Accomplishments
- Played at St. Francis University in Loretto before embarking on a successful NBA career.
- Scored 1,410 points at St. Francis from 1966 to 1969, a total which ranks among the best in the school’s all-time scoring list.
- Averaged 21 points a game as a senior and had an 18.8 points a game career scoring average.
Averaged 10.3 rebounds a game for his career. - Set the St. Francis record for assists as a junior in 1967-68.
- St. Francis retired his No. 12 jersey in 2010.
- Selected by the Chicago Bulls in the third round of the 1969 NBA Draft.
- Traded to the Cincinnati Royals, with whom he led the NBA in assists in 1971.
- Reacquired by the Bulls during the 1971-72 season and he remained with the Chicago team until 1978, appearing in three NBA All-Star games in 1974, 1976, 1977.
- During his 10-year career, Van Lier was named to three NBA All-Defense First Teams and five NBA All-Defense Second Teams.
- Named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1974.
- Briefly played with the Milwaukee Bucks before retiring in 1979.
- Had 8,770 career points and 5,217 career assists in the NBA.
- Held the record for the longest field goal in NBA history (84 feet) for 24 years.
- Was a member of the 1965 Midland High School Leopards, considered to be among the best high school basketball teams of all time with a 28-0 record and Pennsylvania state championship.
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