It has been a long time since Jason Richardson last played in an NBA game, but the day finally came on Friday night when he was inserted into the starting lineup against the Indiana Pacers.
Richardson last played on Jan. 18, 2013 with the Philadelphia 76ers, so his return to the league appeared to be very much in question. The former two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion, however, has worked tirelessly to get himself back into playing shape and filled the stat sheet in his first game of the season with seven points, seven rebounds two assists, two steals and one block.
That’s about as well as he could have played, given the circumstances. He also threw this up, but again, he hasn’t played basketball in over two years.
After the game, Richardson shared some meaningful words about his return to action on twitter:
I like to thank everyone for the support! I work my butt off to continue to play the game I love and respect. It’s been 2 years since I last
— Jason Richardson (@jrich23) February 21, 2015
Played a NBA game! I respect and appreciate all the encouraging words! To all the haters and critics, Im still here!
— Jason Richardson (@jrich23) February 21, 2015
He also saw some negative comments and decided to dish back against one particular fan:
@MarkGiacchi what have u done in ur life that is so amazing? Get back at me, I will be waiting….. and waiting….. and waiting some more! — Jason Richardson (@jrich23) February 21, 2015
Well played, Jason. Well played.
Jim Park is a blogger and editor of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.
J Rich, I hope you light it up. Show these young punks it’s about preparation. Hoping you average 15 pts. Praying for the best for you.