Banned: How I squandered an All-Star NBA profession earlier than discovering my Redemption

Later in his life, he turned a star in Europe, dominating Italian leagues and ushering within the period often called “Sugarmania.” But it surely 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 attributable to a extreme drug dependancy. And all of that may be learn in his new memoir, BANNED, which is out November 26.

Right here beneath, try an excerpt from that e book.

CHAPTER 8: “SUGAR”

Ever since school, individuals have known as me Sugar. It began on the College of Montana and the nickname simply caught. After I first received to highschool, in one in every of our early video games, I performed very well. And because it was widespread for guys with the center identify Ray to be known as “Sugar Ray,” because of boxer Sugar Ray Robinson and later Sugar Ray Leonard, individuals began calling me Sugar, too. In Missoula, everyone thought I used to be a particular athlete—candy on and off the courtroom —so the nickname turned a part of me. As we speak, mates name me Sugar with out considering twice. And I’ve lived as much as it, even placing it on automotive license plates and equipment shifts.

In later years, the identify caught due to my connection to medicine. 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 prime. The height is so near the autumn. Individuals suppose in the event you get to the highest, it’s simple to remain there. Hell, that’s what I believed! However the exhausting 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 medicine, I believed I might 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 eat round 180 million metric tons of sugar a 12 months. The US is the most important client of sugar on the planet, as we soak up 11 million metric tons per 12 months. That’s ten instances what we should always. America is a rustic of addicts and other people seeking to get excessive. As youngsters, we’re taught sweet is our good friend. 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 12 months! Later in life, we get excessive on different white powders or eat medicine that make us hungry and wish, sure, extra sugar. It’s an epidemic. The stuff is all over the place.
Sugar comes from crops. Sugar cane wants heat climates to develop. So, plenty of it comes from locations in South America. Traditionally, that’s additionally the place plenty of the USA’ cocaine comes from, too. Even the world’s hottest soda, Coca-Cola, used to have cocaine in it. As we speak, a median American consumes round 450 servings of Coca-Cola merchandise per 12 months.

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All the things unhealthy started once I determined to maneuver from New Jersey to the Chelsea neighborhood of New York Metropolis through 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 greatest 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 might be a ground beneath 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. As we speak, I shake my head. What the heck did I try this for! Muhammad’s cousin launched us. On the time, I didn’t suppose a lot of it. I met new individuals on a regular basis because of my career, and Muhammad was a pleasant man, somebody who I believed was a good friend. “Cease by anytime,” he instructed me. Some nights, as soon as I received 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 offer coke a strive simply to be social with him and his mates. 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 considering a lot of it. At Muhammad’s place, he’d produce other individuals over, even different NBA gamers generally. Coke was social, like alcohol. Shit, it was like espresso. However once I tried the stuff for a second and third time a number of days later, I received hooked. My mind exploded. Then, a number of weeks later, Muhammad introduced out the pipe.

In a matter of a few month, I went from sniffing coke to smoking it, which is a lot worse. If you smoke cocaine, it’s known as freebasing, and it’s stronger. It’s like cocaine on steroids, in the event you can imagine that. However to do it was a course of. You needed to exit and purchase this equipment with the appropriate pipe, a lighter, and different accouterments. When he introduced it out, Muhammad stated, “I would like 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 plenty of seedy characters talked about. Effectively, Muhammad was a type of in my life. He beloved to be round NBA gamers, and he received us hooked on him.

Muhammad was a giant Knicks fan, too. So he knew who I used to be, and he preferred 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 felony exercise, aside from sniffing and smoking. I by no means hosted events, offered medicine, or drove it anyplace. 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 shifting firm, on the finish of the day I take full accountability for my all of my actions. They had 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 at present. I’d most likely let loose a worn-down sigh—if he’s even nonetheless alive. I nonetheless bear in mind his voice, the look on his face, heat and beneficiant, however flickering. “Simply strive it,” he stated. “It’s not unhealthy. Simply strive it.” Me, being curious, I did. I preferred it. I needed extra and I used to be naive. However even in these days, in my third 12 months and into my fourth season, I wasn’t but depending on the stuff. It wasn’t an important factor in my life… but. It was simply one thing enjoyable to do, dipping and dabbing, first on off-days then at residence in Denver. Subsequent factor I knew, although, I used to be in it. Dangerous.

Deep down, I do know that I’ve a superb coronary heart. Though I received into some tough spots, I’m not a foul man. You get blinders if you’re an addict. You’re there, trying by your eyes… however on the identical time, you’re not all there. Due to that, once I would get excessive, I wouldn’t wish to exit in public. I didn’t wish to be in Studio 54, the Cotton Membership on a hundred and twenty fifth, or anyplace within the metropolis once I was utilizing. I already knew I’d be paranoid, so I didn’t should be round individuals. On prime of that, I didn’t need anybody seeing me all fucked up. Addicts largely wish to be alone.

Later in my profession, once I used medicine, I might both go to a resort on my own, with a girlfriend or with possibly yet another one that was utilizing with me. If it wasn’t a resort, I might simply do it in my residence. In New York, I wasn’t but a full-blown drug addict. However quickly, I might go off a cliff. If you get like that, you lose all sense of your self. You develop into a zombie. Your solely ideas are if you’ll be getting excessive subsequent and for a 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.