Kings.com remembers one of Sacramento's greatest players.
Thanks Mitch!
by Chris Clark
The premise of the 2003 instantly classic film Old School is simple: A
group of cronies attempt to recreate the hilarity of their youth through
an ample supply of good-natured tomfoolery. While marketed mostly for
adrenaline fueled collegians, the idea has an innate timelessness that
appeals to us all, which is, everyone loves a bit of reminiscing.
This Friday, the Kings welcome Mitch Richmond back to ARCO Arena for the
formal retirement of his No. 2 jersey.
Nicknamed “ The Rock ” after his solid defense and unwavering
professionalism, Richmond captained the Kings through a decade a stormy
transactions akin with the growth, sale, and improvement of a pro sports
franchise. Not always the most out-spoken Sacramentan, Richmond led with
game his game rather than his mouth. Surrounded predominantly by semi-
stars and journeyman players, he spent evenings fighting through tangled
messes of defensive double teams and endless screens.
As luck would have it, Richmond became a King in 1991 only because somebody
else didn’t want to. Billy Owens, drafted by Sacramento out of Syracuse
University that season, balked during contract negotiations and ultimately
opted not to sign with the Kings. A trade with Golden State sent Owens to
Oakland for Richmond, Les Jespen, and a future second-round pick. In return
for swallowing the bitter pill of rejection, Kings fans were rewarded with
one of the game’s most steadfast competitors.
From day one, Richmond’s playing resume described a consistency few NBA
players have attained. After leading the Kings in scoring for the seventh
consecutive campaign in 1997-98, he joined Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Oscar
Robertson, and Michael Jordan as the only players in league history to
average better then 21.0 ppg in each of their first 10 seasons.
The anonymity of playing in a small market town combined with the struggles
of a club not yet a decade removed from relocation from Kansas City made
Richmond one the NBA’s lesser-known talents. Only those closely associated
with basketb all or the collection of the stats therein noticed that by the
mid-90s, Richmond was compiling hall-of-fame caliber numbers.
Undersized by today’s standards, his success was predicated more on hard
work and tenacity than God-gifted physicality. Not to be confused with the
shredded physiques of other off guards of the era, Richmond’s ability to
slip through defenses with deceiving speed and burn the opposition with
deadly accurate long bombs mirrored the effectiveness of a stealth fighter
plane.
The opponents knew of the weapon, but were helpless against its power.
As deadly as he was with the ball, it was Richmond’s prowess without it
that gave him respect among his NBA peers. The Association’s top scorers
would often leave ARCO feeling ill, the symptoms of a poor shooting night.
Friday night is time to remember Mitch’s place in the history of
Sacramento Kings basketball.
Maybe you remember his role in the 1996 playoff run against Seattle. Or
perhaps it was the proud moment he hoisted the 1995 All-Star Game MVP
trophy, earning the city of Sacramento a rare utterance on national
television.
If nothing else, an evening of history honoring a former star is a
positive reminder of the past, when the only superstars that came through
Northern California were opposing ones.
http://www.nba.com/kings/news/Thanks_Mitch-92054-58.html
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