I want to correct some misinformation that I posted earlier.
I had remembered that Richardson's career ended with the Warriors, and that his drug problems began in Oakland. Not so. He was traded back to the New Jersey Nets in 1983 and proceeded to have his most productive years in the NBA, playing there until February of 1986 when he was suspended by David Stern after his third violation for drug use. Nor was it a lifetime ban. He was eligible for re-instatement in 1988 but decided instead to stay in Europe.
Another note. Chris Mullins, then a big star for the Warriors--and one of their color commentators on TV to this day--was a notorious alcoholic. Richardson complained bitterly that his drug suspension was racially motivated, that Chis Mullins avoided suspension not only because he was white but because he was just using a different drug. The white man's drug. Some justification for this point of view. In 1986, there were 24,000 traffic deaths due to drunk driving. Unless somebody was in his way on one of his legendary swoops to the basket, Richardson wasn't a threat to kill anybody.
One final note. It's testimony to Richard's legendary status that forty seven years after playing here, this thread still resonates with the individual memories of his feats for so many Griz fans.
