Rewind Interview: Sugar’s Career in His Words
- Jake C
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
Note: This assignment is from the fall of 2016. Michael lent me an hour of his time to do this. He passed away on Nov. 11, 2025. Rest In Peace, Michael Ray. I am forever grateful for you.
Cover photo: Michael Ray Richardson holding up the NBL Canada championship trophy on March 25, 2012. Richardson coached the London Lightning for three seasons, leading the team to two championships. Photo credit: Derek Ruttan, London Free Press.
By: Jake Carapella
The story of Michael Ray Richardson has been told seemingly 1,000 times.
The NBA star destined for the Hall of Fame who couldn’t curb a habit in time to save his NBA career. He lit up the league as a young super talent with the New York Knicks (he was drafted 4th overall in 1978), becoming just the third player to lead the NBA in assists and steals (10.1 assists, 3.2 steals in 1979-80) in the same season. In 1975-76, Slick Watts of the Seattle SuperSonics was the first player to do so. The Indiana Pacers’ Don Buse accomplished the feat in the 1976-77 season, and also did it in the ABA in 1975-76.
Richardson made three straight all-star games, from 1980-1982. He and Hubie Brown, who became the Knicks’ head coach in 1982, did not see eye to eye, and Brown shipped Richardson to Golden State. Richardson played just 33 games with the Warriors, before he was traded to New Jersey. As a Net, his career rebounded. He led the Nets in 1984 to a first-round upset of the defending NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers. The next year, he had his best pro season, averaging 20.1 points, 8.2 assists, 5.6 rebounds and once again leading the NBA in steals at 3.0 per game. He was an All-Star for the fourth time that year. Then in 1986, his NBA career would end, banned permanently from the league because of repeated drug violations.
You’ve heard that story. But you haven’t heard him in his own words, how the love for the game that originated as a youth turned into him still giving youngsters the business in Europe at age 46. I’m giving you a different Michael Ray now. This is Richardson, in his own words. The 61-year-old Richardson who looks back fondly on his playing days. The Richardson who speaks multiple languages. The Richardson who substitute teaches in Lawton, Okla., the city where he now makes his home. This is the man they called Sugar, in his own words.
On when he fell in love with the game:
“I first fell in love with basketball when I was about 8 years old, living in Denver, Colorado going to Mitchell Elementary School. I was born in Lubbock but moved to Colorado when I was five. There was a friend of mine who was the principal at Mitchell Elementary, his name was Donald Wilson. He got me involved in basketball.”
On the moment he knew he could make it:
“The moment came for me in Junior High (when I thought I could make the NBA). In Colorado, we didn’t have an NBA team. We had an ABA team (the Denver Rockets/Nuggets played in the ABA from 1967-1976). I was in love with Julius Erving and George Gervin. I always wanted to be like one of them.”
On his college years after graduating from Manual High School in Denver:
“I had a few offers, from the University of Colorado, Colorado State, University of Iowa, a couple of small junior colleges, and then I had the University of Montana. I chose the University of Montana because I was able to go in and play right away. My whole thing was I didn’t want to get to a situation where I would have to sit on the bench for two or three years before I started to play. I went there and started my freshman year and all four years. I played for Jud Heathcote (who left for Michigan State in Richardson’s junior year; Heathcote coached Magic Johnson to the 1979 National Championship). It all paid off. We had lost to UCLA in the Western Regionals (in the 1975 NCAA Tournament) by three points (67-64) in my freshman year. They had a guy by the name of Richard Washington, they had Dave Myers, Andre McCarter.”
Note: Washington played in the NBA from 1976-1982, Myers played in the NBA from 1975-1980, and McCarter played three seasons in the NBA, 1976-77, 1977-78, and 1980-81.
Marques Johnson, future 5-time NBA All-Star, was a sophomore on the 74-75 Bruins.
On the 1978 NBA Draft:
“I came out my senior year. I had had a great year and the rumor was I was going to go high in the second round. I went to Hawaii and played in an All-Star Game and I played so well against the top prospects that I went from the second round to the first round.”
On playing in New York City:
“I mean it was an unbelievable feeling, kind of a shock. I was like a kid in a candy store. I had the chance to play in Madison Square Garden. It was a dream come true. I went from the smallest place in the United States to the biggest.
On his confidence and early Knick years:
“I always knew I could play. The difference in playing at a high level is confidence. If you have confidence you can play in any league, anywhere. I had no fears. I always wanted to play against the best competition. My first year in the NBA I didn’t get a lot of minutes. The guy who drafted me was Willis Reed. After 16 games he got fired, and they brought back Red Holtzman (Knicks coach of the franchises' 1970 and 1973 championship teams) who really didn’t believe in playing rookies. I really didn’t get a lot of playing time that year, so I came home that summer and played every day, I didn’t take a day off. I got back into training camp my second year and on my first day, Red saw how good of shape I was in and put the ball in my hands and said I was going to be the starting point guard. After that, I led the league in assists and steals and made the All-Star team. I was on my way then.”
On moment when he knew he made it:
“I remember my first picture (at the 1980 All-Star Game). In Landover, Maryland, with Julius Erving, Moses Malone. Guys who I grew up watching. I was now playing with or against them. It was unbelievable.”
On the opponent he loved playing against:
“It was a thrill just to play against George Gervin. I watched him in the ABA, and he was an unbelievable scorer. In my eyes, he’s the best scorer I have ever seen. (People can) speak about these guys today, (Kevin) Durant, (Steph) Curry, all these guys. But nobody could score like George Gervin. Nobody”.
On the toughest people to guard:
“There wasn’t really one single guy. I always guarded the best guard because I was a great defender. I was 1st team All-Defense (twice, 1980 and 1981). I really didn’t fear anyone, but accepted the challenge. I wanted to guard anybody. It didn’t make a difference.”
On the backcourt of him and Ray Williams and the best player he ever played with:
“Me and Ray Williams were the best backcourt in the league. I mean, there was nobody as good as we were. Bob McAdoo was the best player I played with. He was the best. There was nobody at 6’11 that could score like Bob McAdoo. Not even today.”
Note: McAdoo and Richardson played 40 games together during the 1978-79 season. McAdoo averaged 26.9 points and 9.5 rebounds in those games. He is a Hall of Famer who was five times an all-star, three times a scoring champion and one time an MVP.
On his trade to Golden State in 1982 and a new beginning in New Jersey in 1983:
“I didn’t have a choice going to Golden State. It was awful. The worst time of my life. Going to New Jersey was a new beginning. Plus, I had really adored Larry Brown (Brown was the Nets’ head coach from 1981-83). I had watched him in high school when he was coaching the ABA team in Denver (from 1974-78, Brown was the head coach of the Rockets/Nuggets). I always respected his basketball knowledge. Out of all the coaches I played for, there was nobody like Larry. He’s one of the all-time greats. He’s the only coach that has won at every level and league. ABA, NBA and NCAA.”
On the best teammate he’s ever had:
“The best teammate I ever had was Otis Birdsong. Otis and I are the best of friends. We still talk two or three times a day. We’re like brothers. We run our own basketball camp for underserved kids. In Florida, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Texas, California. And we did a year in London (Ontario, Canada, where he used to coach the National Basketball League of Canada's Lightning). I’m pretty close with all of my teammates though and didn’t have problems with anybody.”
On his time coaching in the minor leagues (2004-2014 in Albany, N.Y., Lawton, Okla., and London, Ontario, Canada):
“It’s a lot of work but it was great coaching in the minor leagues, great experience. I coached in three different leagues and won.”
On playing in the CBA and Europe (1987-2002):
“Basketball gives you opportunities that you wouldn’t have if you never played. In the CBA (for the Albany Patroons), we had the best record ever, 60-10, under Bill Musselman. We had Sidney Lowe (future NBA head coach, Scott Brooks (future NBA head coach), Tony Campbell (who played for the Los Angeles Lakers), a hell of a team. Europe was great, unbelievable. It’s a night and day difference between European fans and the NBA. They’re fanatics. They love their teams. They are really knowledgeable. They understand the game real well. They’ve had great players over there. Michael Cooper was over there. Darryl Dawkins, Bob McAdoo, Brian Shaw. The best atmosphere I played in in Europe was Italy. Greece was good, too.”
On his best NBA memory and upsetting the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 1984 playoffs:
“My best memory is making the All-Star team. Upsetting the Sixers was huge. We won the first two games there. We lost the next two on our floor. And Game 5, we won on their floor. It was unbelievable.”
On defending Michael Jordan and Pete Maravich being underrated:
“He (Jordan) was a great player. I guarded him for his first two years, and you could see the potential. Pistol Pete, people don’t ever speak about him but he was one of the best of all-time. He averaged 40 in college and there wasn’t a three-point line. What does that tell you, you know what I mean? It speaks for itself.”
On being able to play until age 46:
“It was great. Basketball is all about the basics. If you have the basics, guys have to respect that. At the age of 46, I was averaging 15 (points) and 8 (assists). I played against Tony Parker and (Manu) Ginobili. I was blessed because I didn’t have any injuries. That was the key. I could still shoot the ball and I could move. You never lose the shot. You lose the quickness and jumping ability but everything else stays.”
On how he feels now, at age 61 and what he’s doing with his life:
“I don’t have anything other than aches and pains. I’m 61 and you’re going to have those, but nothing major. I’m teaching off and on now, substituting in Oklahoma. All ages.”
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