Michael Ray Richardson, who starred for the Knicks and Nets during eight NBA seasons, has died at age 70, the teams announced Tuesday.
Richardson was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, his attorney told ESPN’s Andscape.
“One of the fiercest defensive players of his era, the four-time NBA All-Star made an incredible impact on the Knicks,” the Knicks said in a statement.
“Our deepest condolences go to his family, friends and teammates.”
Manual grad, former NBA all-star Micheal Ray Richardson remains “Sugar” — just in a different way
Nicknamed “Sugar,” Richardson averaged 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.6 steals per game in his career with the Knicks, Golden State Warriors and Nets from 1978-86 before he was banned from the league due to substance abuse.
The Knicks drafted Richardson out of Montana with the No. 4 overall pick in 1978, and he spent his first four seasons with the franchise, earning three All-Star selections and a pair of first-team All-Defensive nods.
Richardson led the NBA with 10.1 assists per game in 1979-80, and he led the league in steals per game three times.
The Knicks traded Richardson to the Warriors before the 1982-83 season to acquire star forward Bernard King.
The Warriors then sent Richardson to the Nets later that season. A little over a year later, Richardson helped the Nets pull off a first-round upset over the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in the 1984 playoffs.
“We’re saddened to hear of the passing of former Nets All-Star, Michael Ray Richardson,” the Nets said in a statement. “The Nets family sends their deepest condolences to the Richardson family.”
With the Nets, Richardson was the NBA’s Comeback Player of the Year in 1985, the same year he received his final All-Star selection.
Richardson was banned from the NBA in 1986 after violating the league’s drug policy for a third time, and he declined to return once he was deemed eligible in 1988.
“I never was a drinker when I was in college. Never was a weed smoker. And to this day, I couldn’t put my finger on how I got involved,” Richardson told Andscape in a June feature story.
“It just came up on me. I can’t figure it out. But it’s something that the good Lord made me go through.”
Richardson played in Europe and coached in Canada after his NBA career.
He had “no weaknesses in his game,” Detroit Pistons great and former Knicks president/coach Isiah Thomas told Andscape in June.
“He is the player who gave me the most problems playing against him,” Thomas said. “He was taller, just as fast and could shoot from 3 and midrange. His post-up game was elite. Offensively, he had it all.”
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