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{{Short description|American basketball player and politician (1933–2014)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Tom Gola
| image = Tom Gola 1953.JPG
| width = 
| caption = Gola in 1953
| birth_date = {{birth date|1933|1|13}}
| birth_place = [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2014|1|26|1933|1|13}}
| death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 6
| weight_lb = 205
| high_school = [[La Salle College High School|La Salle College]]<br>(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
| college = [[La Salle Explorers men's basketball|La Salle]] (1951–1955)
| draft_year = 1955
| draft_round = 
| draft_pick = [[NBA territorial pick|territorial pick]]
| draft_team = [[Philadelphia Warriors]]
| career_start = 1955
| career_end = 1966
| career_position = [[Small forward]] / [[shooting guard]]
| career_number = 15, 6
| years1 = {{nbay|1955|full=y}},<br>{{nbay|1957|start}}–{{nbay|1962|start}}
| team1 = [[Golden State Warriors|Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors]]
| years2 = {{nbay|1962|start}}–{{nbay|1965|end}}
| team2 = [[New York Knicks]]
| cyears1 = 1968–1970
| cteam1 = [[La Salle Explorers men's basketball|La Salle]]
| highlights = * [[NBA champion]] ([[1956 NBA Finals|1956]])
* 5× [[NBA All-Star]] ({{nasg|1960}}–{{nasg|1964}})
* [[All-NBA Second Team]] ([[1957–58 NBA season|1958]])
* [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball champions|NCAA champion]] (1954)
* [[NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player|NCAA Final Four MOP]] ([[1954 NCAA basketball tournament|1954]])
* [[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]] champion ([[1952 National Invitation Tournament|1952]])
* [[Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year|Helms Foundation Player of the Year]] (1954)
* [[UPI College Basketball Player of the Year|UPI Player of the Year]] (1955)
* 3× consensus first-team [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]] ([[1953 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1953]]–[[1955 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1955]])
* [[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]] Co-MVP (1952)
* No. 15 retired by [[La Salle Explorers men's basketball#Retired numbers|La Salle Explorers]]
| stat1label = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value = 7,871 (11.3 ppg)
| stat2label = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value = 5,417 (7.8 rpg)
| stat3label = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value = 2,962 (4.2 apg)
| bbr = golato01
| HOF_player = tom-gola
| CBBASKHOF_year = 2006

{{Infobox officeholder|embed=yes
| image =
| name = Tom Gola
| office = [[Philadelphia|Philadelphia City Controller]]
| term_start = January 5, 1970
| term_end = January 7, 1974
| predecessor = [[Alexander Hemphill]]
| successor = William Klenk
| state_house2 = Pennsylvania
| district2 = [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 170|170th]]
| term_start2 = January 7, 1969
| term_end2 = January 5, 1970
| predecessor2 = District Created
| successor2 = [[Alvin Katz]]
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
}}
}}
'''Thomas Joseph Gola''' (January 13, 1933 – January 26, 2014) was an American [[basketball]] player and politician. He is widely considered one of the greatest [[NCAA]] basketball players of all time. Gola was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 1976. He led his high school team to the Philadelphia Catholic League championship, his college team to the National Invitation Tournament championship and the NCAA championship, and was on the Philadelphia Warriors 1956 championship team, all in the space of six years.

==Early life==
Thomas Joseph Gola was born on January 13, 1933, in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], the third of seven children born to Ike and Helen Gola. Gola's father was a Philadelphia policeman of [[Polish people|Polish]] descent who had changed the family's surname from "Galinsky".<ref name="phila inq gola dies">{{cite news |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Frank |last2=Juliano |first2=Joe |name-list-style=and |date=January 26, 2014 |title=Philadelphia basketball great Tom Gola dies |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/colleges/la_salle/20140127_Philadelphia_basketball_great_Tom_Gola_dies.html |access-date=July 2, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]}}</ref> Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at [[La Salle College High School]], part of the [[Philadelphia Catholic League]], where he was second-team All-Catholic League in 1949, and first-team in 1950 and 1951. He led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship in 1950.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Draper |first=Alan |date=2014-01-26 |title=Remembering a Legend: Tom Gola |url=https://thesportsdaily.com/news/remembering-legend-tom-gola/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=The Sports Daily |language=en-US}}</ref> He also won the Markward Award as the Catholic League's top player (future basketball hall of fame coach [[John Chaney (basketball, born 1932)|John Chaney]] won the Philadelphia Public League Award the same year).<ref name="phila inq gola dies" />

He entered [[La Salle University]] in 1951,<ref name=":0" /> a year after another Philadelphia basketball Hall-of-famer, and future teammate on the Philadelphia Warriors from 1955 to 1962, [[Paul Arizin]], graduated from Villanova.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donohue |first=Ed |date=2012-10-01 |title=2010 Inductee: Paul Arizin |url=https://www.vuhoops.com/2012/10/1/3439540/2010-inductee-paul-arizin |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=VU Hoops |language=en}}</ref> Arizin, ironically, had been cut from the La Salle high school team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-12-15 |title=Nova Notebook: Arizin's Accomplishments Shine Through the Decades |url=https://villanova.com/news/2006/12/15/Nova_Notebook_Arizin_s_Accomplishments_Shine_Through_the_Decades.aspx |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=Villanova University |language=en}}</ref>

==College career==
Gola was one of the most talented collegiate athletes in Philadelphia sports history. He came to national attention while playing for his hometown [[La Salle University]] [[La Salle Explorers|Explorers]] [[La Salle Explorers men's basketball|men's basketball]] team.

Gola was recruited for college by the likes of [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky]] coach [[Adolph Rupp]], [[NC State Wolfpack|North Carolina State]] coach [[Everett Case]], and the [[United States Military Academy|U.S. Military Academy]] at West Point, but he chose La Salle.<ref name="phila inq gola dies" />

Gola starred as a college freshman and led La Salle to the [[1952 National Invitation Tournament|1952 NIT championship]].<ref name="eskenazi">{{citation |last=Eskenazi |first=Gerald |title=Tom Gola, a Philadelphia Hero, Dies at 81 |date=January 27, 2014 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/sports/basketball/tom-gola-philadelphia-basketball-star-who-led-la-salle-dies-at-81.html |access-date=July 2, 2024}}</ref> He was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NIT tournament.<ref name=":3" /> Gola paced the Explorers to the NCAA basketball championship in [[1954 NCAA basketball tournament|1954]] and was named tournament MVP. It was the first nationally televised NCAA championship game. That same season he was selected as National Player of the Year, was a consensus All-American, and was selected to the All-Tournament Team. In 1954, he also set a new collegiate records for rebounds (652), rebounds per game (23.0) and free throws in a season (202).<ref name=":0" /><ref name="eskenazi" />

As a senior, Gola helped La Salle finish as the runner-up in the [[1955 NCAA basketball tournament|1955 NCAA tournament]] to the [[San Francisco Dons|University of San Francisco]]. It was the only one of his ten NCAA tournament games he would lose. He again made the All-Tournament Team, which also included future Hall of Fame legend [[Bill Russell]] (star of the championship Dons team). Gola was named the [[Associated Press|AP]] and [[United Press International|UPI]] College Basketball Player of the Year, and was selected to the All-American Team.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=JERARDI |first=DICK |date=2013-03-20 |title=A visit with the legendary Tom Gola |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/colleges/la_salle/20130320_A_visit_with_the_legendary_Tom_Gola.html |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=inquirer.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

In his two years of NCAA tournament play, Gola scored 229 points.<ref name=":2" /> In his four years at La Salle, over 118 games, he averaged 20.9 points and 18.7 rebounds per game, with a .407 shooting percentage and .745 free throw percentage.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Tom Gola College Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/tom-gola-1.html |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> As of 2024, he remains the [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders|NCAA all-time rebounding leader]] with 2,201 career rebounds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Total Rebounds Men's Career Leaders and Records |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/leaders/men/trb-player-career.html |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> His was the first college player to score over 2,000 points and have over 2,000 rebounds.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Tom Gola |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tom-gola/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref> His La Salle teams were 102-19.<ref name=":2" />

At {{convert|6|ft|6|in}}, Gola was a [[forward (basketball)|forward]] who could shoot/score, [[Rebound (basketball)|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.<ref name="eskenazi" /> His nickname was "Mr. All-Around".<ref name=":4" />

He was inducted into the La Salle Hall of Athletes in 1961<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hall of Athletes |url=https://goexplorers.com/honors/hall-of-athletes?type=alpha |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=La Salle University Athletics |language=en}}</ref> and the [[Philadelphia Big 5|Big 5]] Hall of Fame in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philadelphia Big 5 {{!}} Hall of Fame |url=https://philadelphiabig5.org/hallfame/index.html |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=philadelphiabig5.org}}</ref> In 1977, Tom Gola was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://polishsportshof.com/inductees/basketball/tom-gola/ |title=Tom Gola « National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum |access-date=October 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815144859/http://polishsportshof.com/inductees/basketball/tom-gola/ |archive-date=August 15, 2012 }}</ref> He was in the inaugural class of Atlantic Ten Legends.<ref name=":2" />

==Professional career==
===Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors (1955–1956, 1957–1962)===
After a phenomenal college career, Gola turned pro with the [[Philadelphia Warriors]] as a [[NBA territorial pick|territorial draft]] pick.<ref name=":0" /> He teamed with All-Pros [[Paul Arizin]] and [[Neil Johnston]] to lead the Warriors to an [[NBA championship]] in [[1956 NBA Finals|1956]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=1956 NBA Finals - Pistons vs. Warriors |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1956-nba-finals-pistons-vs-warriors.html |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He gained praise for concentrating on defense, passing and rebounding and allowing the other two to be the chief scorers during these years. It was his job to defend against the other team's best guard, and to be a playmaker on offense for his teammates.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-01-27 |title=Philly great Tom Gola recalled for feats |url=https://www.dailylocal.com/2014/01/27/philly-great-tom-gola-recalled-for-feats/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=Daily Local |language=en-US}}</ref>

Gola served in the Army from 1956 to 1958, and he did not play in the 1956-1957 NBA season.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Former La Salle star and DI career rebounding leader Gola dies {{!}} NCAA.com |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2014-01-31/former-la-salle-star-and-di-career-rebounding-leader-tom-gola#:~:text=A%20Philadelphia%20folk%20hero%20whose%20legions%20of%20fans,saint,%22%20late%20Warriors%20teammate%20Wilt%20Chamberlain%20once%20said. |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=www.ncaa.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tom Gola Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/golato01.html |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He led the Warriors in assists in the 1957-1958 and 1958-1959 seasons, and was second-team All-NBA in 1957-1958.<ref name=":0" />

In 1959, Johnston retired after playing only 29 games in the 1958-59 season, due to a knee injury;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Montague |first=John |date=September 29, 1978 |title='Mr. Hook Shot' Neil Johnston; Dead at 49 |work=The Sentinel (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) |pages=18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Neil Johnston Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsne01.html |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> and the Warriors added seven-foot superstar [[Wilt Chamberlain]] for the 1959-60 season.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=1959-60 Philadelphia Warriors Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHW/1960.html |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Again sacrificing himself for his team, Gola helped the Warriors consistently reach the [[NBA playoffs]], but they could not beat the star-studded [[Boston Celtics]] in the NBA Eastern Division finals in 1960 and 1962, during his Warriors seasons in the early 1960s, even with Chamberlain.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=1961-62 Philadelphia Warriors Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHW/1962.html |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> During the 1959–60 season, Gola became the first Warrior to have three straight games with a [[triple-double]] (the only other being [[Draymond Green]], 2016).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Green Gets Third Straight Triple-Double as Warriors Beat Hornets {{!}} Golden State Warriors |url=https://www.nba.com/warriors/gameday/20160104/recap |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=www.nba.com |language=en}}</ref> On January 10, 1960, Gola recorded 18 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists in a 116–103 win over the New York Knicks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196001100NYK.html|title=Philadelphia Warriors at New York Knicks Box Score, January 10, 1960|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=November 12, 2019}}</ref>

===New York Knicks (1962–1966)===
Gola played with the [[New York Knicks]] from 1962 to 1966. He led them in assists in 1963-1964.<ref name=":0" />

== Honors ==
Gola was enshrined in the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] on April 26, 1976.<ref name=":4" /> He was a five-time NBA All-Star.<ref name="eskenazi" />

In 1954, Gola was named college basketball's National Player of the Year. He was MVP of the 1952 NIT tournament and the 1954 NCAA tournament and was a consensus All-American.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name="eskenazi" /> In 1955, Gola was named the AP and UPI College Basketball Player of the Year, and was again selected to the All-American Team.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />

'''Pro basketball achievements'''
* '''NBA championship (1956)'''
* '''All-NBA second team (1958)'''
* '''5-time NBA All-Star (1960–1964)'''
* '''Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame'''
* '''Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (1976)'''
'''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)
* 2,462 points
* 102–19 (.843) win–loss record
* #15 retired by La Salle
* Inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016

'''Other'''
* One of only two players to win an NCAA, NIT and NBA championship

==Coaching career==
===La Salle (1968–1970)===
In 1968, Gola returned to his alma mater as head coach, leading the Explorers to a 37–13 record during his two-year stay. He was called in to pull the program out of trouble after a scandal under prior leadership. 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 had been barred from the NCAA tournament before the season because an alumnus had offered some players "no-show" jobs. Many consider the 1968-1969 La Salle team, which was ranked second in the nation, the greatest team in Philadelphia city college basketball history, though barred from tournament play.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=1968-69 La Salle Explorers Men's Roster and Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/la-salle/men/1969.html |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kirkpatrick |first=Curry |date=February 17, 1969 |title=ON TOP WITH NO PLACE TO GO |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1969/02/17/on-top-with-no-place-to-go |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}</ref>

==Political career==
In 1968, Gola was elected to the [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives|Pennsylvania State House]] as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], representing the [[Northeast Philadelphia]]-based [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 170|170th District]]. A change to the [[Pennsylvania Constitution|State Constitution]] made earlier that year had reorganized House seats into legislative districts, replacing the old system of allotting seats on an at-large, county-wide basis. This made Gola the first person to represent the newly created district. Ultimately, Gola would not finish-out his first term in the House, opting instead to seek the office of Philadelphia City Controller in 1969. He scored an 80,000-vote victory over [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Charles Peruto in the general election, and took office the following January.

Gola was defeated, however, in his bid for a second term in 1973 by Democrat William Klenk. His 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 of Philadelphia]].<ref name=ControllerDefeat>{{cite news|last=King|first=Wayne|title=Democratic Victories in Philadelphia Rebuff to Rizzo, Who Backed G.O.P.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/08/archives/democratic-victories-in-philadelphia-rebuff-to-rizzo-who-backed-gop.html|access-date=February 12, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 8, 1973}}</ref> Gola made his final attempt at elected office in 1983, when he sought the office of [[Mayor of Philadelphia]]. He came in last in the three-man Republican primary, behind [[United States House of Representatives|Congressman]] [[Charles F. Dougherty|Charlie Dougherty]] and the winner, John Egan, who went on to lose the fall general election to [[Wilson Goode]].<ref name=OCprofile>{{cite web|title=Gola, Thomas J.|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=229326|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Gola was married to Caroline Norris in June 1955, and they had one son, Thomas Christopher.<ref name="eskenazi" />

At age 70, Gola fell into a coma after a serious fall, in 2003.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 5, 2003 |title=Gola, 70, in Coma Resulting From Fall |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/05/sports/plus-pro-basketball-gola-70-in-coma-resulting-from-fall.html |work=New York Times}}</ref> Gola died on January 26, 2014, thirteen days after his 81st birthday, in [[Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania]].<ref name="phila inq gola dies"/> A former U.S. Army specialist, he was buried at the [[Washington Crossing National Cemetery]] in [[Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania]].<ref>[http://www.interment.net/data/us/pa/bucks/washington-crossing-national-cemetery/records-f-g.htm Interment.net]</ref>

== Legacy ==
Wilt Chamberlain said, "'When I was growing up [in Philadelphia], you whispered the name Tom Gola, because he was like a saint....'" The legendary [[John Wooden]] said Gola was the "'greatest all-round basketball player....'"<ref name=":1" /> Notoriously difficult college coach [[Bob Knight]] once asked someone to introduce him to Gola, saying, "'Can you do me a favor, can you introduce me to Tom Gola? He's the only guy that played back then that could play for me now. He was my hero.'"<ref name=":2" /> In 2002, he was honored in Madison Square Garden as one of the NCAA tournament’s five greatest players, along with [[Bill Bradley]], [[Oscar Robertson]], [[Chris Mullin]], and [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]].<ref name="eskenazi" /> The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame states of Gola that he is among a select few to have won NIT, NCAA, and NBA championships.<ref name=":4" />

=== Tom Gola Arena ===
[[File:Penn La Salle Basketball.JPG|thumb|Tom Gola Arena at La Salle University|right]]
[[Tom Gola Arena]], home to the [[La Salle University]] [[La Salle Explorers|Explorers]] [[La Salle Explorers men's basketball|men's]] and [[La Salle Explorers women's basketball|women's]] basketball teams, was named after him.<ref name="eskenazi" /> The arena opened in 1998 and hosted its final game in 2024. Tom Gola Arena was reconstructed into the [[John Glaser Arena]], the current home of the Explorers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-14 |title=La Salle University Unveils Basketball Arena Renovation Project |url=https://goexplorers.com/news/2023/9/27/mens-basketball-la-salle-university-unveils-basketball-arena-renovation-project.aspx |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=La Salle University Athletics |language=en}}</ref>

=== Tom Gola Plaza ===
[[File:Tom Gola Plaza.jpg|thumb|Tom Gola Plaza, outside of TruMark Financial Center]]
Tom Gola Plaza, located outside of TruMark Financial Center, features a statue honoring Tom Gola surrounded by a brick walkway with names of donors to the men's basketball team, lights, benches, a small garden, and a historical marker. The Plaza was opened on September 26, 2024, to continue the legacy of Gola after his name was no longer connected to the home of the Explorers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lynch • • |first=Cherise |date=2024-09-26 |title=La Salle University unveils new plaza dedicated to basketball legend Tom Gola |url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/la-salle-university-unveils-new-tom-gola-plaza/3980984/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=NBC10 Philadelphia |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Tom Gola Way ===
The driveway in front of TruMark Financial Center was renamed Tom Gola Way in 2024 to honor his legacy.

==NBA career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y}}

===Regular season===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
!Year
!Team
!GP
!MPG
!FG%
!FT%
!RPG
!APG
!PPG
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" |[[1955–56 NBA season|1955–56]]†
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1955–56 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|68
|34.5
|.412
|.733
|9.1
|'''5.9'''
|10.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1957–58 NBA season|1957–58]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1957–58 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|59
|36.0
|.415
|.746
|10.8
|5.5
|13.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1958–59 NBA season|1958–59]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1958–59 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|64
|36.5
|.401
|.787
|'''11.1'''
|4.2
|14.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1959–60 NBA season|1959–60]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1959–60 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|75
|38.3
|.433
|'''.794'''
|10.4
|5.5
|'''15.0'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1960–61 NBA season|1960–61]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1960–61 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|74
|36.6
|.447
|.747
|9.4
|3.9
|14.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1961–62 NBA season|1961–62]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1961–62 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|60
|'''41.0'''
|.421
|.765
|9.8
|4.9
|13.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1962–63 NBA season|1962–63]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1962–63 San Francisco Warriors season|San Francisco]]
|21
|39.1
|.457
|.758
|7.0
|3.5
|13.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1962–63 NBA season|1962–63]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1962–63 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|52
|35.5
|'''.460'''
|.784
|7.1
|4.3
|12.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1963–64 NBA season|1963–64]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1963–64 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|74
|29.1
|.429
|.726
|6.3
|3.5
|9.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1964–65 NBA season|1964–65]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1964–65 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|'''77'''
|22.4
|.448
|.739
|4.1
|2.9
|7.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1965–66 NBA season|1965–66]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1965–66 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|74
|15.2
|.450
|.781
|3.9
|2.6
|4.4
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career
|698
|32.3
|.431
|.760
|8.0
|4.2
|11.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |All-Star
|4
|17.5
|.414
|.556
|2.8
|1.8
|7.3
|}

===Playoffs===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
!Year
!Team
!GP
!MPG
!FG%
!FT%
!RPG
!APG
!PPG
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" |[[1956 NBA playoffs|1956]]†
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1955–56 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|'''10'''
|36.0
|.355
|.783
|10.1
|'''5.8'''
|12.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1958 NBA playoffs|1958]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1957–58 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|8
|40.9
|.330
|.745
|10.5
|4.0
|'''13.8'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1960 NBA playoffs|1960]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1959–60 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|9
|37.8
|'''.412'''
|'''.806'''
|10.6
|5.6
|12.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1961 NBA playoffs|1961]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1960–61 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|3
|'''42.3'''
|.206
|.750
|'''12.3'''
|5.0
|9.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1962 NBA playoffs|1962]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1961–62 Philadelphia Warriors season|Philadelphia]]
|9
|35.1
|.271
|.760
|8.2
|2.7
|6.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career
|39
|17.5
|.336
|.771
|10.0
|4.6
|11.1
|}

==Head coaching record==
{{CBB Yearly Record Start
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead|
|name=[[La Salle Explorers men's basketball|La Salle Explorers]]
|startyear=1968
|conference=[[Middle Atlantic Conferences]]
|endyear=1970
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season = [[1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball season|1968–69]]
 | name = La Salle
 | overall = 23–1
 | conference = 5–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason = ‡
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season = [[1969–70 NCAA University Division men's basketball season|1969–70]]
 | name = La Salle
 | overall = 14–12
 | conference = 3–2
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name = La Salle
 | overall = 37–13 ({{Winning percentage|37|13}})
 | confrecord = 8–2 ({{Winning percentage|8|2}})
}}<small>‡ Ineligible for any postseason tournaments</small>
{{CBB Yearly Record End
|overall=37–13 ({{Winning percentage|37|13}})
}}

==See also==
* [[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]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{basketballstats |nba=76828 |bbr=g/golato01}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000915111602/http://nba.com/history/gola_bio.html |date=September 15, 2000 |title=NBA.com Bio }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090831072006/http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/thomas-j-tom-gola Basketball Hall of Fame profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120815144859/http://polishsportshof.com/inductees/basketball/tom-gola/ National Polish-American Sports HOF profile]

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-off}}}}
{{s-par|us-pa-hs}}
{{succession box
| before = District created
| title = Member of the [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives]] for the [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 170|170th District]]
| years = 1969–1970
| after = [[Alvin Katz]]
}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box
| before = Alexander Hemphill
| title = [[Philadelphia|Philadelphia City Controller]]
| years = 1970–1974
| after = William Klenk
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes|list1=
{{La Salle Explorers men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{1954 La Salle Explorers men's basketball navbox}}
{{NCAA basketball tournament MOP men}}
{{UPI College Basketball Player of the Year}}
{{Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year}}
{{1953 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1954 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1955 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1955 NBA draft}}
{{Philadelphia Warriors 1955–56 NBA champions}} 
{{1976 Basketball HOF}}
{{Basketball Hall of Fame forwards}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gola, Tom}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
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