Art Bunte

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1933)}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Art Bunte

| image = Art Bunte.jpeg

| size =

| caption =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lb = 215

| nationality = American

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1933|11|16}}

| birth_place = Denver, Colorado

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = South (Denver, Colorado)

| college =

• Colorado (1951–1953)
• Utah (1954–1956)

| draft_year = 1956

| draft_round = –

| draft_pick = –

| draft_team = New York Knicks

| career_start =

| career_end =

| career_position = Forward / center

| career_number =

| highlights =

• Second-team All-American – INS (1955)
• Second-team All-American – Collier's (1956)
• Third-team All-American – NEA (1955)
• First-team All-Big Seven (1953)

}}

Arthur Bunte (born November 16, 1933) is an American retired basketball player, best known for his All-American college career at the University of Utah.

Bunte played high school basketball at South High School in Denver, Colorado, then committed to the University of Colorado. He played two years at Colorado, but elected to transfer after his sophomore season, despite averaging 19.1 points per game and earning first-team All-Big Seven Conference honors in 1953.{{cite web | last = Moss| first = Irv | title = Colorado Classics: Art Bunte made his college basketball reputation at Colorado and Utah | work = Denver Post | date = October 3, 2011 | url = http://www.denverpost.com/2011/10/03/colorado-classics-art-bunte-made-his-college-basketball-reputation-at-colorado-and-utah/ | accessdate = August 17, 2016}} He then landed at Utah to play for new coach Jack Gardner. Bunte proved to be a prolific scorer for the Utes,{{cite news| author =| title = Art Bunte features 'feather touch' shot | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19551215&id=MA9WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5536,3207623&hl=en | newspaper = Eugene Register-Guard | date = December 15, 1955 | access-date = August 17, 2016}}{{cite news|title=Utah's Art Bunte backed for basketball honors|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/28057223/?terms=%22art%2Bbunte%22%2Ball-american |newspaper=Ogden Standard-Examiner |date= January 26, 1955|page=10|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 17, 2016}} {{Open access}} despite being an undersized but solidly-built post player. He used deceptive quickness and a deft shooting touch to score against larger opponents.{{cite magazine |last= Terrell|first= Roy|date= December 12, 1955 |title= Basketball bounces in|url= https://www.si.com/vault/1955/12/12/596446/basketball-bounces-in |magazine= Sports Illustrated |access-date= August 17, 2016 }} Bunte was named an All-American in 1955 after leading the Utes to the Skyline Conference title and a berth in the 1955 NCAA Tournament. He repeated the feat the following season.{{cite news|title=Bunte gains berth as second-stringer|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/15885417/?terms=%22art%2Bbunte%22%2Ball-american |newspaper=Idaho State Journal |date= March 1, 1956|page=8|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 17, 2016}} {{Open access}}

Following the end of his college career, Bunte was drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1956 NBA draft. He played several years in the Amateur Athletic Union for the Denver-Chicago Truckers and the Phillips 66ers. Following his retirement from basketball, Bunte went into the trucking business until his retirement in 2000.