Phoenix Suns legend Dick Van Arsdale died on Monday at the age of 81.
An Indianapolis, Ind. native, Van Arsdale and his twin brother, Tom, were awarded Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1961. Both played at the University of Indiana and were 2nd round picks in 1965, Dick 10th and Tom 11th.
Dick Van Arsdale was drafted by the New York Knicks, where he played until 1968. He averaged 12.3 points and 4.8 rebounds as a rookie and was named 1st Team All-Rookie.
In 1968's expansion draft, he was chosen by the Suns, where he played through the 1976-1977 season. He was an All-Star in each of his first three seasons as a Sun.
1968-69: 21.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists
1969-70: 21.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds
1970-71: 21.9 points, 4.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds
The following season, 1971-72, he played all 82 games for the first and only time in his career and averaged 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He was a career 46 percent shooter, including a career-best 51 percent in '69-'70, with lifetime averages of 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
The 3-time All-Star and "Original Sun" averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 47 percent shooting in his Phoenix career, and was named to the NBA's All-Defensive 2nd team in 1973-1974. Van Arsdale, whose No. 5 is retired by the franchise, also coached the Suns for 26 games during the 1986-1987 season, a roster that included a veteran Alvan Adams, Walter Davis, and Larry Nance. He led the team to a 14-12 mark after they were 22-34 under John MacLeod. In his final season as a player, Van Arsdale played alongside his brother Tom, the brothers becoming the first set of identical twins to play in the NBA, later joined by Horace and Harvey Grant, Marcus and Markieff Morris, and Brook and Robin Lopez.
RIP, Dick Van Arsdale.
コメント