Josh Richardson was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, a city north of Oklahoma City. So when he was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2015, it's fair to say there was a little bit of culture shock for the rookie. And he confirmed that with a fitting Dwyane Wade story.
While on former Heat players Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem's ‘The OGs' podcast, Richardson recalled the time he met Wade.
“I remember one of the first days we’re playing pick-up, D-Wade had just got back in town, and I’d never seen him. I’d never seen him,” Richardson said. “We’re playing and I see somebody — we’d played a game already — and I see somebody walk in the gym with nothing on but a pair of bright blue tights. Just tights. And I’m like, ‘He’s not going to play like that, is he? Why is he walking in here like that; where are his pants?'”
“This ain't Oklahoma no more, bruh,” Miller said.
“No, it ain’t. They do it a little different around here,” Richardson replied before continuing with his story of Wade.”He’s playing, he’s posting people up just with his tights on, and I’m just like, ‘I hope this isn’t what it’s going to be like every single day. This is crazy.'
“The man was getting buckets, like buckets, like professional buckets. I’m trying to focus and I’m like, ‘Alright bro, I guess this is what it’s like.'”
Richardson also likened having to guard Wade that day to the ‘Along Came Polly' scene in which Ben Stiller's character has to guard a very sweaty man while playing pickup.
Josh Richardson remembers rookie season with Heat
The Miami Heat drafted Josh Richardson with the 40th selection in the 2015 draft, so it didn't come as much of a surprise to Richardson that he wasn't playing much as a rookie. But in just his third game as an NBA player, he got the chance to start due to real-life circumstances.
“I started my third game because D-Wade’s son swallowed a marble,” Richardson. “I didn’t even know I was going to wear a jersey until the pregame meeting 30 minutes before. I’m like sitting there, I just did a crazy warm-up because I’m not hooping. Spo's (Erik Spoelstra) like, ‘J-Rich, you're starting. I’m like, ‘Alright, bet.' I go in, I have 8 quick ones, quick ones, hit a 3 from the corner, hit another 3, drove the lane, and then I traveled right after that and got taken out. But it was a good start to the game. And after that. I didn’t play until probably game, like, 42, 43.”
Despite the expectedly spotty playing time as a rookie, Richardson earned himself a rotational spot on the Heat, which only increased in importance in his second year. By his third year, Richardson was starting every game for the Heat, and in his fourth year, he averaged career-high marks in minutes (34.8), points (16.6), rebounds (3.6), and assists (4.1).
During the 2019 offseason, the Heat traded Richardson to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. Richardson would end up being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in November 2020 before bouncing around to the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and New Orleans Pelicans until choosing to return to Miami by signing with the Heat last offseason. In his first season back with the Heat, Richardson averaged 25.6 minutes, 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.
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