The NBA lost one of its most electric and complex figures this week. Four-time All-Star and former Knicks legend, Michael Ray Richardson, remembered as much for his dazzling play as his redemption story, died Tuesday in Lawton, Oklahoma, at 70. His attorney and close friend , John Zelbst, confirmed the news to Andscape, noting that Richardson passed shortly after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, per ESPN.

Zelbst reflected on the magnitude of Richardson’s journey. “He lived life to the fullest,” he said. “Overcame the most incredible odds to accomplish what he did in life. He serves as an example on how to redeem yourself and make something of yourself.”

A star born in New York

Nicknamed “Sugar,” Richardson was drafted fourth overall by the New York Knicks in 1978 after starring

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