Harvey Pollack
| Harvey Pollack | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Herbert Harvey Pollack March 9, 1922 Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 23, 2015 (aged 93) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Temple University |
| Spouse(s) | Bea Pollack (1944–2002) |
| Children | Ron and Linda |
Herbert Harvey Pollack (March 9, 1922 – June 23, 2015) was an American sports statistician , a journalist of sports and entertainment, a publicist, and long term director of statistical information for the Philadelphia 76ers. At the time of his death, Pollack held the distinction of being the only individual still working for the NBA since its inaugural 1946-47 season. Because of his proclivity to statistics, then Philadelphia Bulletin writer George Kiseda pinned the moniker of Super Stat on him in 1966.
Pollack played basketball for Simon Gratz High School and graduated in 1943 from Temple University in Philadelphia.
He took his first job as a sportswriter for the Philadelphia Bulletin after serving as a soldier in the United States Army during World War II. In 1946-47 he started as the assistant publicity director for the Philadelphia Warriors of the Basketball Association of America, which later merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association. Midway through the 1952-53 season, he became head of media relations for the Warriors. The Warriors were sold by owner Ed Gottlieb (a founder of the NBA) and the team moved to San Francisco in 1962 (renamed Golden State Warriors), but Pollack remained in Philadelphia, where he worked for the NBA in various capacities until the 76ers were formed in 1963. Pollack then served as the media relations director of the Philadelphia 76ers until the 1987-88 season, when he assumed the duties of director of statistical information for the team.
Pollack holds the distinction of keeping score during Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, on March 2, 1962. According to Pollack,it was the "Busiest night of my career" as there was no press. Thus, he was the statistician and sole reporter for the game. Pollack made Chamberlain the sign which he holds in his famous post-game photo. Pollack was responsible for many stats that are now officially recorded by the NBA, such as blocked shots, and he was the first statistician to separate rebounds into offensive and defensive. Some believe he coined the term "triple-double," although others claim that it was coined by former Los Angeles Lakers public relations director, Bruce Jolesch.
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