. Maturity finally made me realize that I had to let my performance on the court speak for itself.”
Bulls coach Doug Collins shrugged off the notion that Gilmore might be too old or too slow, or both, to help the Bulls contend for the Central Division title this season.
”Artis is a gentle giant, so soft-spoken that people take it to mean he doesn`t work hard,” Collins said. ”You don`t last as long as Artis has unless there`s something burning inside.”
But Gilmore will be 38 when the 1987-88 season opens. Both he and Corzine lack speed, a fact, Collins conceded, that will cause problems in coping with an all-out fast break.
”We`re going to line Dave and Artis up for a race to see who our fastest center is,” Collins said. ”Seriously, the addition of Gilmore makes us much stronger in the middle.
”Artis is a legitimate low-post scorer. We`ll put in more plays to let Jordan and Gilmore benefit from each other`s presence.
”We want to win 50 games next season, and Artis can help us get there.” The Spurs reportedly started shopping Gilmore around the NBA last Christmas but found no team willing to take on his $800,000 salary. With first-round pick Johnny Dawkins pulling the trigger, San Antonio went to an uptempo game that often left Gilmore standing at midcourt.
”Artis can`t play 35 minutes a game anymore, and the Spurs figured he was over the hill,” said a source close to the team. ”They cleared the decks of high-salaried players like George Gervin, Mychal Thompson and Gilmore to make an offer so good that David Robinson can`t turn it down.”
Gilmore bought a home in San Antonio for his wife and four children, but he knew it was time to move on when new coach Bob Weiss started a youth movement on the Spurs. His scoring average last season (11.4 points a game)
and 579 rebounds were the towering center`s career lows, except for 1979-80, when knee surgery limited him to 48 games.
Fortunately for Gilmore, he had signed a guaranteed seven-year contract worth $4.5 million with the Bulls in 1978. It briefly made him America`s highest-paid athlete, and Gilmore acknowledged Wednesday that money was not the primary concern in his Chicago comeback.
”If things go right, I could play two or three more years,” he said.
”I`ve always envied the Lakers, because when they have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy on the floor at the same time, there`s no way you can defend against all three of them.
”Now I`m getting a chance to play with a Michael Jordan. The Bulls can prevent problems with clogging the middle on offense by isolating Michael and clearing out a side for him. Teams used to gang up on superstars, but you can`t do that with the new (zone defense) rule.
”We`ll always have somebody open. I`m not worried about Bulls` fans getting their expectations too high. Everybody`s entitled to dream, and maybe next year will be their turn.”
What kind of leadership does Gilmore have in mind? Will he discard his poker-faced image to become a holler guy for the Bulls?
”Not really,” he replied. ”I can do some talking, but mainly I want to set an example for the young guys by convincing them you have to shake off the little aches and pains. In the NBA, the winners show up ready to play every night.
”I never dreamed I`d last this long. I prolonged my career the way guys like Kareem, John Havlicek and Paul Silas did–by staying in good shape.”
Gilmore is only 344 points away from joining retired Julius Erving as the only two men in combined NBA-ABA history to crack the 25,000-point barrier.
Collins is counting on the Big A to help overcome the loss of forward Gene Banks, who will sit out next season to rehabilitate his right leg after undergoing surgery Wednesday morning to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.
”We want to give Gene every chance to come back and play five or six more years,” Collins said. ”He`s a vicious competitor. I had a bad knee at his age (28), so I can relate to what he`s going through.”
