Having remembered Michael Ray Richardson during his NBA days before he was banned from the league, I was interested in this book to see whatever happened to him when he decided not to return to the NBA when reinstated. It was a great story - all basketball fans should read it. Here is my review of his memoir "Banned."
Title/Author:
“Banned: How I Squandered an All-Star NBA Career Before Finding My Redemption” by Michael Ray Richardson with Jake Uitti
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review:
Michael Ray Richardson was an exciting, excellent NBA guard in the early 1980’s before he succumbed to the world of drugs, most notably cocaine. He was one of the first players to receive a lifetime ban from the NBA for drug use, but eventually got clean and was reinstated to the league in 1987. However, he never returned to the league and instead enjoyed his time playing in Europe and coaching minor league basketball. His journey is told in his memoir written with Jake Uitti.
Drafted in 1978 by the New York Knicks, Richardson realized his dream and goal of playing in the NBA was going to become a reality. His description of his life previous to this draft was enjoyable to read. It didn’t have any really shocking parts – was raised by a single mother (although his father was part of his life), saw blatant racism, vowed to make a better life for himself and his mother through basketball and went to college through the game. The only surprise there might be that instead of a storied basketball school, Richardson became a first-round draft choice after playing at the University of Montana. He does look back fondly at his time at the school and his youth before that in Denver.
It’s refreshing to read about a person who became an addict accepting all responsibility for their actions and not saying that this was because of situations, people or other issues beyond their control. He realized that he was the one who gave in to the temptations and did not protest when he received the ban. In fact, later on, he gives the NBA Commissioner at the time, David Stern, credit for saving his life for taking that action. It is also clear from Richardson’s words that this wasn’t something that he just discovered after his low point – he knew what he was doing was wrong, but just couldn’t stop.
It's also nice to see two other aspects of Richardson’s life – he takes responsibility for the failure of his marriages (not all of them due to drugs) but makes sure that he remains a father figure for his children. It was also great to read about his time playing in Italy as he became a very popular player there where people still would chant his name when he appeared at a function long after his playing days were over. It was clear that he relished his time there and felt it was the right decision for him to remain overseas instead of returning to the NBA.
Throughout the book, Richardson is upbeat and positive, despite the addiction that ended a promising NBA career. His story is certainly one that is inspiring and shows that one doesn’t have to take the same path after recovery to make one’s life productive after a bad event.
I wish to thank Skyhorse Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.
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