Josh Richardson may no longer be with the Miami Heat, but head coach Erik Spoelstra remains fond of him.
Ahead of Miami's first meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers — Richardson's new team — Spoelstra spoke about his former swingman and heaped some praises on him. Spo revealed how Richardson grew as a player with the Heat and how he became one of the greatest “success stories” in the NBA.
Spoelstra on Richardson, “Josh was one of our great success stories.”
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 23, 2019
“He really grew in his time. I love J-Rich. I’ll roll with that guy.” https://t.co/I2IWphgnZF
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 23, 2019
Richardson spent the first four years of his professional career with the Heat after being selected by the team in the second round of the 2015 draft. After struggling in his first year and splitting time in the NBA and the G League, he earned the trust of Spoelstra and became a regular starter in his second year.
The 26-year-old wing has also increased his scoring averages every year since his freshman campaign. In fact, in the 2018-19 season with the Heat, he averaged career highs in points (16.6), rebounds (3.6) and assists (4.1).
Unfortunately, Richardson's time in South Beach had to end after the Heat sent him to the Sixers as part of the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade deal that involved four teams.
Despite a surprising end to his Heat tenure, there's no doubt that Miami played a huge role in the development of Richardson.
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