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It is with great sadness that the Philadelphia 76ers announce Harvey Pollack, Sixers Director of Statistical Information and the longest tenured NBA employee, passed away today at the age of 93.
The last original employee of the NBA’s inaugural season to still be working in the league, Pollack was globally renowned as the engineer of modern-day basketball statistics. Pollack was a Northeast Philadelphia native and lifelong area resident, and the patriarch of two children, Linda Gottfried and Ron Pollack, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the passing of a true NBA legend, Harvey Pollack," said Philadelphia 76ers Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil. "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."
Herbert Harvey Pollack was born March 9, 1922 in Camden, New Jersey. His longevity in the Philadelphia area—and professional basketball—is unparalleled. All of his near 70 basketball seasons occurred in The City of Brotherly Love.
The Harvey Pollack NBA Statistical Yearbook was among the most distinguished compilations in the sports business. For nearly half a century, Pollack and his staff annually assembled hundreds of pages of assorted statistics, trends, trivia and observations. Unique topics included but were certainly not limited to the following:
-Little-Known First Names of Nicknamed Players and Coaches
-Most Three Second Violations
-Most Tattoos by Team and Individual Leaders
-Loose Ball Foul Leaders
-Leaders in Delay of Game Violations
-Biggest All-Time Scoring Leads and Deficits
-Most Accurate Technical Foul Shooters
-Heaviest and Tallest NBA Teams
-Left-handed NBA Players
-Most Minutes Played without a Turnover
-Frequency of Personal Fouls
-Top Playoff Crowds (Attendance)
-Best Performers in Crunch Time
