Jump to content

Paul Arizin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paul Arizin
Arizin with the Philadelphia Warriors
Personal information
Born(1928-04-09)April 9, 1928
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,U.S.
DiedDecember 12, 2006(2006-12-12)(aged 78)
Springfield Township,Pennsylvania,U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolLa Salle(Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania)
CollegeVillanova(1947–1950)
NBA draft1950:territorial pick
Selected by thePhiladelphia Warriors
Playing career1950–1965
PositionSmall forward
Number11
Career history
1950–1952,
1954–1962		Philadelphia Warriors
1962–1965Camden Bullets
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points16,266 (22.8 ppg)
Rebounds6,129 (8.6 rpg)
Assists1,665 (2.3 apg)
StatsEdit this at Wikidataat NBA.com
StatsEdit this at Wikidataat Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006
Paul J. Arizin in his Quantico Marine basketball uniform

Paul Joseph Arizin(April 9, 1928 – December 12, 2006), nicknamed "'Pitchin Paul",was an Americanbasketballplayer who spent his entireNational Basketball Association(NBA) career with thePhiladelphia Warriorsfrom1950to1962.He retired with the third highest career point total (16,266) in NBA history, and was named to theNBA's 25th,50thand75th anniversary teams.He was a high-scoringforwardatVillanova Universitybefore being drafted by the Warriors of the fledgling NBA.[1][2]

Early life

[edit]

Paul Joseph Arizin was born on April 9, 1928, inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvaniato French immigrants. Arizin did not play basketball atLa Salle College High School,failing to make the team in his only tryout as a senior. Arizin graduated just a year before another Basketball Hall of Famer,Tom Gola,entered La Salle College High School as a freshman.

College career

[edit]

During his freshman year at Villanova, Arizin played CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) basketball in Philadelphia. Late in that season,Al Severance,then the Villanova varsity basketball coach, attended one of Arizin's CYO games. Afterwards, Severance approached Arizin and asked him if he would like to go to Villanova, to which Arizin answered: "I already go to Villanova."[3]

Arizin made the team in 1947, his sophomore year, and played for three years. In 1950 he was named the collegiate basketball player of the year after leading the nation with 25.3 points per game. During a game onFebruary 12, 1949,Arizin scored 85 points against the Naval Air Materials Center roster. Arizin also scored at least 100 points in a game while playing for Villanova, but the game is not recognized by the NCAA because the opponent was a junior college.[4][5]

Professional career

[edit]

Philadelphia Warriors (1950–1962)

[edit]

After being selected by the Warriors with their first pick in the1950 NBA draft,Arizin averaged 17.2 points per game in his rookie season and was namedNBA Rookie of the Year— a designation not currently sanctioned by the NBA for the 1950–51 season. He became one of the greatest NBA players of the 1950s, leading the league in scoring during the1951–52and1956–57 seasonsand leading in field goal percentage in 1951–52. Arizin sat out the 1952–53 and 1953–54 NBA seasons while serving in theMarinesduring theKorean War.[6]

Arizin became famous for his line-drivejump shots,and teamed with centerNeil Johnstonto form the best offensive one-two punch in the NBA at the time, leading the Warriors to the1956 NBA title.He also played with scoring starJoe Fulksearly in his career, and with Philadelphia legendsTom GolaandWilt Chamberlaintoward the end of his career in the early 1960s. Arizin chose to retire from the NBA rather than move with the Warriors to San Francisco. At the time of his retirement, no player had retired from the game with a higher scoring average (21.9 points per game) in his final season. This record would stand untilBob Pettit's retirement in 1965 following a season in which he averaged 22.5 PPG.

Arizin played in a total of 10NBA All-Star Games(he was the1952 NBA All-Star GameMVP) and was named to the All-NBA First-Team in 1952, 1956, and 1957.

Camden Bullets (1962–1965)

[edit]

After retiring from the NBA, Arizin played for three seasons with theCamden Bulletsof theEastern Professional Basketball League,who won the 1964 title. Averaging over 20 points per game each season, he was named the EBL MVP in 1963, was named to the EBL All-Star First Team in 1963 and 1964 and to the EBL All-Star Second Team in 1965.[7]

Legacy

[edit]

Arizin was named to theNBA 25th Anniversary Teamin 1971. He was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famein 1978,[8]and was selected to the50 Greatest Players in NBA Historyin 1996. In October 2021, Arizin was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to theNBA's 75th Anniversary Team.[9]He was inducted into the inaugural class of thePhiladelphia Sports Hall of Famein 2004.[10]Arizin died in his sleep at age 78 on December 12, 2006, inSpringfield,Pennsylvania.[11]

NBA career statistics

[edit]
Legend
GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field goalpercentage 3P% 3-point field goalpercentage FT% Free throwpercentage
RPG Reboundsper game APG Assistsper game SPG Stealsper game
BPG Blocksper game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
† Won anNBA championship * Led the league

Regular season

[edit]
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1950–51 Philadelphia 65 — .407 .793 9.8 2.1 17.2
1951–52 Philadelphia 66 44.5* .448* .818 11.3 2.6 25.4*
1954–55 Philadelphia 72 41.0* .399 .776 9.4 2.9 21.0
1955–56† Philadelphia 72 37.8 .448 .810 7.5 2.6 24.2
1956–57 Philadelphia 71 39.0 .422 .829 7.9 2.1 25.6*
1957–58 Philadelphia 68 35.0 .393 .809 7.4 2.0 20.7
1958–59 Philadelphia 70 40.0 .431 .813 9.1 1.7 26.4
1959–60 Philadelphia 72 36.4 .424 .798 8.6 2.3 22.3
1960–61 Philadelphia 79 37.2 .425 .833 8.6 2.4 23.2
1961–62 Philadelphia 78 35.7 .410 .805 6.8 2.6 21.9
Career 713 38.4 .421 .810 8.6 2.3 22.8
All-Star 9 22.9 .466 .806 5.2 0.7 15.2

Playoffs

[edit]
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1951 Philadelphia 2 — .519 .813 10.0 1.5 20.5
1952 Philadelphia 3 40.0 .453 .879 12.7 2.7 25.7
1956† Philadelphia 10 40.9 .450 .838 8.4 2.9 28.9*
1957 Philadelphia 2 11.0 .375 .600 4.0 0.5 4.5
1958 Philadelphia 8 38.6 .391 .778 7.8 2.0 23.5
1960 Philadelphia 9 41.2 .431 .873 9.6 3.7 26.3
1961 Philadelphia 3 41.7 .328 .697 8.7 4.0 22.3
1962 Philadelphia 12 38.3 .375 .863 6.7 2.2 23.2
Career 49 38.6 .411 .829 8.2 2.6 24.2

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Paul Arizin Stats".Basketball-Reference.com.RetrievedNovember 5,2020.
  2. ^Rowe, Dan."Basketball Hall of Fame Member PAUL ARIZAN * Two Signed Items* - The Written Word Autographs".
  3. ^Cut from H.S. team, Arizin rose in NBA - NBA - ESPN
  4. ^"The Night of the Century".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 9,2010.
  5. ^Wolfley, Bob (March 1, 1987)."THE GAME and Wilt still loom large"(PDF).The Milwaukee Journal.RetrievedDecember 9,2010.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^"Paul Arizin Bio".NBA.com.RetrievedJune 15,2007.
  7. ^NBA Register: 1986-87 Edition.The Sporting News Publishing Company. 1986. p. 285.ISBN9780892042272.
  8. ^"Hall of Famers".Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived fromthe originalon October 8, 2012.RetrievedAugust 2,2009.
  9. ^"NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced".NBA.com.
  10. ^"Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Inductees".RetrievedAugust 3,2009.
  11. ^NBA Hall of Famer Arizin dies at 78
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Arizin&oldid=1235098556"