Harvey Pollack, an iconic figure in the NBA, was seriously injured in a car accident.
Pollack, 92, the director of statistical information for the Philadelphia 76ers, has been hospitalized since the one-car accident on New Year’s Day in Philadelphia. He is unable to communicate and remains in severe pain, his son Ron told JTA on Tuesday morning as Pollack headed into surgery.
Fans attending the 76ers’ home game Monday night, a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, were asked to keep Pollack in their prayers. Similar sentiments have been conveyed on the team’s game broadcasts.
A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and considered the unofficial historian of all things throughout the National Basketball Association’s existence, Pollack has worked in professional basketball in his hometown since 1946 – before the league came into being – when he started with the Philadelphia (now Golden State) Warriors.
Even at 92, Pollack has remained a consistent presence courtside at the 76ers arena, compiling statistics during games and collaborating with Ron and grandson Brian, who are stationed elsewhere in the building.
“Harvey is the 76ers,” Lara Price, the club’s vice president for business development, told JTA. “He is our family and we are praying for a fast recovery.”
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