Jason Richardson suffered stress fracture in foot, could be done with NBA career
The NBA world was struck last week by the news that Los Angeles Lakers point guard and future Hall of Famer Steve Nash will miss the entire 2014-15 season with nerve damage in his back, an injury that figures to end his career. It now looks like another respected veteran could be forced into retirement before he’s ready to hang up his sneakers.
Fourteen-year veteran shooting guard Jason Richardson has not played a game for the Philadelphia 76ers since undergoing surgery on his left knee in January 2013. Richardson had hoped to suit up for the Sixers this season — the final year of his contract — but it now looks like his season is at risk due to another injury suffered during his knee rehab process. Dei Lynam of CSNPhiladelphia.com has more details (via PBT):
The injury news regarding Jason Richardson is not as optimistic as that of Grant. Richardson is working his way back from a left knee injury. He underwent surgery in February of 2013.
Somehow in the process, Richardson suffered a stress fracture in his right foot.
“He is busting his tail to get back in shape and play again,” Brown said. “He is not going down easy. He is not going to retire easily. He continues to work, to try and get ready. It is a setback.”
It is not a sure thing that Richardson will miss the entire season. Brown has some hope that his team’s lone player over the age of 30 can return at some point in 2014-15, and that optimism alone could earn Richardson a short stint in the lineup should he work his way back into playing form. At the same time, Brown was quoted elsewhere as saying it will be a challenge for Philly’s veteran leader to return.
If Richardson never sees an NBA court again, then he will leave the league with an impressive career. The Golden State Warriors selected J-Rich with the fifth-overall pick in the 2001 draft at a point when the Michigan State sophomore was known primarily as an ungodly leaper and athletic marvel. Richardson won the dunk contest in 2002 and 2003 and was arguably more impressive in another, but his career was defined by his ability to build scoring skills over the years. He was never particularly good at creating his own shot, but Richardson became a first option and fan favorite for some bad Warriors teams by working his tail off and generally carrying himself as if he wasn’t terribly ashamed to play for a perennially embarrassing franchise. It was supremely fitting that he ended up with the most purely cathartic moment of the shocking “We Believe” victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 postseason. That proved to be one of Richardson’s last highlights with the team that drafted him, but he went on to contribute to playoff teams in Charlotte, Phoenix, and Orlando as a starter.
Richardson will not go down in history like Nash, his former teammate with the Suns, and there’s no real argument to be made that he should. Nevertheless, he equally deserves to go out on his own terms. This season was never going to be especially celebratory one for Richardson — the Sixers front office likely sees him as an expiring contract and little else — but he still could have put forth a few performances worthy of his career to date. Here’s hoping he can make it back.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
