27 Facts About Tom Gola

Thomas Joseph Gola was an American basketball player and politician.

Tom Gola is widely considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball players of all-time.

Tom Gola was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976 and National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.

Tom Gola was the third of seven children born to Ike and Helen Tom Gola.

Tom Gola's father was a Philadelphia policeman of Polish descent who had changed the family's surname from "Galinsky".

Tom 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.

Tom Gola entered La Salle a year after another Philadelphia basketball Hall of Famer, Paul Arizin, graduated from Villanova.

Tom Gola was one of the most talented collegiate athletes in Philadelphia sports history.

Tom Gola came to national attention while playing for his hometown La Salle University Explorers men's basketball team.

Tom Gola starred as a college freshman and led La Salle to the 1952 NIT championship.

Tom Gola paced the Explorers to the NCAA basketball championship in 1954 and was named Tournament MVP.

Tom Gola averaged 20.9 points and 19.0 rebounds during 115 games and remains the NCAA All time rebounding leader with 2,201 career rebounds.

Tom Gola was inducted into the La Salle Hall of Athletes in 1961 and the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1986.

In 1977, Tom Gola was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame.

Tom Gola teamed with All-Pros Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston to lead the Warriors to an NBA championship in 1956.

Tom Gola gained praise for concentrating on defense, passing and rebounding and allowing the other two to be the chief scorers during these years.

Again sacrificing himself for his team, Tom Gola helped the Warriors consistently reach the NBA Playoffs, but they could not beat the star-studded Boston Celtics in the NBA Eastern Division during his seasons in the early 1960s even with Chamberlain.

Tom Gola played with the New York Knicks from 1962 to 1966.

Tom Gola was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 26,1976.

Tom Gola was named Coach of the Year by Philadelphia and New York journalists.

In 1968, Tom Gola was elected to the Pennsylvania State House as a Republican, representing the Northeast Philadelphia-based 170th District.

Tom Gola was defeated in his bid for a second term in 1973 by Democrat William Klenk.

Tom Gola's defeat was part of a broader setback for Republicans in the city that year, as Arlen Specter lost his bid for a third term as District Attorney.

Tom Gola made his final attempt at elected office in 1983, when he sought the office of Mayor.

Tom Gola came in last in the three-man Republican primary, behind Congressman Charlie Dougherty and the winner, John Egan, who went on to lose the fall general election to Wilson Goode.

Tom Gola was married to Caroline Norris in June 1955, and they had one son, Thomas Christopher.

Tom Gola died on January 26,2014, thirteen days after his 81st birthday, in Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania.