Richard Albert Van Arsdale (born February 22, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, and a current National Basketball Association (NBA) executive.
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | February 22, 1943
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Emmerich Manual (Indianapolis, Indiana) |
College | Indiana (1962–1965) |
NBA draft | 1965: 2nd round, 10th overall pick |
Selected by the New York Knicks | |
Playing career | 1965–1977 |
Position | Shooting guard |
Number | 5 |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1965–1968 | New York Knicks |
1968–1977 | Phoenix Suns |
As coach: | |
1987 | Phoenix Suns |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 15,079 (16.4 ppg) |
Rebounds | 3,807 (4.1 rpg) |
Assists | 3,057 (3.3 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
A graduate of Emmerich Manual High School in Indianapolis, Van Arsdale played collegiately at Indiana University under longtime head coach Branch McCracken. At Indiana, Van Arsdale averaged 17.2 points and 10 rebounds per game over his collegiate career. In 1963-64, he was named to the All-Big Ten team after averaging 22.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game in his second year with the Hoosiers.
He was selected by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 1965 NBA draft, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1966, together with his identical twin brother Tom.
Van Arsdale played in the NBA for twelve seasons; three with the Knicks and the remainder with the Phoenix Suns (their first selection in the 1968 expansion draft).[1] Van Arsdale, a three-time All-Star, was consistently one of the best free throw shooters in professional basketball. He retired from the NBA in 1977 and is remembered in Phoenix basketball lore as the "original Sun".[2]
Van Arsdale later became the Suns' general manager; he is currently the team's senior vice president of player personnel.[2] Following the firing of John MacLeod in February 1987, he was the interim head coach for that season's final 26 games.[1]
He is the identical twin brother of Tom Van Arsdale.[3] The twins played together through college and again in Phoenix during the 1976–77 season,[4] the final for both.