Tom Gola
Inducted:
1976
Stats
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Born
January 13, 1933
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died
January 26, 2014
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Position
Small forward
Shooting guard
College
La Salle (1951–1955)
Tom Gola was the ultimate "all-around" player and one of the few men in history to win a championship at the NIT, NCAA, and NBA levels. A 6'6" guard/forward for the Philadelphia Warriors and New York Knicks, Gola was a tactical Swiss Army knife who prioritized defense and playmaking over his own scoring. Legendary coach John Wooden famously called him the "best all-around basketball player" he had ever seen.
Gola first gained national fame at La Salle, where he set an NCAA record for career rebounds that still stands today. In the NBA, he was a key component of the Warriors' 1956 Championship team and spent a decade as one of the league's most versatile defenders, often tasked with guarding icons like Jerry West and Oscar Robertson. For his multi-level dominance and peerless basketball IQ, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976.
Gola's Awards & Honors
- NCAA champion (1954)
- NCAA Final Four MOP (1954)
- NIT champion (1952)
- UPI Player of the Year (1955)
- 3× consensus first-team All-American (1953–1955)
- NIT Co-MVP (1952)
- 15 retired by La Salle Explorers
NBA Records
- NBA champion (1956)
- 5× NBA All-Star (1960–1964)
- All-NBA Second Team (1958)
NBA Teams
Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors (1955–1956,1957–1962)
New York Knicks (1962–1966)
NBA Draft
1955: territorial pick
Philadelphia Warriors
Number Worn
15, 6
NBA Stats
Season:
10 (1955-1966)
Games Played:
698
Points:
7,871 (11.3 ppg)
Rebounds:
5,417 (7.8 rpg)
Assists:
2,962 (4.2 apg)
Field Goal %:
43.1%
Free Throw %:
76.0%
Point Per Game:
11.3