center at 6'6" and 215 lbs., but made up for it with tremendous physical strength. He played nine seasons for the New York Knicks, from 1948 to 1957. His best statistical year was in 1954, when he led the NBA in rebounding, averaging 15.3 rebounds per game. That same year, he was also named to the All-NBA First Team. His most dominating single-game performance was on the last regular season game of the 1952–53 season. That night, against the Fort Wayne Pistons, Gallatin pulled down 33 rebounds, a Knicks record which still stands today. In the six seasons he played when rebounds were recorded, he was among the leaders in the league in rebounds per game. For his career, he averaged 11.9 rebounds per game. Gallatin still holds the Knick team record of consecutive games played, with 610. After nine strong years with the Knicks, Gallatin was traded to the Detroit Pistons with Richard Atha and Nathaniel Clifton for Mel Hutchins and Charlie Tyra on April 3, 1957. He played only one season for the Pistons before retiring as one of the most dominating post players of his era. Baseball career In addition to basketball, Gallatin also played baseball. He played two seasons of varsity baseball at Northeast Missouri. During the off-seasons between his first three seasons in the NBA, he played for the Class B Decatur, Illinois Cubs/Commodores of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League, which was an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs in 1949 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1950. He appeared in 46 games in those two seasons, winning 7, losing 9 and batting .227 in 75 at-bats. After the 1950 baseball season, however, he made basketball his only professional sport. Post-playing life After his retirement from playing in 1958, Gallatin became the head coach of the Southern Illinois University Salukis. In four seasons there, he led his teams to a 69–35 record and post-season tournament appearances every year. The 1961–62 team made it to the NCAA Small College (now Division II) Tournament semifinals before barely losing to eventual champion Mount St. Mary's College 58–57, then took third place by beating Nebraska Wesleyan University 98–81. He returned to the NBA in 1962 as coach of the St. Louis Hawks. In his first season, he led the Hawks to the division finals and was named NBA Coach of the Year. The 1963–64 season saw the Hawks again advance to the division