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Golden State Warriors: Top 20 Draft Picks in History

By Ryan Viera

March 23, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; 1975 NBA Championship Golden State Warriors team members Clifford Ray (left), Rick Barry (center), and Jamaal Wilkes (right) address the media in a press conference before the game between the Warriors and the Washington Wizards at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 23, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; 1975 NBA Championship Golden State Warriors team members Clifford Ray (left), Rick Barry (center), and Jamaal Wilkes (right) address the media in a press conference before the game between the Warriors and the Washington Wizards at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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17. Tom Gola

Like Guy Rodgers, Tom Gola is another Warrior legend who helped lay the building blocks for what the franchise is today. Gola played seven seasons for the Warriors franchise holding career averages of 11.3 points and 4.2 assists per game, however, his best years came with the Dubs as Blue Man Hoop’s Carlos Murillo explains:

"He was an All-Star four years in a row and an All-NBA Second Team member (oddly enough, in a year that he wasn’t an All-Star). He helped the Warriors win the championship in 1956. He retired in 1959 after suffering a knee injury for a brief moment. But he returned to the team and helped them make a run at another championship until they ran into the powerhouse Boston Celtics. His play and willingness to sacrifice made him one of the most important players during a special time of Warriors basketball.  He is one of two Warriors to record three consecutive triple-doubles."

While Gola may not be a household name for even Warriors fans, there is no denying his impact on the Golden State organization. In those times it wasn’t easy to just come back from an injury and it was a death sentence to a career in many cases.

Gola’s determination in many ways symbolizes the spirit of the Warriors. He was one in every sense of the term and helped establish a foundation for the franchise. Basketball is a team game and he was a team player.

He was rewarded appropriately during his time in the league and made the most of it. Once again, he is a player the older fans remember and think of dearly. The franchise is where it’s in part to the work of guys like him.

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