Some legends are celebrated every day. Others quietly become forgotten with time.

That’s always bothered me when it comes to Armon Gilliam.

Before he became an NBA All-Star, before he starred at UNLV, Armon was just a kid from Bethel Park. What’s interesting is that during his high school years, he was known more for wrestling than basketball. Few people could have predicted he would go on to become one of the greatest basketball players Western Pennsylvania has ever produced.

Then everything changed.

Armon developed into a dominant force, starred at UNLV under the legendary Jerry Tarkanian, and went on to enjoy an outstanding NBA career. When you stack up accomplishments, there’s a real argument that he had one of the greatest basketball careers of any player to ever come out of the Pittsburgh area.

Yet his name doesn’t get mentioned nearly enough. That never made sense to me.

I had the privilege of getting to know Armon before he passed away. We played together with the ABA’s Pittsburgh Xplosion, and whenever I was getting ready to head back overseas, he would work me out. He didn’t have to do that. He was already a Pittsburgh basketball legend, but he always made time for people.

More importantly, he was a genuinely good man.

I remember telling him that even though I had built a career I was proud of, I always respected the greats who came before me. I asked him what it was really like playing at UNLV during the 1980s under Coach Jerry Tarkanian.

He smiled. He told me he loved playing for Coach Tark and loved his experience at UNLV. Then he laughed and said that after he left, Larry Johnson’s teams took the program to an entirely different level. Those teams weren’t just winning games, they were rock stars. Fans treated them like NBA players before they had even reached the league.

I always found that conversation fascinating because it gave me a glimpse into one of the most iconic eras in college basketball from someone who actually lived it. That’s something statistics can never capture.

When people debate the greatest basketball players ever produced by Pittsburgh, Armon Gilliam deserves to be part of that conversation every single time. His resume speaks for itself, but his character made an even bigger impression on me.

I’m grateful I got the chance to know him. Not just as a player. But as a man.

Today, I simply want to say thank you. Thank you for representing Pittsburgh at the highest level. Thank you for giving back to the next generation. And thank you for reminding me that true greatness isn’t just measured by points, awards, or championships, it’s measured by how you treat people.

I was honored to meet one of Pittsburgh’s basketball GOATs.

Rest easy, Armon Gilliam. Your legacy deserves to be remembered.