Last Updated on April 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here’s the detailed profile of Micheal Ray Richardson:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Micheal Ray Richardson
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born April 11, 1955
  • Hometown: Lubbock, Texas, USA
  • Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
  • Weight: 189 lbs (86 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 ft 6 in
  • Shoe Size: Size 14 (US)
  • Number: #20, #15
  • Position: Point Guard / Shooting Guard
  • High School: Manual High School, Denver, Colorado
  • College: University of Montana (1974–1978)
  • NBA Draft: Selected 4th overall in the 1978 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks
  • Teams Played For:
    • New York Knicks (1978–1982)
    • Golden State Warriors (1982–1983)
    • New Jersey Nets (1983–1986)
    • Later played in Europe after being banned from the NBA due to drug use (ban lifted in 1988)
  • Championship Rings: No NBA Championships
  • Kids: Richardson has children, including a son, Brandon Richardson, who pursued basketball, but there is limited publicly available information on all his kids.
  • Siblings: Not much publicly available information on siblings

Player Archetype / Play Style

Micheal Ray Richardson’s player archetype was that of a big, playmaking two-way point guard, the kind of lead ball-handler who could run an offense, rebound unusually well for his position, and wreck possessions defensively with length and anticipation. At 6-foot-5 and 189 pounds, he had rare size for a guard, and defensively he functioned as a disruptive perimeter stopper who pressured passing lanes, generated steals at an elite rate, and used his reach to bother smaller guards and wings alike. Offensively, Richardson operated as a pass-first creator with real downhill ability, capable of pushing tempo, setting up teammates, and scoring enough to keep defenses honest without needing to be a pure volume shooter. His overall play style was flashy, forceful, and all-around impactful, which is why he led the NBA in assists in 1979-80 and built his reputation as one of the most dynamic defensive playmakers of his era. (NBA)

Sources:

NBA.com — Micheal Ray Richardson | Guard | New York Knicks
Basketball-Reference — Michael Ray Richardson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
NBA.com — Nets All-Time Top 25: No. 21 Micheal Ray Richardson
NBA.com — All-time All-NBA Defensive First Team: New York Knicks