Picture Credit: Mark Henle/The Repub

Dick Van Arsdale, three-time All-Star and Phoenix Suns legend, dies at 81

Van Arsdale is the first player in franchise history to score their first-ever points in the NBA.

Picture Credit: Mark Henle/The Repub

Dick Van Arsdale, a Phoenix Suns legend and an Indiana Mr. Basketball, has died at the age of 81. Arsdale became the first Phoenix player after being selected by the franchise in the 1968 expansion draft.

The Suns confirmed the death of the three-time NBA All-Star in a statement on Monday.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Suns legend Dick Van Arsdale, the “Original Sun” and a member of our Ring of Honor.

The first selection in the expansion draft to build the Suns roster and the scorer of the first points in team history, Van Arsdale was a cornerstone of… pic.twitter.com/ujpVhLrsxK
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 16, 2024

The franchise issued a statement, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Suns legend Dick Van Arsdale, the “Original Sun” and a member of our Ring of Honor. Our thoughts are with his friends and family, including his twin brother and Suns teammate, Tom, during this difficult time.”

Van Arsdale and his twin brother, Tom, were jointly awarded the honor of Indiana’s Mr. Basketball at Manual High School in Indianapolis in 1961. They were also co-MVPs for the Hoosiers in each of their final two college seasons.

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12 years, four playoffs, one NBA finals, and a legendary career

Dick Van Arsdale represented New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns over 12 seasons in the NBA. He helped his sides reach playoffs four times. He also received All-American honors in 1965 with his brother who represented five NBA teams. Both retired together with the Phoenix Suns in 1977.

After playing three seasons with the Knicks, Dick Van Arsdale was picked by the Suns with their first pick in the 1968 expansion draft. In his first three seasons for the Suns, he was an NBA All-Star. He averaged a career-high 21.9 points during the 1970-71 season.

Van Arsdale retired as Phoenix Suns’ all-time scoring leader and guided them to the 1976 NBA finals also. However, the Suns failed to win the trophy against the Boston Celtics. He averaged 6.6 points during the six-game series in the NBA finals off the bench.

Van Arsdale is the first player in franchise history to score their first-ever points in the NBA. He also served Phoenix as an interim coach during the 1986-87 season. He was also a front-office executive and television commentator in the NBA.

Image Credit: Mark Henle-Imagn Images

Dick Van Arsdale

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.