Micheal Ray Richardson was a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA first-team selection who led the league in steals three times and assists once, all in eight seasons. Even Thunder guard and 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t reached those accolades. What is much bigger than basketball, however, is Richardson’s cautionary tale, as drug use cost the Lawton, Oklahoma, resident his place in the NBA. “There are a lot of times where I try to put my finger on it like, ‘How did I ever get into it?,’ ” Richardson, 70, told Andscape. “I never was a drinker when I was in college. Never was a weed smoker. And to this day, I couldn’t put my finger on how I got involved. I just don’t know. “It just came up on me. I can’t figure it out. But it’s something that the good Lord made me go through.” -via Andscape / June 17, 2025