Tom Gola facts for kids
Gola in 1953
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 13, 1933 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 26, 2014 (aged 81) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| High school | La Salle College (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | La Salle (1951–1955) |
| NBA Draft | 1955 / Pick: territorial pick |
| Selected by the Philadelphia Warriors | |
| Pro career | 1955–1966 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1955–1956, 1957–1962 |
Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors |
| 1962–1966 | New York Knicks |
| As coach: | |
| 1968–1970 | La Salle |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 7,871 (11.3 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 5,417 (7.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,962 (4.2 apg) |
Thomas Joseph Gola (January 13, 1933 – January 26, 2014) was a famous American basketball player and politician. Many people think he was one of the best college basketball players ever. Gola was honored by being added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976.
Contents
Early Life
Thomas Joseph Gola was born on January 13, 1933, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the third of seven children. His father was a police officer. Tom Gola was known as a great all-around player in high school. He led his team, the La Salle College Explorers, to a championship in Philadelphia.
Amazing College Basketball Career
Gola was a very talented college athlete in Philadelphia. He became famous while playing for his hometown team, the La Salle University Explorers men's basketball team.
Gola was a star player even as a freshman. He led La Salle to win the NIT championship in 1952. Gola then guided the Explorers to the NCAA basketball championship in 1954. He was named the most valuable player (MVP) of that tournament. In the same year, he was chosen as the National Player of the Year. As a senior, Gola helped La Salle reach the finals of the 1955 NCAA tournament.
Standing at 6 feet 6 inches, Gola was a forward. He was great at shooting, rebounding, and playing defense. He also had the ball-handling skills of a guard. This meant he could dribble and pass very well. He could play well in any position on the court.
He averaged 20.9 points and 19.0 rebounds per game over 115 games. He still holds the record for the most rebounds in NCAA history, with 2,201 career rebounds.
Gola was inducted into the La Salle Hall of Athletes in 1961. He also joined the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1986. In 1977, Tom Gola was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame.
Playing Pro Basketball
After his amazing college career, Gola became a professional player. He joined the Philadelphia Warriors as a special draft pick.
Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors
Gola played with other great players like Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston. Together, they led the Warriors to an NBA championship in 1956. During these years, Gola was praised for focusing on defense, passing, and rebounding. This allowed his teammates to be the main scorers.
In 1959, the Warriors added superstar Wilt Chamberlain. Gola continued to put his team first. He helped the Warriors reach the NBA playoffs many times. However, they could not beat the strong Boston Celtics in the early 1960s. In the 1959–60 season, Gola made history. He became the first Warrior to have three straight games with a triple-double. This means he had double-digit numbers in points, rebounds, and assists in three games in a row. On January 10, 1960, Gola had 18 points, 19 rebounds, and 11 assists in a win against the New York Knicks.
New York Knicks
Gola played for the New York Knicks from 1962 to 1966. He was honored by being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 26, 1976.
Coaching Basketball
In 1968, Gola returned to his old college, La Salle, as the head coach. He led the Explorers to a great record of 37 wins and 13 losses in two years. Philadelphia and New York journalists named him Coach of the Year. In the 1968–69 season, his team had an amazing 23 wins and only 1 loss. However, La Salle was not allowed to play in the NCAA tournament that year. This was because of an issue where a former student had offered some players jobs that they didn't actually have to do.
Life in Politics
In 1968, Gola was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was a Republican and represented a district in Philadelphia. He was the first person to represent this new district. Gola did not finish his first term in the House. Instead, he decided to run for the office of Philadelphia City Controller in 1969. He won that election by a large number of votes.
However, Gola lost his bid for a second term as City Controller in 1973. This was part of a tough year for Republicans in the city. Gola made his last attempt to be elected in 1983. He ran for Mayor of Philadelphia but did not win the primary election.
Personal Life
Gola married Caroline Norris in June 1955. They had one son, Thomas Christopher.
Tom Gola passed away on January 26, 2014, shortly after his 81st birthday. He was buried in the Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Pennsylvania.
Awards and Honors
Tom Gola Arena
The Tom Gola Arena is the home court for the La Salle University men's and women's basketball teams. It was named after him and opened in 1998.
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)
- College Basketball Player of the Year (1954)
- NCAA all-time rebounding leader (2,201 rebounds)
- Scored 2,462 points in college
- His college team had a great record of 102 wins and 19 losses
- His jersey number 15 was retired by La Salle
- Inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016
Pro Basketball Achievements
- NBA champion (1956)
- All-NBA second team (1958)
- 5-time NBA All-Star (1960–1964)
- Inducted into the Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame
- Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (1976)
Other Special Achievements
- He is one of only two players to win an NCAA, NIT, and NBA championship.
See Also
- List of NBA career triple-double leaders
- List of NBA career playoff triple-double leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders
