R.I.P. Dick Van Arsdale

[ShelC]

[The Bobster]

I just read the news that "The Original Sun" Dick Van Arsdale passed away.

Van Arsdale was a steady performer for the Suns, playing for them in their first nine seasons, playing in three All-Star Games and retiring as their all-time leading scorer in 1977.

Most of my memories of Van Arsdale are of him as Al McCoy's broadcast partner throughout the 1980s. He later went on to become part of Jerry Colangelo's group that bought the Suns, and was part of the brain trust for the franchise up until Colangelo's sale of the team.

Van had slowed down a lot since his stroke in 2005 and he dropped out of the public eye -

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ ... 539010002/

[Kryptonic]

It’s been a rough year for the suns. RIP

[In2ition]

It's amazing that it took him 9 years to become the all-time scorer, but...he did it.

[Mori Chu]

Thanks for making a thread for this news. I never saw DVA okay but the reverence for him across the franchise was always clear. I liked how Jerry Colangelo always took care to honor and embrace legends like that. RIP.

[The Bobster]

Thanks for making a thread for this news. I never saw DVA okay but the reverence for him across the franchise was always clear. I liked how Jerry Colangelo always took care to honor and embrace legends like that. RIP.

Van Arsdale was blue collar player. Not a lot of frills to his game, but he was good enough to average 21 PPG his first three years in Phoenix.

Up until Westphal and Davis joined the team, Van Arsdale was their most popular player - and the perfect player for Colangelo to build his team around (the more mercurial guys like Goodrich, Hawkins and Scott came and went, but Van was the constant that the team could always count on).

[Superbone]

Probably my first ever favorite player. RIP.

[Superbone]

Van Arsdale scored the first ever Phoenix Suns points.

[The Bobster]

Contrary to popular belief, Van Arsdale wasn't the first Suns player. The first round of the 1968 draft took place before the expansion draft, so Gary Gregor was drafted and signed before the Suns picked Van Arsdale in the expansion draft.

Of course "The Flying Dutchman" was the last of the players from the first season, so you can always apply the nickname that way.

It was good to see him and his brother Tom play their final season together - I wonder if they ever considered swapping jerseys for a game.

[The Bobster]

Probably my first ever favorite player. RIP.

He had a public image that was pretty hard not to like.

[Superbone]

Contrary to popular belief, Van Arsdale wasn't the first Suns player. The first round of the 1968 draft took place before the expansion draft, so Gary Gregor was drafted and signed before the Suns picked Van Arsdale in the expansion draft.

Of course "The Flying Dutchman" was the last of the players from the first season, so you can always apply the nickname that way.

It was good to see him and his brother Tom play their final season together - I wonder if they ever considered swapping jerseys for a game.

Even if he wasn't technically the original Sun, he scored the first Suns' points. He was also the longest tenured of the original team. And how do you know they never swapped jerseys?

[LazarusLong]

Rick Barry said Van Arsdale gave him the most trouble guarding him.

I interviewed Van Arsdale for a junior high article in the second year of the franchise. Very personable and spent time answering my questions.

Some years later, when twin brother Tom spent his last year with the Suns, they started a real estate company. I was working in the Arcadia area and ate at the Town & Country food court. The Van Arsdales would walk through and all the high school/college age girls working at the food court would swoon ...

[LazarusLong]

He was with the Knicks when the expansion draft happened.
New York had to choose either him or Cazzie Russell to keep.
So they opted for Russell, who had a bit more refined offensive game.
Russell was eventually traded, having been supplanted by Bill Bradley who was more of a team player.

[The Bobster]

A quick review of 1968 -

22Jan68 - Milwaukee and Phoenix are awarded NBA expansion franchises
27Feb68 - Jerry Colangelo is hired as Business Manager
28Mar68 - Phoenix wins coin flip with Milwaukee for 1st pick in expansion draft
1Apr68 - NBA Draft (Round 1) - Phoenix drafts Gary Gregor
26Apr68 - Introductory press conference, team reveals that they'll be called Phoenix Suns
5Apr68 - Suns sign Gregor
23Apr68 - Suns sign John Kerr as coach
6May68 - Expansion draft - 1st three choices - Dick Van Arsdale, Gail Goodrich, Dick Snyder
8May68 - NBA Draft (Rounds 2-12)
10May68 - NBA Draft (Rounds 13-32)
22May68 - Re-sign Dick Van Arsdale to a two-year contract
26Jun68 - Suns sign contracts with KTAR 620 AM and KTAR-TV 12
15Jul68 - 18Jul68 - Suns Rookie Camp
29Aug68 - Suns hire Joe Proski as trainer
3Sep68 - 25Sep68 - Suns Training Camp
26Sep68 - 1st Suns preseason game vs. Seattle in Miami, AZ
18Oct68 - 1st Suns regular season game vs Seattle, Van Arsdale scores 1st Suns points

[SunsRIt]

A quick review of 1968 -

22Jan68 - Milwaukee and Phoenix are awarded NBA expansion franchises
27Feb68 - Jerry Colangelo is hired as Business Manager
28Mar68 - Phoenix wins coin flip with Milwaukee for 1st pick in expansion draft
1Apr68 - NBA Draft (Round 1) - Phoenix drafts Gary Gregor
26Apr68 - Introductory press conference, team reveals that they'll be called Phoenix Suns
5Apr68 - Suns sign Gregor
23Apr68 - Suns sign John Kerr as coach
6May68 - Expansion draft - 1st three choices - Dick Van Arsdale, Gail Goodrich, Dick Snyder
8May68 - NBA Draft (Rounds 2-12)
10May68 - NBA Draft (Rounds 13-32)
22May68 - Re-sign Dick Van Arsdale to a two-year contract
26Jun68 - Suns sign contracts with KTAR 620 AM and KTAR-TV 12
15Jul68 - 18Jul68 - Suns Rookie Camp
29Aug68 - Suns hire Joe Proski as trainer
3Sep68 - 25Sep68 - Suns Training Camp
26Sep68 - 1st Suns preseason game vs. Seattle in Miami, AZ
18Oct68 - 1st Suns regular season game vs Seattle, Van Arsdale scores 1st Suns points

The Suns scored 41 points in their first quarter of their first game.

[Superbone]

A quick review of 1968 -

22Jan68 - Milwaukee and Phoenix are awarded NBA expansion franchises
27Feb68 - Jerry Colangelo is hired as Business Manager
28Mar68 - Phoenix wins coin flip with Milwaukee for 1st pick in expansion draft
1Apr68 - NBA Draft (Round 1) - Phoenix drafts Gary Gregor
26Apr68 - Introductory press conference, team reveals that they'll be called Phoenix Suns
5Apr68 - Suns sign Gregor
23Apr68 - Suns sign John Kerr as coach
6May68 - Expansion draft - 1st three choices - Dick Van Arsdale, Gail Goodrich, Dick Snyder
8May68 - NBA Draft (Rounds 2-12)
10May68 - NBA Draft (Rounds 13-32)
22May68 - Re-sign Dick Van Arsdale to a two-year contract
26Jun68 - Suns sign contracts with KTAR 620 AM and KTAR-TV 12
15Jul68 - 18Jul68 - Suns Rookie Camp
29Aug68 - Suns hire Joe Proski as trainer
3Sep68 - 25Sep68 - Suns Training Camp
26Sep68 - 1st Suns preseason game vs. Seattle in Miami, AZ
18Oct68 - 1st Suns regular season game vs Seattle, Van Arsdale scores 1st Suns points

The Suns scored 41 points in their first quarter of their first game.

Wow!

[Cap]

A quick review of 1968 -

22Jan68 - Milwaukee and Phoenix are awarded NBA expansion franchises
27Feb68 - Jerry Colangelo is hired as Business Manager
28Mar68 - Phoenix wins coin flip with Milwaukee for 1st pick in expansion draft
1Apr68 - NBA Draft (Round 1) - Phoenix drafts Gary Gregor
26Apr68 - Introductory press conference, team reveals that they'll be called Phoenix Suns
5Apr68 - Suns sign Gregor
23Apr68 - Suns sign John Kerr as coach
6May68 - Expansion draft - 1st three choices - Dick Van Arsdale, Gail Goodrich, Dick Snyder
8May68 - NBA Draft (Rounds 2-12)
10May68 - NBA Draft (Rounds 13-32)
22May68 - Re-sign Dick Van Arsdale to a two-year contract
26Jun68 - Suns sign contracts with KTAR 620 AM and KTAR-TV 12
15Jul68 - 18Jul68 - Suns Rookie Camp
29Aug68 - Suns hire Joe Proski as trainer
3Sep68 - 25Sep68 - Suns Training Camp
26Sep68 - 1st Suns preseason game vs. Seattle in Miami, AZ
18Oct68 - 1st Suns regular season game vs Seattle, Van Arsdale scores 1st Suns points

The Suns scored 41 points in their first quarter of their first game.

Wow!

I wonder if that’s the only time in NBA history a franchise has held an average of 41+ points per quarter. Because you know I love taking statistical measures of trivial samples.

[Mori Chu]

RIP to the Original Sun. Biggest Dick associated with the franchise until specialsauce came along. He will be missed

[The Bobster]

Many of the Suns who have passed on, but not all.

17Jan70 Bob Vache [broadcaster]
29Apr87 Gus Johnson
13Jun87 Johnny High
16Aug87 Nick Vanos [active player]
7Jul00 Denny Price [assistant coach]
24Jul04 Cotton Fitzsimmons [head coach]
22Feb07 Dennis Johnson
22Aug07 Butch van Breda Kolff [head coach]
26Feb09 John Kerr [head coach/broadcaster]
15May09 Wayman Tisdale
31Oct10 Maurice Lucas
5Jul11 Armon Gilliam
18Aug11 Scotty Robertson [assistant coach]
27Mar15 Hot Rod Williams
4Oct15 Neal Walk
11Dec15 Hot Rod Hundley [broadcaster]
6Oct17 Connie Hawkins
27Oct18 Richard Bloch [original owner]
14Apr19 John MacLeod [head coach]
28Oct19 Al Bianchi [assistant coach]
29Aug20 Clifford Robinson
2Jan21 Paul Westphal
21Jul21 Stan McKenzie
10Dec22 Paul Silas
29Jul23 George Wilson
2Nov23 Walter Davis
21Sep24 Al McCoy [broadcaster]
16Dec24 Dick Van Arsdale

[Superbone]