June 23, 2015
Harvey Pollack was a legendary basketball figure in almost too many ways to list. He was the last original employee of the National Basketball Association heading all the way back to 1946, coined terms that basketball fans use every day like "triple-double," and perhaps most famously, is the man who scribbled "100" on this famous piece of paper.
Pollack was the Philadelphia 76ers (and Warriors before them). "Super Stat" was there for Wilt, Dr. J, Iverson, and everything in between all the way up until very recently when he was in a one-car accident in January. Unfortunately, the man who did more to advance basketball statistics than perhaps anyone else passed away at the age of 93 on Tuesday afternoon.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the passing of a true NBA legend, Harvey Pollack,” said Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil in the statement. “He may never have laced up his sneakers, but few have done more to advance the game, in the NBA or Philadelphia basketball, than Harvey. He did what he loved until the end, and shared that love of statistics and basketball with his family, who we remember at this difficult time. We count ourselves incredibly lucky to have had his wealth of knowledge, indomitable spirit, passionate drive and love for our sport with us here in Philadelphia and with the Sixers for so many years. He will be missed while his legacy will endure.”
In 2002, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame presented Pollack with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, given to someone "who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball." It's the highest honor bestowed to an individual outside of enshrinement. An alum of Temple University as well as a veteran of World War II, Pollack recently attempted to break a world record by wearing a different T-shirt each consecutive day. The number had creeped past 4,000.
Both basketball and Philadelphia lost an extremely important and influential figure today, somebody who by all accounts was also an excellent person. Condolences to the Pollack family.
