Paul Arizin Dies At 78

Paul Arizin Dies At 78

The Pioneer of the Jump Shot and One of the Greats of the Game.

R.I.P

Another pioneer lost this year. He's probably one of the more underrated players in history.

RIP

Definitely a player too often overlooked in NBA lore, considering his contribution has become a fundamental element of the game. RIP, Pitchin' Paul.

Pioneer of jumpshot... It's good to hear though that he did not pass away because of sickness or accident. Rest in peace Mr. Paul Joseph Arizin.

What does 'pioneer of the jumpshot' mean? Did he actually invent the jumpshot? If so... how the hell did they shoot before him?

There you go. From wiki

Arizin is often credited as the greatest jump-shooter of all time, and the instigator of the jump shot of today. In the NBA's early days, the usual technique for shooting contained little or no jumping at all. Arizin disliked shooting like that, so, he jumped a bit higher and then released the shot. This made it harder for opponents to block the shot, and this, combined with Arizin's practically unmatched accuracy, made him the NBA's most feared player to play against at the time. Over time, many players starting copying his jump shot and turning it into the most accepted way of shooting it is today.

I think he is not a jumpshooter the least, he uses set shots. Still God speed for him.

I've always thought of Joe Fulks as the pioneer of the jump shot, but apparently there were many pioneers.