Overview
- His attorney and friend John Zelbst confirmed the death to Andscape and ESPN.
- The Knicks and the Nets issued tributes, lauding Richardson’s impact and defensive tenacity.
- Richardson led the NBA in steals three times, earned two All-Defensive First Team honors, and won 1985 Comeback Player of the Year after a standout season with the Nets.
- He received a lifetime NBA ban in 1986 after a third drug-policy violation, then extended his playing career in the CBA and in Italy and France before moving into coaching.
- He later won multiple minor-league coaching titles with the Albany Patroons and Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry, co-authored a 2024 memoir on his redemption, and is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and children, including professional footballer Michael Amir Jr.