Later in life he grew to become a star in Europe, dominating the Italian leagues and ushering within the period referred to as “Sugarmania”. But it surely was throughout this time that issues went south for the stalwart participant. Richardson famously grew to become the primary participant ever to be 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 with a critical drug dependancy. And all that may be learn in his new memoir, FORBIDDENwhich will likely be launched on November twenty sixth.
Beneath you possibly can watch an excerpt from that e-book.
CHAPTER 8: “SUGAR”
Individuals have referred to as me Sugar since I used to be in faculty. It began on the College of Montana, and the nickname caught. After I first went to highschool, I performed very well in one in every of our first video games. And since it was widespread for guys with the center title Ray to be referred to as “Sugar Ray,” due to boxer Sugar Ray Robinson and later Sugar Ray Leonard, folks began calling me Sugar, too. In Missoula, everybody thought I used to be a particular athlete — candy on and off the sector — so the nickname grew to become part of me. Now, associates name me Sugar with out pondering twice. And I’ve lived as much as that nickname, even on license plates and equipment sticks.
In later years, the title caught due to my connection to medication. The nickname was a bit tongue-in-cheek, a commentary on my failures and my expertise. It’s humorous how the 2 can get intertwined on the prime. The height is so near the autumn. Individuals assume that when you get to the highest, it’s straightforward to remain there. That’s what I believed! However the onerous half will not be getting there, it’s staying there. I had made it into the league. I used to be an All-Star. So once I began doing medication, I believed I might stop at any time. If I wished to do one thing, I’d do it. The identical can be true for my leisure behavior, proper? However I had lastly stumbled upon one thing stronger than myself.
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People devour about 180 million tons of sugar per 12 months. The U.S. is the biggest shopper of sugar on the planet, consuming 11 million tons per 12 months. That’s ten occasions greater than we should always. America is a nation of addicts and individuals who need to get excessive. As youngsters, we’re taught that sweet is our good friend. As younger adults, we sneak into our dad and mom’ liquor cupboards. Caffeine is one other one: the U.S. consumes 146 billion cups of espresso per 12 months! Later in life, we get excessive on different white powders or use medication that make us hungry and, sure, crave extra sugar. It’s an epidemic. The stuff is in every single place.
Sugar comes from crops. Sugar cane wants heat climates to develop. So lots of it comes from South America. Traditionally, that’s the place lots of the cocaine in america comes from. Even the world’s hottest tender drink, Coca-Cola, used to include cocaine. At the moment, the common American consumes about 450 servings of Coca-Cola merchandise per 12 months.
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Every thing that was dangerous began once I determined to maneuver from New Jersey to the Chelsea neighborhood of New York Metropolis midway via my third season. After I say issues like: Our tales are already written for usit is due to issues like what occurred subsequent. The mover who introduced my stuff from Jersey to town was a cousin of one of many largest drug sellers on the east coast, a person named Mohammed. And the place precisely did Mohammed reside? Though he was from the West Indies, he now lived on the fourth ground of the constructing in Chelsea the place I used to be transferring. I’d reside one ground beneath.
I had determined to maneuver to Manhattan as a result of I used to be uninterested in the commute and town visitors. I wished to be nearer to work, to MSG. At the moment I shake my head. What the hell did I try this for! Muhammad’s cousin launched us. On the time, I didn’t assume a lot of it. I met new folks every single day due to my career, and Muhammad was a pleasant man, somebody I thought-about a good friend. “Come on over,” he advised me. Some nights, as soon as I used to be settled in, I’d go over there and play playing cards or dominoes and chat. Simply to kill time. However the satan had a plan for me.
Then Muhammad, as a substitute of simply enjoying video games, he began passing round cocaine. That’s once I first snorted it. I had simply gotten again from a staff outing and determined to strive coke, simply to hang around with him and his associates. Like I stated, once I first snorted the white powder, it didn’t work for me. It didn’t get me excessive. So I attempted it once more, with out pondering an excessive amount of about it. At Muhammad’s home, he would invite different folks over, typically even different NBA gamers. Coke was social, like alcohol. Shit, it was like espresso. However once I tried it a second and third time a couple of days later, I bought hooked. My mind was exploding. Then, a couple of weeks later, Muhammad pulled out the pipe.
Inside a month I went from snorting coke to smoking it, which is far worse. If you smoke cocaine, it is referred to as freebasing and it is stronger. It is like cocaine on steroids, when you can consider that. But it surely was a course of to do it. You needed to exit and purchase this package with the appropriate pipe, a lighter and different paraphernalia. 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 skilled basketball participant Marvin “Dangerous information” BarnesThere are lots of shady characters talked about. Properly, Muhammad was one in every of them in my life. He liked being round NBA gamers, and he bought us hooked on him.
Muhammad was additionally an enormous Knicks fan, so he knew who I used to be and he appreciated having me round. However not like Dangerous Information, who was an excellent participant throughout his years within the ABA, I used to be by no means concerned in any legal exercise aside from snorting and smoking. I by no means threw events, bought medication, or drove wherever with them. My solely downside was that I used them, and that’s a giant downside to have! Whereas I want Muhammad had by no means given me the stuff and his cousin had by no means launched us, and whereas I want I hadn’t moved into that constructing in Chelsea or employed that individual transferring firm, on the finish of the day I take full accountability for all of my actions. They have been mine, and mine alone.
I haven’t seen Muhammad since then. I don’t even know what I’d say to him if I did at present. I’d most likely sigh in defeat, if he have been nonetheless alive. I nonetheless keep in mind his voice, the look on his face, heat and beneficiant, however flickering. “Simply strive it,” he stated. “It’s not dangerous. Simply strive it.” I, curious, did. I appreciated it. I wished extra, and I used to be naive. However even then, in my third 12 months and fourth season, I wasn’t 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 my days off after which again dwelling in Denver. However earlier than I knew it, I used to be in it. Dangerous.
Deep down I do know I’ve coronary heart. Although I’ve fallen on onerous occasions, I am not a nasty man. If you’re an addict, you get blinders on. You are there, wanting via your individual eyes… however on the similar time, you are probably not there. That is why I did not need to be in public once I was excessive. I did not need to be in Studio 54, the Cotton Membership on one hundred and twenty fifth, or wherever else on the town once I was doing it. I knew I used to be going to be paranoid, so I did not have to be round folks. Plus, I did not need anybody to see that I used to be fucked up. Addicts often need to be alone.
Later in my profession, once I was doing medication, I’d both go to a resort on my own, with a girlfriend, or possibly with another person who was doing medication with me. If it wasn’t a resort, I’d simply do it in my residence. In New York, I wasn’t a full-fledged drug addict but. However fairly quickly I went off a cliff. If you get like that, you lose all sense of your self. You change into a zombie. All you consider is while you’re going to get excessive once more and for a way lengthy. It’s a parasite and also you don’t care about something besides appeasing it. That’s what occurs when the satan has you.