Courtesy of Sacramento Kings Media Relations
SACRAMENTO, CALIF The Sacramento Kings announced Dec. 2 that Mitch Richmond’s jersey will be retired on December 5th when the Kings host the Minnesota Timberwolves (7:30 p.m., ESPN) at ARCO Arena. Richmond will become the first player in franchise history, during the Sacramento Era, to have his number retired.
“Mitch is without a doubt one of the greatest athletes to ever play for the Sacramento Kings,” said Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. “He was a consummate competitor, a clutch shooter and an all around great player who carried the colors for the Kings through some very difficult times. It’s a great honor for the organization and for myself, personally, to participate in the celebration of his contribution to the Kings over the years. We’re all deeply appreciative of his overall excellence. We’ll always remember Mitch’s efforts with the fondest of memories.”
Richmond, a first-round (5th overall) selection by the Golden State Warriors in the 1989 NBA Draft, joined the Kings prior to the 1991-92 season after spending three years with the Warriors and being named NBA Rookie of the Year during the 1989-90 campaign. Richmond was traded by Golden State, along with Les Jepsen, to the Kings on November 1, 1991, in exchange for Billy Owens.
During his 14-year NBA career, Richmond’s most productive years occurred as a member of the Kings. He was named to the All-NBA Team in six consecutive years from 1993-94 to 1997-98, and averaged 23.3 points per game through his seven-year career in Sacramento. Richmond was also selected for the NBA All-Star Game on six occasions as a Kings player, of which he played in five and was named the Game’s Most Valuable Player in 1995. Additionally, during his stay in Sacramento, he was a member of the 1996 gold-medal winning Olympic Team (Dream Team II). Richmond guided the Kings into the playoffs in 1995-96, marking the franchise’s first post-season appearance since the 1985-86 season.
“I would like to thank the Kings organization, the Maloof family and all of the Kings fans out there,” said Richmond. “This is a great honor. It is going to be an exciting evening for my family and me. It will be the ultimate memory for many terrific seasons in Sacramento.”
Richmond closed his illustrious career by spending three seasons as a member of the Washington Wizards (1998-99 to 2000-01), and winning an NBA Championship in his final season (2002-03) as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. With career averages of 21.0 points (.455 FGs, .388 3FGs, .850 FTs), 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game over 976 contests, he is one of only 28 players on the NBA’s all-time scoring list to amass over 20,000 points.
