Chicago Bulls Trade Talk: Worst Five Trades-#5
By Ronald Agers
Oct 9, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; NBA legend Artis Gilmore (right) is recognized during a break in the second half of the Orlando Magic game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Other NBA legends include, from left, Rick Barry, and George Gervin and Julius Erving. The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Orlando Magic 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
Pippen Peoples, take a long look at this picture. Look at the three men to the left in this picture. These are REAL ICONS! They are Rick Barry, “The Iceman” George Gervin and “The Doctor” Julius Erving. All Hall of Famers and part of NBA royalty. Look at who they are looking at and applauding to the right. Artis Gilmore aka the A-Train. One of the baddest cats in ABA history. He was one of the Chicago Bulls’ first big trades in their history.
Also one of the worst.
Well Pippen Peoples, we now know that the absolute worst trade secret in the NBA right now is basically out. Kevin Love will be traded out of Minnesota either August 23rd or the 24th. We also know that he won’t be traded to the Chicago Bulls…again. Those dates coincidentally line up with the 30 day waiting period after Cleveland signed Andrew Wiggins to a rookie contract. I’m not known as a NBA insider but when the NBA stops selling Wiggins’ rookie jersey and Anthony Bennett gets pulled from playing pro-am ball by his agent, there is a trade going down.
Again it seems like the Chicago Bulls are used in NBA trade rumors just enough for writers to make the minimum requirement of words in an article. It seems like big time trades and free agent signings almost never happen to the Chicago Bulls. But don’t fret Pippen Peoples, Pippen Ain’t Easy is here to fill in the gap. Since the Chicago Bulls can’t make a trade for anybody, Pippen Ain’t Easy starts a series that will look back at the five best and worst trades in Bulls history.
Let’s start things off with the fifth worst trade in Chicago Bulls history.
July 22, 1982
The Chicago Bulls trade Artis Gilmore to the San Antonio Spurs…
FOR
Dave Corzine and a guy you really need Google for, Mark Olberding (aka who?)
At this time in Chicago Bulls history, the team was between being mediocre and just being plain bad. Artis Gilmore was picked up in the ABA dispersal draft back in 1976-77.
If it wasn’t for Gilmore, the Bulls would have been just bad. In the early years Gilmore played for the Bulls (he played a short stint in 1988), Artis Gilmore was an All-Star four times during a period where there was coaching changes, roster changes and all around inconsistency throughout the franchise in his tenure in Chicago.
After missing the playoffs in 1981 after Artis Gilmore led the Bulls in scoring (18.5 ppg) and rebounding (10.2 rpg) and the entire NBA in field goal percentage (.652), the Bulls traded Gilmore to the Spurs for Dave Corzine and Mark Olberding (aka who?)
Based on the fact that Artis Gilmore is in the Hall of Fame and Dave Corzine was a bench player shows us that the San Antonio Spurs MIGHT have gotten the best of the Chicago Bulls in this transaction. Considering the fact that Mark Olberding could be Jeopardy’s final question tell us that the Spurs took the Bulls to the cleaners.
Let’s take a look at Artis Gilmore’s ABA resume shall we?
ABA Rookie of the Year
ABA MVP
Five time ABA All-Star.
Established ABA records for career blocked shots with 750, blocked shots in a season with 422 in 1971-72 and rebounds in a game with 40.
He was also one of the contestants in the famous ABA slam dunk competition the night the free throw line dunk was made famous by Julius Erving.
Let’s combine the NBA accomplishments.
In the 17 years that Gilmore played professional basketball, he had career averages of 18.8 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.
With the Chicago Bulls, Artis Gilmore was the best player for six seasons. Gilmore led the NBA in field-goal percentage for four straight years. This includes a career best 67 percent in 1980-81. Let’s put that in perspective. Basically 67 percent means for every three shots Gilmore attempted, two of them went in on average. This just in to Pippen Ain’t Easy, that’s pretty good. It also serves as the third highest percentage for a season in NBA history. He remains the NBA’s career leader in field goal percentage(minimum 2,000 shots made) with 59.9%.
Artis Gilmore was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
How about Dave Corzine and Mark Olberding (aka who?)
Dave Corzine averaged 8.5 points and 5.9 rebounds for his career. Don’t let the stats fool you though. Corzine did play hard and was a capable defender before Bill Cartwright showed up for the first three peat era. That and Corzine did set a lot of screens for Michael Jordan in that famous 63 point playoff game in the Boston Garden back in 1986.
Mark Olberding played 12 seasons in the NBA and ABA. His best seasons was with the Spurs when he was a part of The Bruise Brothers”. His claim to fame is when he hit ten field goals without a miss against the Boston Celtics in 1977. I know what you’re thinking…WHO?
Keep it locked to Pippen Ain’t Easy for a look back at the Chicago Bulls’ five best and worst trades of all time.