Former NBA guard Micheal Ray Richardson, one of the league's most dynamic and complex figures of the late 1970s and early '80s, has passed away at 70 after a battle with prostate cancer, according to ESPN's Marc J. Spears.
Videos by FanBuzz
File photo/NBAE via Getty
Nicknamed "Sugar" for his smooth game and flair on the court, Richardson was selected fourth overall by the Knicks in the 1978 NBA Draft out of Montana. He became an instant sensation in New York, earning three All-Star nods and two All-Defensive First Team honors in his first four seasons.
Richardson later played for the Warriors and Nets, making a fourth All-Star appearance with New Jersey in 1985. But his NBA career ended the following year when he was permanently banned after multiple violations of the league's drug policy.
Even so, Richardson's basketball journey continued for another decade and a half overseas and in smaller U.S. leagues, where he became known as a mentor and crowd favorite. He went on to coach several professional teams in the United States and Canada.
In 556 career NBA games, Richardson averaged 14.8 points, 7.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals, leading the league in steals three times and in assists once.
"The basketball world and anyone Micheal came in contact with lost a great sportsman," his attorney and close friend John Zelbst told ESPN. "He overcame incredible odds. I think he's the greatest NBA player never inducted into the Hall of Fame. Incredible player, person and family man."
