Nick Richards Describes Unconventional Path from Jamaica to the NBA
Most NBA players don’t start playing basketball at the onset of their teenage years, but rather, their exposure to the sport begins much earlier on. For Hornets rookie center Nick Richards, his athletic upbringing in Jamaica was far different than most around the league.
“I basically played everything but basketball,” he said. “My first sport was track and field, soccer, cricket, rugby, tennis, volleyball. Basically, everything but basketball. I started playing around 14 or 15 years old. I was doing a little bit in Jamaica, but not really organized.