Michael Ray Richardson obit

Former NBA star Michael Ray Richardson dies at age 70

 He was not on the list.

Four-time NBA All-Star Michael Ray Richardson, who was banned from the league for drug use, died Tuesday in Lawton, Oklahoma, at the age of 70 shortly after getting diagnosed with prostate cancer, his attorney and friend John Zelbst told Andscape.

"The basketball world and anyone Michael came in contact with lost a great sportsman," Zelbst said. "He lived life to the fullest. He overcame the most incredible odds to accomplish what he did in life. He serves as an example on how to redeem yourself and make something of yourself. I think he is the greatest NBA player that has never been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Incredible player -- player, person and family man."

The Denver native starred at the University of Montana before being selected by the New York Knicks with the fourth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. "Sugar," as he was nicknamed, had an eight-year NBA career with the Knicks, Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets, earning four All-Star selections while leading the NBA in steals three times. The 1985 NBA Comeback Player of the Year also averaged a career-high 20.1 points, 8.2 assists, 5.6 rebounds and a league-best 3.0 steals per game for the Nets during the 1984-85 season.

"He had it all as a player, with no weaknesses in his game," former Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, told Andscape in June. "He is the player who gave me the most problems playing against him. He was taller, just as fast and could shoot from 3 and midrange. His post-up game was elite. Offensively, he had it all."

"Back when he played in the NBA, the best guards were Magic [Johnson] and then Sugar," former NBA guard Quinn Buckner said.

Richardson, however, was banned from the NBA in 1986 for violating the league's drug policy for a third time. The two-time NBA all-defensive first-team selection had substance abuse problems stemming from cocaine use. After being banned from the NBA, he had a short stint in the Continental Basketball Association before starring professionally primarily in Italy and France. Richardson retired from professional basketball in 2002 after playing for AC Golfe-Juan-Vallauris in France.

"My darkest day was when the guy [from the NBA] met me at the airport and told me I was banned from the NBA," Richardson told Andscape in May. "I will never forget that day. They waited for me in Newark. As soon as I got off the plane, I knew what was going on. After that, I went home and went on a few days binge. And then after that, I came to. I got myself into it. I have to get myself out."

Richardson also coached in the Continental Basketball Association for the Albany Patroons and the Oklahoma/Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. Richardson led the Cavalry to three consecutive titles -- with the CBA in 2008 and 2009 and the Premier Basketball League in 2010. He coached the London Lightning of NBL Canada from 2011 to 2014 and has coached basketball camps for underserved communities each summer since 2014 with former Nets teammate Otis Birdsong in Florida, New Jersey and California. Richardson also previously served as an ambassador for the Denver Nuggets in the early 2000s.

Richardson retired to Oklahoma with his wife, Kimberly, and was a regular at Oklahoma City Thunder games in recent years. In 2024, Richardson co-authored a book about his life called, "Banned: How I Squandered an All-Star NBA Career Before Finding My Redemption." His son, Michael Amir Junior Richardson, plays professional soccer in Italy for Fiorentina and nationally for Morocco.

Michael Ray Richardson described it as a "blessing" to turn 70 years old, which was celebrated by family members during a surprise birthday party in Phoenix in April.

"I'm still here after all the s--- I've gone through," Richardson told Andscape in May. "I was thanking everyone for coming. It was a surprise. All of my friends were happy to see me because I haven't seen all of my friends in 10 years. It's really good to see your friends because every year you lose somebody."

The New York Knicks drafted Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, and he was billed as "the next Walt Frazier." Two picks later, the Boston Celtics drafted future Hall of Famer Larry Bird. In his second year, Richardson became the third player in NBA history (Slick Watts – 1976, Don Buse – 1977) to lead the league in both assists (10.1) and steals (3.2), setting the Knicks' franchise records in both categories. He also recorded 18 triple-doubles, the second-most in franchise history. During the 1980-81 NBA season, Richardson made his second All-Star game, scoring 11 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and recording 4 steals in a 123-120 Eastern Conference victory. The Knicks eventually finished 50-32 and Richardson made the playoffs for the first time in his career. However, in the first round, Richardson, who averaged 11.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 3.5 steals per game in the series, and the Knicks lost in an upset to the Reggie Theus-led Chicago Bulls. The following season, on November 27, 1981, Richardson scored his highest single game total as a Knick, with 33 points in a 116–95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

At the beginning of the 1982–83 season, on October 22, 1982, Richardson was traded to the Golden State Warriors (along with a fifth-round draft choice) in exchange for Bernard King. On February 5, 1983, Richardson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists, while adding 9 steals, in a 106–102 win over the San Antonio Spurs. After playing only 33 games for the Warriors, Richardson was traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Sleepy Floyd and Mickey Johnson on February 6, 1983.

On December 14, 2004, he was named head coach of the Albany Patroons in the CBA. Richardson had previously played with Albany in 1987–1988, when it won its second CBA championship under coach Bill Musselman.

 

Career history

Playing

1978–1982      New York Knicks

1982–1983      Golden State Warriors

1983–1986      New Jersey Nets

1986–1987      Long Island Knights

1987–1988      Albany Patroons

1988–1991      Virtus Bologna

1991–1992      Split

1992–1994      Livorno

1994–1997      Olympique Antibes

1997–1998      Cholet Basket

1998–1999      Montana Forlì

1999–2000      Livorno

2001    Olympique Antibes

2002    AC Golfe-Juan-Vallauris

Coaching

2004–2007      Albany Patroons

2007–2011      Oklahoma / Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry

2011–2014      London Lightning

Career highlights

As player:

4× NBA All-Star (1980–1982, 1985)

2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1980, 1981)

NBA Comeback Player of the Year (1985)

3× NBA steals leader (1980, 1983, 1985)

NBA assists leader (1980)

French Federation Cup winner (1998)

FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup champion (1990)

FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Finals top scorer (1990)

LNB Pro A champion (1995)

2× Italian Cup winner (1989, 1990)

LBA steals leader (1989)

3× LBA All-Star Game (1988–1990)

2× LBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1993)

2× ULEB All-Star Game (1993, 1994)

Croatian Cup winner (1992)

CBA champion (1988)

3× First-team All-Big Sky (1976–1978)

As coach:

 

2× CBA champion (2008, 2009)

2× NBL Canada champion (2012, 2013)

2× NBL Canada Coach of the Year (2012, 2013)

PBL Coach of the Year (2010)