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

He was selected by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 1965 NBA Draft and averaged 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 selected first overall in the 1968 expansion draft by the Phoenix Suns, earning him the nickname “Original Sun.” In his first year in Phoenix, he landed on his first All-Star team and averaged 21 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He was also named an All-Star in the next two seasons and landed on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1974.

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

After his retirement, Van Arsdale remained associated with the Suns, serving as general manager and senior vice president of player personnel, as interim head coach in 1987, and as a color commentator on television and radio.

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