Later in his life, he turned a star in Europe, dominating Italian leagues and ushering within the period referred to as “Sugarmania.” However it was in between these instances when issues went south for the stalwart participant. Famously, Richardson turned the primary participant ever banned for all times by the NBA and then-commissioner David Stern. However he’s additionally the primary participant ever to be reinstated after such a punishment. For years, Richardson jeopardized his profession as a consequence of a extreme drug dependancy. And all of that may be learn in his new memoir, BANNED, which is out November 26.
Right here under, try an excerpt from that e-book.
CHAPTER 8: “SUGAR”
Ever since school, folks have known as me Sugar. It began on the College of Montana and the nickname simply caught. After I first obtained to high school, in considered one of our early video games, I performed rather well. And because it was frequent for guys with the center title Ray to be known as “Sugar Ray,” due to boxer Sugar Ray Robinson and later Sugar Ray Leonard, folks began calling me Sugar, too. In Missoula, everyone thought I used to be a particular athlete—candy on and off the court docket —so the nickname turned a part of me. Immediately, pals name me Sugar with out pondering twice. And I’ve lived as much as it, even placing it on automobile license plates and equipment shifts.
In later years, the title caught due to my connection to medication. The moniker was one thing of an ironic one, a commentary on my failures as a lot as my expertise. It’s unusual how the 2 can intertwine on the high. The height is so near the autumn. Folks suppose should you get to the highest, it’s straightforward to remain there. Hell, that’s what I believed! However the onerous half just isn’t a lot getting there as it’s staying. I’d made the league. I used to be an All-Star. So once I began to do medication, I believed I may cease it at any time. If I needed to do one thing, I merely did it. It could be the identical with my leisure behavior, proper? However I’d lastly run up in opposition to one thing that was stronger than even me.
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Human beings devour round 180 million metric tons of sugar a yr. The US is the largest client of sugar on the planet, as we absorb 11 million metric tons per yr. That’s ten instances what we should always. America is a rustic of addicts and folks trying to get excessive. As children, we’re taught sweet is our buddy. As younger adults, we sneak into our mother and father’ liquor cupboards. Caffeine is one other one—the US consumes 146 billion cups of espresso per yr! Later in life, we get excessive on different white powders or devour medication that make us hungry and wish, sure, extra sugar. It’s an epidemic. The stuff is in all places.
Sugar comes from vegetation. Sugar cane wants heat climates to develop. So, a whole lot of it comes from locations in South America. Traditionally, that’s additionally the place a whole lot of the USA’ cocaine comes from, too. Even the world’s hottest soda, Coca-Cola, used to have cocaine in it. Immediately, a mean American consumes round 450 servings of Coca-Cola merchandise per yr.
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All the things dangerous started once I determined to maneuver from New Jersey to the Chelsea neighborhood of New York Metropolis in the course of the center of my third season. After I say issues like, Our tales are already written for us, it’s due to issues like what occurred subsequent. The mover who took my stuff from Jersey into town was cousins with one of many largest dope sellers on the East Coast, a man named Muhammad. And the place precisely did Muhammad dwell? Whereas he got here from the West Indies, he now lived on the fourth ground of the constructing in Chelsea that I used to be about to maneuver into. I’d be a ground under him.
I’d determined to maneuver into Manhattan as a result of I’d gotten sick of the commuting and town visitors. I needed to be nearer to the place I labored, to MSG. Immediately, I shake my head. What the heck did I do this for! Muhammad’s cousin launched us. On the time, I didn’t suppose a lot of it. I met new folks on a regular basis due to my occupation, and Muhammad was a pleasant man, somebody who I believed was a buddy. “Cease by anytime,” he instructed me. Some nights, as soon as I obtained settled in, I’d go up there and play playing cards or dominos and shoot the breeze. Simply passing the time. However the satan had a plan for me.
Then, as an alternative of simply taking part in video games, Muhammad began passing cocaine round. That’s once I sniffed it for the very first time. I’d simply gotten again from a workforce highway journey and determined to provide coke a strive simply to be social with him and his pals. Like I stated, once I first snorted the white powder, it didn’t work on me. I didn’t get excessive. So I attempted it once more, not pondering a lot of it. At Muhammad’s place, he’d produce other folks over, even different NBA gamers typically. Coke was social, like alcohol. Shit, it was like espresso. However once I tried the stuff for a second and third time just a few days later, I obtained hooked. My mind exploded. Then, just a few weeks later, Muhammad introduced out the pipe.
In a matter of a couple of month, I went from sniffing coke to smoking it, which is a lot worse. Once you smoke cocaine, it’s known as freebasing, and it’s stronger. It’s like cocaine on steroids, should you can consider that. However to do it was a course of. You needed to exit and purchase this package with the proper pipe, a lighter, and different accouterments. When he introduced it out, Muhammad stated, “I need you guys to strive one thing.” In Mike Carey‘s e-book “Dangerous Information” about former professional basketball participant Marvin “Dangerous Information” Barnes, there are a whole lot of seedy characters talked about. Effectively, Muhammad was a type of in my life. He beloved to be round NBA gamers, and he obtained us hooked on him.
Muhammad was an enormous Knicks fan, too. So he knew who I used to be, and he favored me hanging round. However in contrast to Dangerous Information, who was a hell of a participant in his years within the ABA, I used to be by no means concerned in any of the prison exercise, aside from sniffing and smoking. I by no means hosted events, offered medication, or drove it wherever. My drawback was simply utilizing it—which is sufficient of an issue to have! Whereas I want Muhammad had by no means handed me the stuff and that his cousin had by no means launched us, and whereas I want I didn’t transfer into that constructing in Chelsea or rent that particular transferring firm, on the finish of the day I take full duty for my all of my actions. They have been mine, and mine alone.
Since these days, I haven’t seen Muhammad. I don’t even know what I’d say to him if I did right now. I’d most likely set free a worn-down sigh—if he’s even nonetheless alive. I nonetheless keep in mind his voice, the look on his face, heat and beneficiant, however flickering. “Simply strive it,” he stated. “It’s not dangerous. Simply strive it.” Me, being curious, I did. I favored it. I needed extra and I used to be naive. However even in these days, in my third yr and into my fourth season, I wasn’t but depending on the stuff. It wasn’t crucial factor in my life… but. It was simply one thing enjoyable to do, dipping and dabbing, first on off-days then at house in Denver. Subsequent factor I knew, although, I used to be in it. Dangerous.
Deep down, I do know that I’ve a great coronary heart. Regardless that I obtained into some tough spots, I’m not a foul man. You get blinders whenever you’re an addict. You’re there, trying via your eyes… however on the identical time, you’re not all there. Due to that, once I would get excessive, I wouldn’t need to exit in public. I didn’t need to be in Studio 54, the Cotton Membership on a hundred and twenty fifth, or wherever within the metropolis once I was utilizing. I already knew I’d be paranoid, so I didn’t must be round folks. On high of that, I didn’t need anybody seeing me all fucked up. Addicts principally need to be alone.
Later in my profession, once I used medication, I’d both go to a resort on my own, with a girlfriend or with possibly another one who was utilizing with me. If it wasn’t a resort, I’d simply do it in my condominium. In New York, I wasn’t but a full-blown drug addict. However quickly, I’d go off a cliff. Once you get like that, you lose all sense of your self. You turn out to be a zombie. Your solely ideas are whenever you’ll be getting excessive subsequent and for the way lengthy. It’s a parasite and also you don’t care about something however pacifying it. That’s what occurs when the satan has you.
