Naismith basketball Hall of Famer Tom Gola, a Philadelphia sports legend who helped the Warriors to the 1956 NBA title and later played for the Knicks, died on Sunday at a long-term care facility in Meadowbrook, Pa. He was 81.
Gola had been convalescing ever since he fell and hit his head on a curb in Philadelphia on July 25, 2003. At the time, he fell into a coma and nearly died, then was plagued by seizures.
Gola played college ball for La Salle in his hometown and took the Explorers to back-to-back NCAA title games.
He was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors and was a part of their NBA championship team in his rookie year. He would be a five-time All-Star, three times with the Warriors and twice with the Knicks. Gola was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976