Vive La Richardson in France

Micheal Ray Richardson’s career has been over more times than he cares to remember. Yet he keeps coming back, and at 42 he’s one of the leading scorers for a French team and is looking ahead to a possible NBA coaching job one day.

Back in 1986, when he was kicked out of the NBA for testing positive for cocaine, it didn’t look like he had much of a future.

“You know we all have problems in our lives and I guess that was mine. When I look back it’s the best thing that ever happened to me because it probably saved my life,” he said.

And what an adventure his life has been since he bolted for Europe after eight NBA seasons and four trips to the All-Star game, which is being played Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

After cleaning up his act in 1988, Richardson bounced around with teams in Italy, France and Yugoslavia and ended up this season with Cholet in the French first division. He’s averaging 13.6 points a game as a starter.

His season didn’t start well, however.

“I began in the Italian second league, but I left because the team had no money,” Richardson said. “The team went bankrupt after the first game.”

He came to Cholet halfway into the season as a replacement for another American, Skeeter Henry, who broke his arm in a car accident.

Richardson is happy to be back in France and is confident his team can win the championship. From 1994-97, he played with Antibes, which won the French title in 1996.

Not bad for a player whose career was considered over when he left the NBA in disgrace. He was the first player banned for three violations of the league’s drug policy.

Richardson, nicknamed Sugar Ray, joined the NBA out of Montana in 1978 and played eight strong seasons, with the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets. He averaged about 15 points a game.

Behind the scenes, life was not going so well. Richardson underwent periodic treatment for cocaine use starting in May 1983. He was named NBA comeback player of the year in 1984, but was in and out of rehab the following two seasons while playing for New Jersey.

Richardson began his comeback in 1988, joining the ranks of ex-NBA players in European leagues when coach Bob Hill took him to Italy to play for Knorr Bologna.

Richardson’s right to play in the NBA was restored that same year, but he chose to stay in Europe. In Italy, he was one of the league’s leading scorers and a fan favorite.

Hill, former coach of the San Antonio Spurs, said Bologna was worried about the past drug problems and tested Richardson periodically for three years. His career was said to be over again after he was accused of failing two cocaine tests in 1991.

Richardson disputed the results.

“My drug test never came up positive; that was a misunderstanding. I went to the dentist and he put in some kind of medication,” he said.

Richardson and Bologna agreed on an amicable settlement. The club promised not to press the matter and both sides agreed not to sue.

After he left Bologna, Richardson played for Yugoslavia’s Slobodna Split but spent much of the time on the road.

“You know there was a war going on so we just lived in Spain and were only able to play in the European League,” he said.

Richardson came back to Italy in 1992 and played two years for Livorno. The French league followed in 1994 when Antibes signed him.

While he’s playing hard for the French championship with Cholet this season, Richardson is also looking ahead.

“I’d like to stay in professional sports as, like, an assistant coach in the NBA. I’m good friends with Bob Hill. . . . Once he gets another job, I’m sure I can be his assistant coach,” he said.

Hill, now an NBA analyst for TNT, has nothing but good things to say about Richardson.

“We just have to wait and see what job I get, but I’ll always try to help Micheal Ray,” he said.

How has Richardson been able to make so many comebacks?

“He’s special,” Hill said. “Here’s a guy with a drug problem and he didn’t sit around and feel sorry for himself and write books. He got on with his life and built up a great career for himself in Europe.”