Art Becker obit

Former Arizona State basketball, ABA star Art Becker dies at 84

 

He was not on the list.

Art Becker, who starred on Arizona State's basketball teams in the early 1960s and later became a two-time ABA All-Star, died on April 30. He was 84.

Becker died at his Tempe home under hospice care surrounded by family, said his wife, Lynn.

Becker also had two stints as head men's basketball coach at Scottsdale Community College (1974-81 and 1993-96), where he also served as athletic director. Becker's son Mark was the star center on Tempe McClintock's 1986 state basketball championship team.

Art Becker had battled prostate cancer for 25 years, Lynn said, and was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

"Many of the coaches from Scottsdale tell the same story," she said. "Many of them never had the chance to be a head coach until Art hired them. People like B.B. Fontenet and Bike Medder. All those people are so grateful and indebted to Art for that."

Fontenet played for SCC's men's team. Medder coached the women's basketball team at the college.

Joe Caldwell, Becker's ASU teammate in the 1960s, visited Art every day in the last few weeks, Lynn said.

"Joe calls Art his brother," Lynn said. "He's been by every day to see his brother. So touching."

Becker, who played his high school basketball at Phoenix Camelback, where he was a 6-foot-7 forward, has been inducted into several halls of fame, including Arizona State in 1989 and Scottsdale Community College in 2016, as well as the National Alliance of Two-Year Collegiate Athletic Administrators in 2016.

He averaged 12.5 points and 6.7 rebounds across six ABA seasons. He made All-Star teams in 1968 and '72. In 1970, he helped the Indiana Pacers win the ABA championship. After every season, Art and Lynn would return to Tempe to live in the summer.

"We knew at the time with the ABA, especially at Indianapolis, we were living a dream," said Lynn, who was married for more than 60 years to Art. "We loved every minute of it."

Will Worosylla was hired by Becker to lead SCC's men's basketball program from 2010-15, often having him on the bench during games.

"Art led an amazing life," Worosylla said. "He's in, I think, four different Halls of Fame. He was the president of the NJCAA, but more importantly, he was a great mentor and a great friend.

"When he hired me at SCC, I told him I had one condition and that was that he sat on our bench. I learned so much from him on how to be a better coach."

He won a championship in the ABA with the Indian Pacers with others players such as Bob Netolicky, Roger Brown, Billy Kellar, Freddie Lewis, Tom Thacker, Mel Daniels and coach Bobby Leonard.

 

 

Personal information

Born    January 12, 1942

Akron, Ohio, U.S.

Died    April 30, 2026 (aged 84)

Tempe, Arizona, U.S.

Listed height   6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)

Listed weight  205 lb (93 kg)

Career information

High school     Camelback (Phoenix, Arizona)

College            Arizona State (1961–1964)

NBA draft        1964: 3rd round, 22nd overall pick

Drafted by       St. Louis Hawks

Playing career 1967–1973

Position           Power forward / small forward

Number           34, 43, 14

Career history

1967–1969      Houston Mavericks

1969–1971      Indiana Pacers

1971–1972      Denver Rockets

1972    New York Nets

1972    Dallas Chaparrals

Career highlights

ABA champion (1970)

2× ABA All-Star (1968, 1972)

First-team All-WAC (1963)

Second-team All-WAC (1964)

Career ABA statistics

Points  5,160 (12.5 ppg)

Rebounds        2,604 (6.3 rpg)

Assists 410 (1.0)