Richardson talks Izzo, free agency

Former MSU basketball player Jason Richardson talked about a variety of topics Wednesday at the seventh annual Jason Richardson Golf Classic at the Fortress Golf Course in Frankenmuth, Mich.

Among the items he discussed was his impending free agency at the end of next season. Entering his third season with the Phoenix Suns, Richardson said he doesn’t want to leave the team.

“If I can get an extension done — I like the team I’m with, I like the guys I’m playing with so to me, I really don’t want to change destinations,” Richardson said. “But that’s the NBA. That’s just how it goes.”

Richardson averaged 15.7 points per game last season for the Suns, including almost 20 points per contest in the playoffs. As a veteran who knows what it’s like to change teams — something he’s done twice while in the NBA — he said he isn’t worried about being a free agent, but instead focused on basketball.

“This is going into my 10th year. I’m used to the trades,” Richardson said. “I’m ready for whatever, so it doesn’t bother me at all. If I continue to play hard, play my game and go out there and perform, everything will take care of itself.”

As Richardson prepares for free agency, he also had a little bit to say about LeBron James’ recent free agency. In particular, Richardson talked about the way James announced his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat on national television.

“That’s definitely not me,” Richardson said laughing. “But it’s entertainment. The fans want to see it.”

Not making any concrete predictions, Richardson said the Heat will be tough next year, but still have to take out some traditional powers to win a championship.

“It’s a big group of guys,” Richardson said referring to the trio of James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. “They have a really good chance of winning, but you can’t count out Kobe. Kobe is, to me, still the best basketball player in the league. Boston is going to up there and even Orlando. There’s teams that are getting better still.”

Other than Richardson’s future and the rest of the NBA, the former Spartan also talked about MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo. Richardson said he spoke with Izzo for about an hour as he was deciding whether he should leave MSU for the coaching vacancy in Cleveland or stay in East Lansing.

“I just made sure he was ready for the decision, and we talked about the NBA lifestyle,” Richardson said. “If LeBron was going to be there, it was no-brainer. I told him that, and I think he had others telling him that.”

Richardson admitted he might have had a little bias when talking about the decision he wanted Izzo to make.

“In a sense, I was being selfish,” Richardson said. “I didn’t want him to leave Michigan State, and I’m glad he didn’t.”

However, if Izzo, Richardson’s head coach at MSU from 1999-2001, would have left for the NBA, would he have wanted to play for him again?

“Of course, without a question,” Richardson said with a big smile on his face. “I would have forced my way to Cleveland somehow.”

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