Michael ‘Sugar’ Ray Richardson was the Magic before Earvin Johnson – the legend who never became one because of drug ban

Before Magic Johnson, the league had a tall do-it-all point guard who had a short but great NBA career. 

It’s unfair to compare anybody with the Lakers legend and how he dominated the NBA for 13 years with a smile, so, let’s keep him aside when we are talking about a could-be all-time great that most of us have never even heard of.

There was already a tall, solid, do-it-all point guard in the league before Magic Johnson made his way to the NBA in 1979. And it wasn’t either long before that.

In fact, we are talking about the 4th pick of the 1978 Draft, Michael ‘Sugar’ Ray Richardson. Much like his name suggests, the New York Knicks 6’5 guard, like the legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, was as solid a player with a massive arsenal of skills.

Also read: “You might write your name and whisper, “Call me,” or “See you in an hour”: Magic Johnson revealed his prolific s*x life leading up to HIV diagnosis

Those skills could have propelled him to be one of the greatest players of all time, but he did something illegal, which ended his NBA career much earlier than it should have.

Not like Magic Johnson, but Michael Ray Richardson had a decent impact on the NBA and then around the globe

Richardson in his sophomore year, which was Magic’s first year, led the league in assists (10.1) and steals (3.2) while also averaging over 15.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Thanks to a Redditor, we came across the short and tragic career of the Knicks guard.

In just his 8-year short NBA career, he made it 4x All-Star teams, 2x All-Defensive First Team won, and was a 3-time steals leader and one-time assists leader.

His career NBA career was cut short in 1986 when he was playing for the New York Nets and had been averaging 20p/5.5r/8a/3s and 16/5.5/7.2/2.7 in his last two seasons because of a violation of the league’s drug policies.

David Stern banned Richardson from the NBA for life and ended a guaranteed Hall of Fame career in 1986. It didn’t stop him from becoming a legend, though.

Also read: Magic Johnson ended 80s biggest rivalry by donning Celtics green to Larry Bird’s jersey retirement

Over the years, he took his talents to Europe and Canada and achieved numerous rewards including Tier-I titles in Italy, Croatia, and Canada along with some more individual accolades.

He even became a head coach in CBA as well as NBL and led his team to 4 championships. So, the legendary career, cut short in the States, did gradually attain that status while travelling around the world.

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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