Former WPIAL and NBA Star Armon Gilliam Dies at Age 47

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Wednesday, July 6, 2011 | 12:00 AM


Former Bethel Park High School University of Nevada-Las Vegas and NBA star Armon Gilliam collapsed while playing basketball in Bridgeville Tuesday night and passed away at the age of 47.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Gilliam collapsed while playing a pickup basketball game at the LA Fitness Center in Bridgeville and was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead around 9:30pm.

Gilliam a Bethel Park resident was a first round pick out of UNLV by the Phoenix Suns in the 1987 NBA Draft. Gilliam played for the Sun the Charlotte Hornets the Philadelphia 76ers the New Jersey Nets the Milwaukee Bucks and the Utah Jazz in his 14 year NBA career which ended in 2000.

Gilliam also coached at Penn State-Altoona after his pro basketball playing days ended.

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