La Salle honors Tom Gola with a statue

La Salle unveiled an eight-foot statue of Tom Gola outside the TruMark Financial Center, also known as Tom Gola Arena, before the Explorers’ men’s basketball game against Drexel on Saturday.

Athletic director Brian Baptiste was the first speaker on the chilly morning, followed by Gola’s wife, Caroline Gola, and La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy, who played under Gola from 1968-70.

Gola, who passed away in 2014, is considered to be one of the greatest college basketball players of all time. In four years at La Salle, he averaged 20.9 points per game and 19.0 rebounds per game and was a three-time consensus All-American.

The 6-foot-6 guard led the Explorers to a National Invitation Tournament title in 1952, a NCAA national championship in 1954, and runner-up finish in the NCAA championship in 1955. Gola won National Player of the Year in 1954, and his 2,201 career rebounds are the most in NCAA history.

Gola played 10 seasons in the NBA, where he was a five-time all-star and won the championship with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1956.

In his two seasons coaching at La Salle, Gola led the Explorers to a 37–13 recording, including a 23-1 campaign in 1968-69.