Paul Arizin

Paul Joseph Arizin, known as “Pitchin Paul,” was born on April 9, 1928, in Philadelphia to French immigrants. He played his entire NBA career for the Philadelphia Warriors from 1950 to 1962. When he retired, his 16,266 career points ranked third in league history, and he earned spots on the NBA’s 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams. A high-scoring forward at Villanova University, he entered the NBA after the Warriors selected him in the draft.

Arizin didn’t play basketball at La Salle College High School, failing to make the team in his only tryout as a senior. He graduated just a year before future Hall of Famer Tom Gola arrived as a freshman. At Villanova, Arizin played CYO basketball during his freshman year. Coach Al Severance saw him at a CYO game and asked if he’d like to attend Villanova; Arizin replied that he already did. He made the varsity team in 1947, his sophomore year, and played three seasons. In 1950, he was named collegiate player of the year after leading the nation with 25.3 points per game. He once scored 85 points against the Naval Air Materials Center roster and also topped 100 points in a game against a junior college, though the NCAA doesn’t recognize that performance.

The Warriors made Arizin their first pick in the 1950 NBA draft. He averaged 17.2 points as a rookie and was named Rookie of the Year, though the NBA doesn’t officially sanction that award for the 1950–51 season. He led the league in scoring in 1951–52 and 1956–57, and in field goal percentage in 1951–52. He missed the 1952–53 and 1953–54 seasons while serving in the Marines during the Korean War.

On March 20, 1954, he played for the Berwick Carbuilders of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL), scoring 32 points. Known for his line-drive jump shots, he teamed with center Neil Johnston to form a potent offensive duo, leading the Warriors to the 1956 NBA title. He also played with Joe Fulks early in his career and later with Tom Gola and Wilt Chamberlain. Arizin chose to retire rather than move with the Warriors to San Francisco.

At retirement, his final-season average of 21.9 points per game was the highest for any retiring player, a record that stood until Bob Pettit’s 22.5 PPG in 1965. He played in 10 NBA All-Star Games, was MVP of the 1952 game, and made the All-NBA First Team in 1952, 1956, and 1957.

After leaving the NBA, Arizin played three seasons for the Camden Bullets of the EPBL, averaging over 20 points per game each year. He was named EPBL MVP in 1963, made the EPBL All-Star First Team in 1963 and 1964, and the Second Team in 1965. The Bullets won the 1964 title.

Arizin was named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, and selected to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. In October 2021, he was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. He was part of the inaugural class of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. Arizin died in his sleep at age 78 on December 12, 2006, in Springfield, Pennsylvania.