Harry Gallatin was only Knick to ever lead league in rebounding
The one and Only … Knick to at any time direct the NBA in rebounding
Harry Gallatin
The Time: 1953-54 year
The History
Gallatin joined the Knicks in 1948, when they were nonetheless a member of the Basketball Association of America, and built seven All-Star Activity appearances in his 9 yrs with the crew prior to ending his career with the Pistons in 1957-58. Dubbed “The Horse,” Gallatin averaged a double-double his last eight yrs in professional ball. He also played small league baseball in the Cubs’ and Reds’ companies.
The Skinny
As his nickname hints, Gallatin was not. He was just 6-foot-6 but was a strong 225 lbs and on a regular basis fought (and won) battles beneath the boards with the likes of George Mikan and Dolph Schayes. Gallatin was a centerpiece of Knicks teams that attained a few straight Finals from 1951-fifty three, shedding 2 times to Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers and after to the Rochester Royals. His 15.3 rebounds for every match in 1953-54 was practically a whole board better than runner-up Mikan.
The Many others Who Came Closest
Remarkably, Gallatin’s 1954-55 observe-up year was the only time another Knick completed as high as runner-up in the rebounding class, when he completed powering Philadelphia’s Neil Johnston. Willis Reed and Patrick Ewing under no circumstances even completed in the top rated a few, nevertheless David Lee was third in 2009 (eleven.seven), a single-tenth of a rebound for every match powering Troy Murphy (and 2.one powering Dwight Howard).
The Quote
“Competition has often been my cup of tea. And to me, there is no fiercer level of competition than when there’s a few or four folks heading for a rebound and you appear down with it. That is awfully satisfying to me.” — Gallatin, in 1954
The Aftermath
Gallatin was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1991, and for yrs aged-time Knicks lovers have clamored that his No. eleven jersey warrants to sit in the rafters with the relaxation of the Knicks’ legends. He served as basketball mentor at Southern Illinois following retiring, but remaining to mentor the NBA’s St. Louis Hawks a 12 months prior to the Knicks’ most well-known Saluki, Walt Frazier, was recruited there.
The Legacy
Gallatin grabbed 33 rebounds from the Fort Wayne Pistons on March 15, 1953, a solitary-match Knicks document that nonetheless stands (later on matched by Willis Reed). No load-management for the Horse, both: He played in 746 consecutive game titles, also a crew document.
