Micheal "Sugar" Ray Richardson (born April 11, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. He played college basketball for the Montana Grizzlies. The No. 4 overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, Richardson played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for eight years with the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets. He was a four-time NBA All-Star, and led the league in steals in three seasons. He later became a head coach in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada). Early life Richardson was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son of Billy Jack Richardson and Luddie Hicks. Richardson was a 1974 graduate of Manual High School in Denver, Colorado. He averaged 10 points on a talented team and did not start for the varsity until he was a senior. Richardson played on the 1972 state championship team. College career Richardson played collegiately at the University of Montana. He was recruited to the Big Sky Conference school by Hall of Fame Coach Jud Heathcote after Richardson's Denver basketball friend David Berry had visited the school. As a freshman in 1974-1975 Montana went 21-8 and qualified for the 1975 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, as Richardson averaged 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds. The Grizzlies defeated Utah State 79-63, before losing to the eventual National Champion UCLA Bruins 67-64. Montana then lost to UNLV in the regional 3rd place game. Richardson averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a sophomore in 1975-1976, as Montana finished 13-12. After the season, Coach Heathcote left for Michigan State University, where he would win the 1979 NCAA title. Under Coach Jim Brandenburg, who had been an assistant under Heathcote, Richardson averaged 19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists as Montana finished 18-8 in 1976-1977. As a senior, Richardson averaged 24.2 points and 6.9 rebounds in 1977-1978, and Montana finished 20-8, capturing the Big Sky regular-season title. In his Montana career, Richardson averaged 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 49% shooting in 107 career games. Richardson was First team All-Big Sky Conference as a sophomore, junior and senior. Today, Richardson still shares the Montana single-game scoring record of 40 points, and holds the single-game record for field goals of 18 and the single-season scoring average record of 24.2. Richardson is third on the Montana career assists list (372), second in