MISSOULA — Micheal Ray Richardson, one of the best players in University of Montana basketball history and a four-time NBA all-star, died Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
He was 70 years old.
Richardson, a Denver native, was Montana's first three-time first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection, earning the honor in the 1975-76, 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons. He led the Grizzlies in scoring each season, averaging 18.2, 19.2 and 24.2 points per game, and was named the team's MVP each year.
His 653 total points during the 1977-78 season are the third-most in a single season in Griz history, and his 1,827 career points are the second-most in program history. Larry Krystkowiak scored 2,017 while playing at UM.
Richardson is also on UM's top-10 list for career assists. He dished out 372 helpers during his career, which ranks seventh all-time in program history.
Richardson was inducted into the Grizzly Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. He was named to the Big Sky's list of "50 Greatest Male Athletes" in 2013, ranking No. 31.
Richardson was selected by the New York Knicks with the fourth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, two spots ahead of legend Larry Bird. In his second season in the NBA, Richardson led the league in both assists (10.1 per game) and steals (3.2 per game).
During his NBA career, which also included stints with the Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets, Richardson was a two-time all-defensive player and led the league in steals three times. He totaled 8,253 career points (14.8 per game), 3,056 rebounds (5.5 per game) and 3,899 assist (7.0 per game).
Richardson was banned from the NBA by then-commissioner David Stern in 1986 for three violations of the league's drug policy. He was reinstated in 1988 but never played in the NBA again. He played in Europe from 1988 to 2002 and coached in various leagues from 2004 to 2014.
