Praise for Michael Ray Richardson and Banned
“Michael Ray Richardson deserves to have his flowers as one of the great guards to ever play in the NBA. That’s what George Gervin says about it.” —
George Gervin, NBA Top 75 player
“Pressure makes pipes explode. But pressure also makes diamonds. And Michael Ray Richardson is a diamond.” —
Nancy Lieberman, Basketball Hall of Famer
“He was like a Magic Johnson but with a better outside shot.” —
Spencer Haywood, Basketball Hall of Famer
“Michael was just a hell of a player, in the NBA and in Italy. He had the best hands, getting all these steals. Defensively, he was just awesome.” —
Bob McAdoo, NBA Top 75 player
“Michael was fearless. He would go into the other team’s locker room before the game. No lie. Whether it was Magic Johnson, whether it was Isiah Thomas, he’d go into the locker room and tell them, ‘I’m going to bust your ass tonight!’” —
Otis Birdsong, four-time NBA All-Star
“Intimidation is part of being a successful basketball player and Sugar was the best.” —
Michael Cooper, Basketball Hall of Famer
“What I remember most about Sugar Ray is that the level of trash-talking between him, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale always elevated the competition.” —
Robert Parish, NBA Top 75 player
“A great player and a good man!” —
Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues, NBA icon
“Michael Ray Richardson captured my imagination as a young person. He was ahead of his time on the court and his story demands to be heard. It’s not a happy story, in the traditional sense, but it contains the joy of someone who found himself when others believed him to be lost.” —
Dave Zirin, sports editor,
The Nation