RIP Tom Gola | Syracusefan.com

RIP Tom Gola

alibrat66

alibrat66

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The former LaSalle and Philadelphia Warrior great passed away today. I watched him play against the Syracuse Nats. He was a complete ballplayer and a class guy. He still holds many LaSalle records, over 50 years since he played there. He also helped Philadelphia win an NBA championship and was a 5 star all-star.

It was a pleasure watching him play, and, as a young kid, a thrill to have met him and gotten his autograph.
 
We were tied , so I deleted my Post

A Great Player saw him against the Nats 61-62 Season with the Philadelphia Warriors, Wilt's Rookie year I think .

Paul Arizen,Guy Rodgers,Tom Meschery,Al Attles,York Laresse, Tom and Wilt . A pretty good lineup. The Nats won that afternoon

"Swede" held Wilt to 35.
 
RoysRunts said:
We were tied , so I deleted my Post

A Great Player saw him against the Nats 61-62 Season with the Philadelphia Warriors, Wilt's Rookie year I think .

Paul Arizen,Guy Rodgers,Tom Meschery,Al Attles,York Laresse, Tom and Wilt . A pretty good lineup. The Nats won that afternoon

"Swede" held Wilt to 35.
Expand...

I watched Gola play when he first got out of college. The mid-fifties, as I remember. He came out of college to join a Philadelphia team that featured Paul Arizen, Neil Johnston, and 'Jumpin' Joe Fulks (+ some other players whose names escape my memory). He was only about 6 ft 5 or 6-6, but he could rebound as well as shoot.

Speaking of Paul Arizen, a dead-eye shooter, he suffered from asthma, as I did as a youngster. He gave me hope that I could overcome it and continue to play sports.

Ah, the old days of the Nats. Great times. I saw them as a young kid when they played in the State Fair Coliseum, before they moved into the War Memorial. They used to allow smoking at the games in the Coliseum. By half time you could hardly see the other end of the court.
 
alibrat66 said:
The former LaSalle and Philadelphia Warrior great passed away today. I watched him play against the Syracuse Nats. He was a complete ballplayer and a class guy. He still holds many LaSalle records, over 50 years since he played there. He also helped Philadelphia win an NBA championship and was a 5 star all-star.

It was a pleasure watching him play, and, as a young kid, a thrill to have met him and gotten his autograph.
Expand...
Lucky you , I wish I could have seen the Nat's. I only vaguely remember them thru reading box scores.
Tom Gola was such a prolific college scorer and rebounder, sort of the prototype for the DeBusschere's and Lucas' to follow. and played as a teammate with Wilt on his 100pt night. Those must have been incredible days.
 
alibrat66 said:
The former LaSalle and Philadelphia Warrior great passed away today. I watched him play against the Syracuse Nats. He was a complete ballplayer and a class guy. He still holds many LaSalle records, over 50 years since he played there.
Expand...

Gola is in the record books for more than LaSalle records. He is the NCAA's all-time leader in career rebounds.

Tom Gola was one of basketball's greats. He excelled in every facet of the game, scoring, rebounding, passing, and defense.
 
alibrat66 said:
I watched Gola play when he first got out of college. The mid-fifties, as I remember. He came out of college to join a Philadelphia team that featured Paul Arizen, Neil Johnston, and 'Jumpin' Joe Fulks (+ some other players whose names escape my memory). He was only about 6 ft 5 or 6-6, but he could rebound as well as shoot.

Speaking of Paul Arizen, a dead-eye shooter, he suffered from asthma, as I did as a youngster. He gave me hope that I could overcome it and continue to play sports.

Ah, the old days of the Nats. Great times. I saw them as a young kid when they played in the State Fair Coliseum, before they moved into the War Memorial. They used to allow smoking at the games in the Coliseum. By half time you could hardly see the other end of the court.
Expand...
My first game was at the Coliseum, I must have been around 4 years old. My uncle put me on his shoulders so I could see. Not only did the smoke impede viewing but then there were those steel pillars that supported the structure.

The Nat's also played some games at the Jefferson Street Armory before they built the War Memorial. I attended some games there as well. When I was nine I used to take the bus downtown by myself to watch games there. It's a different world now, no parent in their right mind would allow that now.

My favorite games to attend were the Celtics, they would sell out and people would be seated in the aisle throughout the arena. They used to send the most high profile refs in the league which also juiced the atmosphere. Usually guys like Sid Borgia, Mendy Rudolph, Richie Powers or Norm Drucker. The first two were the 50's version of Burr & Higgins.

One of my proudest moments as a Syracuse National's fan was 1961, the year they selected us to host the NBA All Star game. Fifty cents is all it cost for a kid to go to a game back then. Dolph Schayes (21), Hal Greer (14) and Larry Costello (2) represented our town. The West won 153-131.

Although Bob Pettit lead all scores with 29 points Oscar "The Big O" Robertson was named MVP nearly putting up a triple double with 23-14 & 9.

Tom Gola was in the starting line-up for the East along with Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russel, Bob Cousy and Dolph Schayes. Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Clyde Lovellette & Robertson started for the West.

8,016 attended that game

I still have the program
 
Last edited:
Orangeyes said:
My first game was at the Coliseum, I must have been around 4 years old. My uncle put me on his shoulders so I could see. Not only did the smoke impede viewing but then there were those steel pillars that supported the structure.

The Nat's also played some games at the Jefferson Street Armory before they built the War Memorial. I attended some games there as well. When I was nine I used to take the bus downtown by myself to watch games there. It's a different world now, no parent in their right mind would allow that now.

My favorite games to attend were the Celtics, they would sell out and people would be seated in the aisle throughout the arena. They used to send the most high profile refs in the league which also juiced the atmosphere. Usually guys like Sid Borgia, Mendy Rudolph, Richie Powers or Norm Drucker. The first two were the 50's version of Burr & Higgins.

One of my proudest moments as a Syracuse National's fan was 1961, the year they selected us to host the NBA All Star game. Fifty cents is all it cost for a kid to go to a game back then. Dolph Schayes (21), Hal Greer (14) and Larry Costello (2) represented our town. The West won 153-131.

Although Bob Pettit lead all scores with 29 points Oscar "The Big O" Robertson was named MVP nearly putting up a triple double with 23-14 & 9.

Tom Gola was in the starting line-up for the East along with Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russel, Bob Cousy and Dolph Schayes. Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Clyde Lovellette & Robertson started for the West.

8,016 attended that game

I still have the program
Expand...
Absolute icons of the game. We just don't have that many Hall of Fame types of that stature playing the game. Saw many of those players with their individual teams but that had to be awesome all on the floor together.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gola won an NIT Championship, an NCAA Championship and the NBA title as well. The NBA title with the Warriors featured, besides Gola, Paul Arizin, Ernie Beck and Jackie Moore. All were Philadelphians.
 
RoysRunts said:
We were tied , so I deleted my Post

A Great Player saw him against the Nats 61-62 Season with the Philadelphia Warriors, Wilt's Rookie year I think .

Paul Arizen,Guy Rodgers,Tom Meschery,Al Attles,York Laresse, Tom and Wilt . A pretty good lineup. The Nats won that afternoon

"Swede" held Wilt to 35.
Expand...

After that 61-62 season the warriors moved to San Francisco and Gola asked to be traded so he culd stay closer to home. He was traded to the Knicks and ended his career there but he commuted to his games there, never leaving Philadelphia.
 
Too bad he was a great player RIP. Orangeyes I remember that All Star Game as well
 
When I was a kid, there were only eight teams in the NBA. They would have a couple doubleheaders a year at the War Memorial. On those nights, half of the NBA would be playing right in town. Great reserved seats for $1.50 or you could sit on the stage for $.50. I still have the ticket stub from the 1961 All-Star game. One of the best seats in the house for $3. At the time, my father thought that was outrageous. But to see Wilt, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Oscar, Jerry West, etc., etc., all on the court in Syracuse makes for unbelievable memories. Orangeyes was spot on about the refs. Sid Borgia was more like one of the Harlem Globetrotters refs. Every call he made was dramatic and with that loud, squeaky voice of his, coupled with his histrionics made him a villain of major proportions. What great days!
 
Orangeyes said:
My first game was at the Coliseum, I must have been around 4 years old. My uncle put me on his shoulders so I could see. Not only did the smoke impede viewing but then there were those steel pillars that supported the structure.

The Nat's also played some games at the Jefferson Street Armory before they built the War Memorial. I attended some games there as well. When I was nine I used to take the bus downtown by myself to watch games there. It's a different world now, no parent in their right mind would allow that now.

My favorite games to attend were the Celtics, they would sell out and people would be seated in the aisle throughout the arena. They used to send the most high profile refs in the league which also juiced the atmosphere. Usually guys like Sid Borgia, Mendy Rudolph, Richie Powers or Norm Drucker. The first two were the 50's version of Burr & Higgins.

One of my proudest moments as a Syracuse National's fan was 1961, the year they selected us to host the NBA All Star game. Fifty cents is all it cost for a kid to go to a game back then. Dolph Schayes (21), Hal Greer (14) and Larry Costello (2) represented our town. The West won 153-131.

Although Bob Pettit lead all scores with 29 points Oscar "The Big O" Robertson was named MVP nearly putting up a triple double with 23-14 & 9.

Tom Gola was in the starting line-up for the East along with Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russel, Bob Cousy and Dolph Schayes. Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Clyde Lovellette & Robertson started for the West.

8,016 attended that game

I still have the program
Expand...



It's silent and only 2 1/2 minutes but it's in color.
 
SWC75 said:

It's silent and only 2 1/2 minutes but it's in color.
Expand...
Elgin Baylor, I think was the only player to display a jump shot in that footage.

Like the behind the back pass by Cousy to Schayes, that guy was a great passer.

It's funny to see the set shot again.

Loved the hook shot Bill Russell took.

The weave offense I think might work in some instances today against the man-to-man.
 
Orangeyes said:
Elgin Baylor, I think was the only player to display a jump shot in that footage.

Like the behind the back pass by Cousy to Schayes, that guy was a great passer.

It's funny to see the set shot again.

Loved the hook shot Bill Russell took.

The weave offense I think might work in some instances today against the man-to-man.
Expand...

I think that hook was an alley-oop to Wilt.

Two plays to be in that era: The War Memorial on January 17, 1961:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_NBA_All-Star_Game

and MacArthur Stadium on October 16, 1959:
http://www.syracuse.com/poliquin/index.ssf/2013/04/poliquin_hank_aaron_willie_may.html
 
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