Philadelphia 76ers Jason Richardson Shows His Class

After a tough loss to the Chicago Bulls, now retired Philadelphia 76ers Jason Richardson showed up to rally the troops

The day after a tough loss can be awfully challenging to a Sixers team that is young and still learning how to win. But rather than beat more learning into the young players, Brett Brown decided they had played hard enough to win. Nik Stauskas was injured in the contest with a bruise to his shoulder. Jerami Grant has not yet healed from a calf injury suffered during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thankfully, Robert Covington returned to his scoring ways, leading the Sixers in 25 points before fouling out of the game. The team was in a fragile mental state, making it awfully difficult to refocus on grinding it out.

So they had fun instead.

In his January 15, 2016 article, Brian Seltzer described the setting when now retired Sixer Jason Richardson arrived.

"Also contributing to Friday’s uplifting atmosphere was the presence of Jason Richardson.  The former guard retired this fall, bringing to an end his 13-season NBA career.  Richardson, who ranks 17th on the league’s all-time three-point field goal shooting list, spent the previous three years with the Sixers, and arrived in town for a two-day visit on Thursday.“He is an example, an unbelievable example for me, of perseverance,” Brown stated.  Richardson’s tenure with the Sixers began in August 2012, a year before Brown’s arrival.  He was sent to the organization as part of the four-team trade that revolved around Andrew Bynum.  Richardson appeared in 33 games for the Sixers before sustaining a severe left knee injury in January 2013.  He then missed all of the 2013-2014 campaign, before returning to action in February of last year, doing so a month after his 34th birthday.“He’s a teammate, former leader of this team, although we’re all just been around each other for two and a half years,” said Brown.  “For me, he means something to this program.  It’s still, to this day, for me, one of the greatest examples of perseverance and competitiveness and love of the game that I have ever witnessed.  For him to have earned the volume of money he has earned, and still find a way to competitively get back in with a team that wasn’t going to any playoffs.  But you’d see him at 7:30, 6:30 in the morning, way before any of the guys came in, just drenched in sweat, and then see him burst onto the scene and have great games.  He’s fantastic for me to have around these guys.”Brown didn’t get the sense that Richardson, at least for the time-being, is interested in pursuing a professional basketball career outside of playing.  Much like Shane Battier, who was with the Sixers last week, Brown views Richardson a beneficial resource for the Sixers.“From time to time, to reach out to these guys, and listen to them, just tap in for a minute, and let them go do what they’ve got to do, is still invaluable for me,” Brown said."

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I have a great deal of respect for Richardson, who walked away from the game a year too soon in my mind. Had Richardson not retired, his work ethic and veteran leadership would have been significant to this young Sixers team.  Despite his decision to retire, it’s a true statement of the quality of this man to return to his teammates when they were down.

Well, it must have worked. On the night of January 16, 2016, the Sixers defeated the Portland Trailblazers by their largest point margin this season 114-89.

I say Jason Richardson should take a bow.