Arnie Risen

Birthdate: October 9, 1924
Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky
High School: Williamstown HS (KY) (1942)
College: Eastern Kentucky, Ohio State (1946)
Died: August 4, 2012
Year Inducted: 2008

Arnold “Arnie” Risen had a brilliant 13-year professional career as a center, although he was slender at 6-foot-9 and 200 pounds. He played on NBA championship teams in 1951 with the Rochester Royals and 1957 with the Boston Celtics.  Risen averaged 21.7 points in seven-game 1951 championship series with the New York Knicks and played for the Indianapolis Kautskys (1945-48), Rochester (1948-55) and Boston (1955-58). Risen scored 9,239 points (12.3 average) in 750 professional games. He started his college career at Eastern Kentucky in 1942 but transferred to Ohio State University after one year. Risen led the Buckeyes into the NCAA Tournament in 1944 by averaging 14.7 points in Big Ten play and in 1945 by averaging 13.2. He made All-Big Ten in 1944. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1998. View his acceptance speech here.

Arnie Risen died on August 4, 2012 at the age of 87.