David Arnold (basketball)

David Arnold
No. 33 – Saigon Heat
PositionShooting guard
LeagueABL / VBA
Personal information
Born (1990-11-10) November 10, 1990 (age 34)
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
NationalityVietnamese / American
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight181 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolThunderRidge
(Highlands Ranch, Colorado)
College
NBA draft2013: undrafted
Playing career2013–2018
Career history
2014–2018Saigon Heat
2016–2018→Saigon Heat (VBA)
Career highlights and awards
  • All-VBA First Team (2016)

David Harrison Arnold (also known as Việt Arnold; born November 10, 1990) is a Vietnamese-American professional basketball player for the Saigon Heat of the ASEAN Basketball League. He played college basketball for the Northern Colorado Bears and the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets. He is also referred to as "Việt Arnold" in Vietnam.

Arnold shared in an ABL interview that he grew up a Celtic fan, watching Larry Bird, and is also a fan of Lebron James and Rajon Rondo.[1]

Early life

David Harrison Arnold was born on 10 November 1990 to Daron John Arnold and Mai Sheridan Arnold, in Santa Monica, California while his father attended UCLA Law School, then moved to Denver, Colorado when he was about 8 years old. His father is American and his mother is Vietnamese-American, born in Hanoi but immigrated when she was 8. Mai herself is a half-Vietnamese.[1] David Arnold has an older brother, Sean Michael Arnold, and two younger brothers, Ryan John Arnold and Garrett Lawrence Arnold, who all graduated from ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.[2]

Although he initially played American football, David Arnold shares the passion for basketball with his brothers who all played for ThunderRidge Varsity Basketball team, giving credits to his father for introducing him to the game.[3][4][5] Arnold continued his basketball career in college, playing as a guard. He spent two years at NCCA Division I Northern Colorado before transferring to Montana State University Billings in 2011 for another two years.[6]

Pro career

Saigon Heat ABL (2014–2018)

In 2014, Arnold made headlines by reconnecting with his Vietnamese heritage through professional basketball, thanks once again to Daron Arnold’s efforts. He joined the Saigon Heat of the ASEAN Basketball League prior to the 2014 season as a 'heritage' player and quickly became the face of the team.[7]

Saigon Heat VBA (2016–2018)

With the formation for the Vietnam Basketball Association, Arnold joined the Saigon Heat side for the league's inaugural season. At the conclusion of the season, he was named to the All-VBA First Team, finishing with averages of 17.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.

Soon after, Ryan Arnold joined his brother in the VBA in 2016. He was recruited by Hanoi Buffaloes, which set the stage for a highly anticipated face-off between the siblings. The Arnolds made one of the most iconic brother duos in the league. However, Ryan suddenly announced his retirement from VBA at the end of his second season due to personal matters.[8]

In early 2018, Arnold became a resident of Vietnam, qualifying him as a local player, but he soon retired from both the Saigon Heat and the VBA in at the end of that season.[9]

Coaching career

As of 2022, Arnold is known to have joined the coaching staff of his boyhood team, the ThunderRidge Grizzlies, as varsity assistant.[10]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

ABL

Year Team GP RPG APG FG% FT% PPG
2014 Saigon 19 3.8 2.6 .419 .684 14.2
Career 19 3.8 2.6 .419 .684 14.2

VBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016 Saigon 15 13 34.1 .420 .380 .700 3.0 5.9 .9 .3 17.2
2017 Saigon 17 16 28.4 .400 .390 .750 4.8 5.5 1.4 .2 14.4
Career 32 29 31.3 .410 .390 .720 3.9 5.7 1.2 .2 15.7

Awards and honors

VBA

  • All-VBA First Team: 2016

References

  1. ^ a b ABL Basketball (30 September 2014). "Player Profiles: David Arnold (Saigon Heat)". YouTube. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Sean Michael Arnold's Orbituary". Ever Loved. 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  3. ^ "5A Continental boys hoops: Third Arnold brother strives to make mark at ThunderRidge". Colorado Community Media. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Ryan Arnold". MaxPreps | CBS Broadcasting Inc. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Garrett Arnold". MaxPreps | CBS Broadcasting Inc. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  6. ^ "David Arnold". Montana State University Billings Athletics. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  7. ^ "David Arnold gets back to his Vietnamese roots through basketball". The Denver Post. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  8. ^ Ngô, Ân (11 June 2021). "VBA's Brother - CIVIL WAR". VBA. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Arnold becomes Vietnamese resident". Vietnamnet Global. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  10. ^ Newman, Kyle (3 March 2022). "Joe Ortiz built ThunderRidge into a perennial Class 5A boys basketball power from scratch — and he's far from done yet". The Denver Post. Retrieved 6 May 2024.