Thomas Arthur Van Arsdale, born on February 22, 1943, in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a retired American professional basketball player whose career spanned over a decade in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Van Arsdale primarily played as a guard and small forward, known for his scoring prowess, rebounding ability, and consistent performance on the court.
Growing up in the basketball-rich state of Indiana, he developed his skills alongside his family, particularly his twin brother, and went on to become a three-time NBA All-Star.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Van Arsdale has been recognized for his academic excellence and later pursued a career in real estate and art in Arizona, co-authoring a memoir in 2021 titled Journey Man: Celebrating an Unlucky, Unpredictable, and Undeniably Successful NBA Career.
Siblings
Tom has an identical twin brother, Richard “Dick” Van Arsdale, born just minutes apart on the same day in Indianapolis.
Dick, who passed away on December 16, 2024, at the age of 81, mirrored Tom’s career trajectory remarkably closely; he too became a professional NBA player, earning three All-Star selections and having his No. 5 jersey retired by the Phoenix Suns.
Together, they were inseparable on the court during high school and college, and they even reunited for one final season with the Suns in 1976-77, marking the end of both their playing days.
Career
Arsdale’s basketball journey began in earnest at Emmerich Manual High School in Indianapolis, where he and his twin brother led their team to remarkable success, including two sectional titles, a regional championship, and a semistate crown in 1961, though they fell short in a heartbreaking two-point overtime loss in the state championship.
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His collegiate career flourished at Indiana University from 1962 to 1965 under legendary coach Branch McCracken, where he averaged a double-double of 17.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game over three seasons, amassing 1,252 points and 723 rebounds.
Selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round (14th overall) of the 1965 NBA Draft, Van Arsdale quickly adapted to professional play, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in the 1965-66 season with averages of 13.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Over 12 NBA seasons, he suited up for five teams: the Pistons (1965-66), Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1967-72), Philadelphia 76ers (1972-73), Atlanta Hawks (1974-75), and Phoenix Suns (1975-77).
His peak came with the Royals after Oscar Robertson’s departure, where he averaged career-highs of 22.9 points per game in 1970-71, stepping up as the team’s primary scorer.
Despite his individual brilliance, Van Arsdale’s teams struggled with consistency, leading to a nomadic career marked by trades and no postseason berths.
He retired in 1977 after playing all 82 games in his final Suns season alongside Dick, finishing with career averages of 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across 929 games.
Accolades
In college, Arsdale earned consensus Second-Team All-American honors in 1965, along with Second-Team All-Big Ten recognition that same year, and was a two-time Academic All-American in 1964 and 1965 for his scholarly achievements.
At the high school level, he shared the prestigious Indiana Mr. Basketball award in 1961 with his twin brother, a rare co-honoring that underscored their joint dominance, and they also received the Trester Award for Mental Attitude.
Internationally, Van Arsdale contributed to the U.S. team’s gold medal win at the 1965 World University Games.
His legacy endures through induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2019, the Van Arsdale brothers were collectively honored by Indiana University at halftime of a Hoosiers-Purdue game.
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