Although nicknamed "The Train" for his large build and sporting an afro in his youth, Artis Gilmore was not a hotheaded big man; off the court, he was a rather gentle giant.
Most of the time, he was quiet and reserved. After the ABA merged into the NBA, he didn't receive much attention. People only remembered him when he confronted Jabbar, reminding the league that there was someone who could match Jabbar in height and wingspan.
But Gilmore was not content with keeping a low profile; nearly 10 years after the ABA-NBA merger, he always felt that the ABA stars faced suppression in the NBA.
Most players who chose to enter the ABA came from poverty and were lured by larger contracts than the NBA offered. Gilmore, who grew up so poor that he had to pick watermelons in the fields to make money, chose to sign with the Kentucky Colonels in 1971 as a highly anticipated talent.
