Van Arsdale was a standout at Indiana from 1962 to 1965, earning All-American honors alongside his twin brother Tom. He averaged 17.2 points and 10 rebounds per game during his three seasons with the Hoosiers.

He was selected by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 1965 NBA draft and put up 12.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game to earn NBA All-Rookie Team honors.

After three seasons with the Knicks, Van Arsdale was the Phoenix Suns’ first selection in the 1968 expansion draft, earning him the nickname “Original Sun.” His first year in Phoenix saw him land on his first All-Star team as he put up 21 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He was named an All-Star over the next two seasons as well and landed on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1974.

Van Arsdale retired after the 1976-77 season, totaling 15,079 points, 3,807 rebounds and 3,057 assists across his 12 years in the league. He was the Suns’ all-time leading scorer when he retired.

After retiring, Van Arsdale stayed connected with the Suns, serving as their general manager and senior vice president of player personnel, interim head coach in 1987 and as a television and radio color commentator.

Van Arsdale was inducted into the Suns’ Ring of Honor in 1999 and has his jersey number retired by the organization.