Armen Gilliam

Gilliam returned to the court after retirement as the head basketball coach for the (NCAA) Division III Penn State Altoona Lions from 2002 to 2005.That year, Gilliam was a standout player on the basketball team that reached the Junior College Finals and finished sixth in the nation.Gilliam averaged 24.9 points and 14 rebounds in five tournament games and was named to the National Junior college finals all-tournament team.While at UNLV, teammate Frank James gave him the nickname "The Hammer" after seeing Gilliam's biceps combined with his pounding action under the basket.The international community did not consider the team a medal-contender, but they advanced to the championship game and competed against the heavily favored Russians for the gold medal; overcoming great odds, they won the tournament.[4] In 2001, Gilliam was named head coach of Penn State McKeesport's men's basketball team, which played at the junior college level."[7] Gilliam collapsed during a basketball game at the LA Fitness gym in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, on the evening of July 5, 2011.
Bethel Park, PennsylvaniaBridgeville, PennsylvaniaBethel ParkIndependence CCNBA draftPhoenix SunsPower forwardCharlotte HornetsPhiladelphia 76ersNew Jersey NetsMilwaukee BucksUtah JazzPittsburgh XplosionMt. Lebanon HSPenn State McKeesportPenn State AltoonaNBA All-Rookie First TeamAll-AmericanPCAA Player of the YearPointsReboundsAssistsBasketball ReferencebasketballFIBA World Championship1986 SpainNational teamNational Basketball AssociationAmerican Basketball Association(NCAA) Division IIIPenn State Altoona LionsIndependence Junior CollegeIndependence, KansasFinal FourJohn WoodenLos Angeles TimesArm & HammerDavid RobinsonKenny SmithTommy AmakerTom HammondsCharles D. SmithDerrick McKeyLute Olson1987 NBA draft2006 ABA All-Star GameField goal3-point field goalFree throwStealsBlocks1987–88Phoenix1988–891989–90Charlotte1990–91Philadelphia1991–921992–931993–94New Jersey1994–951995–961996–97Milwaukee1997–981998–991999–00Mt. Lebanon High Schooljunior collegeLA FitnessMt. Lebanonheart attackAssociated PressPittsburgh Post-GazetteNBA.comUnited States squad1986 FIBA World Championship – Gold medalBoguesAmakerK. SmithElliottSeikalyRobinsonHammondsC. SmithUnited States men's basketball squad1986 Goodwill Games – Gold medal1987 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-AmericansSteve AlfordDanny ManningReggie WilliamsHorace GrantDennis HopsonMark JacksonKen NormanBig West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the YearRatleffMcMillianKramerCorneliusHungerS. GreenAugmonL. JohnsonL. DavisStewartMiglinieksOlowokandiBergersenJ. GreenFulloveMaråkerCutleyHarrisAkognonO. JohnsonWilliamsHawkinsJankovićNelsonShortsMcLaughlinSlaterMitchellPepperScottie PippenKevin JohnsonOlden PolyniceReggie MillerMuggsy BoguesJoe WolfTellis FrankJosé OrtizChristian WelpRonnie MurphyJim FarmerDallas ComegysReggie LewisGreg AndersonFreddie BanksRon MooreNate BlackwellRickie WinslowLester FonvilleNikita WilsonAndre MooreBob McCannTony WhiteBrian RowsomDoug LeeDuane WashingtonDerrick DowellNorris ColemanVincent AskewWinston GarlandKannard JohnsonTerrance BaileyAndrew KennedyTerry ConerBrad LohausBruce Dalrymple