Arnie Risen
(1924-2012)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1998
Card Shown:
2006-07 Upper Deck Chronology
Position: C
Height: 6’9″
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Arnie Risen, known as “Stilts,” was a tall, slender player who could score and rebound the ball. In his NBA Championship season with the Rochester Royals in 1950-51, Risen averaged 16.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Arnie was known as a fierce competitor on the court and a gentle and kind man outside the lines.
Awards and Honors
- Arnie helped his Ohio State Buckeyes to reach the NCAA Final Four in three consecutive years from 1944-1946.
- Risen was a four-time NBA All-Star from 1952 through 1955.
- Arnie led the Rochester Royals to their only NBA Championship in 1951. In the decisive Game 7 against the New York Knicks, Risen scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds, both game highs. The Royals second and third leading scorers that game were Hall of Famers Bob Davies and Bobby Wanzer.
- Arnie was named All-BAA (Basketball Association of America) Second Team in 1948-49. That year he also led the league in shooting percentage at .423, just slightly ahead of George Mikan who shot .415.
- Risen won his second NBA Championship as a backup to Bill Russell on the 1956-57 Boston Celtics. Other players on that star-studded team included Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Andy Phillip, Frank Ramsey, and Bill Sharman. That made seven Hall of Famers on one team. It is easy to see why the 1956-57 Celtics won their first out of eleven NBA Championships in the next thirteen seasons.
Points of Interest
- Risen often told his son that he participated in the first basketball game that he ever witnessed.
- Arnie began his professional career playing for the Indianapolis Kautskys of the National Basketball League (NBL) for $50 per game. He eventually convinced the owner that he should receive the same salary as rookie George Mikan, an incredible $12,000 per year.
- At the end of his career, Risen played three years for the Boston Celtics. He was the starting center when a rookie named Bill Russell joined the team. Risen told Russell that he would help him in any way he could as he transitioned to the NBA game.
- Arnie averaged a double-double in points and rebounds from 1950-51 through 1954-55. Thee two years prior to this streak he also averaged double figures in points but statistics on rebounds were not kept until 1950-51.
- Risen has also been enshrined in the Williamstown High School Hall of Fame (Kentucky) and the Ohio State University Hall of Fame.
Statistics
Arnie Risen Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com