Tom Gola
Tom Gola was born on January 13, 1933. See ranking, bio blurb, and everyone else born that day.
About Tom Gola
Thomas Joseph Gola (January 13, 1933 – January 26, 2014) was an American basketball player and politician. Gola was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. He is widely considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball players of all time, playing four years with the La Salle Explorers (1951 to 1955). Gola was a consensus first-team All-American for three consecutive years. He has held the record for the most total rebounds in NCAA history since 1955, and was the first college player to have over 2,000 points and 2,000 rebounds in a career. Gola was the Helms Foundations College Basketball Player of the Year in 1954, and the United Press Player of the Year in 1955, as well as being the highest vote recipient for the Associated Press' 1955 All-America Team. He was selected the most valuable player in the 1952 National Invitation Tournament and the 1954 NCAA basketball tournament. Professionally, Gola spent his most productive seasons with the Philadelphia Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he averaged a double-double three consecutive seasons and was an NBA All-Star three consecutive seasons; as well as being named to the second-team All-NBA. He was also named an All-Star twice more while playing for the New York Knicks. Gola 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 1956 Philadelphia Warriors championship team, all in the space of six years. He is one of only two players to win NIT, NCAA, and NBA championships.