Tom Gola
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Thomas Joseph Gola (born January 13, 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is one of Philadelphia's most famous basketball players.
Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, where he led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. He entered La Salle a year after another NBA hall of famer, Paul Arizin, graduated. Gola came to national attention while playing for the hometown La Salle University Explorers men's basketball team in 1954 as an All-American forward. At 6'6", Gola was clearly a forward who could shoot/score, rebound and defend, but he also had the ballhandling (dribbling, passing) skills of a guard, and with his shooting range and All-Pro defensive skills, could play just as well in the backcourt.
After a phenomenal college career, Gola turned pro with the Philadelphia Warriors as a territorial draft pick. He teamed with All-Pros Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston to lead the Warriors to the NBA Championship in 1956. He gained praise for concentrating on defense, passing and rebounding and allowing the other two to be the chief scorers during these years.
Gola was married to Caroline in June of 1955, and they had one son. He served in the military from 1956 to 1958.
In 1959, Johnston temporarily retired due to a knee injury and the Warriors added seven-foot superstar Wilt Chamberlain. Again sacrificing himself for his team, Gola helped the Warriors back to the NBA Finals, but they could not beat the star-studded Boston Celtics during his seasons in the early 1960s with Chamberlain.
Gola played with the New York Knicks from 1962 to 1966.
In 1968, he returned to La Salle University to serve as an acclaimed basketball coach, leading the Explorers to a 37-13 record during his two-year stay. He was named Coach of the Year by Philadelphia and New York journalists. He led the Explorers to a 23-1 record during the 1968-69 season, but La Salle was inelligible for the NCAA Tournament due to a suspension for an alumni offering some players "no show" jobs. The school's Tom Gola Arena was named after him.
He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 26, 1976.
After his retirement from basketball, Gola served in the Pennsylvania State Legislature, followed by a stint as Philadelphia City Controller. He ran for city mayor in 1983, but came in third in the race.
On July 25, 2003, the 70-year-old Gola fell and suffered a head injury that left him in a coma for several days, but he soon recovered enough to return home.
Gola's grandson Anthony is a student at Resurrection Of Our Lord in Philadelphia, and continues to keep basketball in the Gola family.
[edit] College basketball achievements
- All-District player (four times, 1952-55)
- All-State player (four times, 1952-55)
- All-America selection (four times, 1952-55)
- Consensus All-American (three times, 1953-55)
- NIT Championship, NIT Co-MVP (1952)
- First alternate to US Olympic Basketball Team (1952)
- NCAA Championship, NCAA Tournament MVP (1954; first title game ever televised)
- College Basketball Player of the Year (1954)
- NCAA all-time rebound leader (2,201)
- 2,461 points
- 102-19 won-lost record
- His #15 was retired by La Salle.
[edit] Pro basketball achievements
- NBA championship in his first professional year (1956)
- All-NBA Team (1958)
- NBA All-Star (five times, 1960-64)
- 7,871 career points
- One of only two players to win NCAA, NIT & NBA championships
- Basketball Hall of Famer
[edit] External links
| Preceded by B. H. Born |
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (men's) 1954 |
Succeeded by Bill Russell |
Categories: 1933 births | Living people | Basketball Hall of Fame | American basketball coaches | American basketball players | New York Knicks players | Philadelphia Warriors players | San Francisco Warriors players | La Salle Explorers men's basketball players | La Salle Explorers men's basketball coaches | Polish-Americans
