Sittingbourne basketball player Ryan Richards in NBA draft
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by Alex Hoad
Teenage basketball prodigy and former
Crusaders star Ryan Richards could be set to sign for a team in the
NBA this month.
Richards, from Sittingbourne, turned
19 in April. He began his career at 13 with the Crusaders – who now
play at Medway Park – before moving to Spain in 2006 to join Gran
Canaria’s academy.
Despite failing to settle during two
amateur seasons in Spain and a pro-season in the Belgian league,
Richards split last season between Gran Canaria and Swiss side BBC
Monthey.
He played six games before dislocating
his shoulder in February, prematurely ending his season.
He averaged just over 20 minutes of
action, scoring 13.3 points and grabbing 5.2 rebounds a game while
shooting 56 percent from the field and 91.3 percent from the
free-throw line.
The NBA Draft is watched by millions
around the world with the best players from American universities
and international teams being chosen by the elite US clubs.
Richards was one of just 54 players
invited to the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Chicago last month. He used
the opportunity to showcase his talents in front of team scouts
ahead of the draft on June 24.
His official stats taken at the camp
listed him at 6ft 11in tall, weighing 230lb, equipped with a 7ft
1in wingspan and a 9ft 2in standing reach - figures which could
make him a useful presence in the game and the third tallest player
in the draft.
The former England under-18 player’s
impressive performances led to him receiving offers to work out
alongside other draft hopefuls at a series of teams including the
Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons and
Chicago Bulls.
On Monday he worked out with the New
York Knicks and he is also expected to visit the Houston Rockets
and Milwaukee Bucks before the draft.
Richards said: "Playing in the NBA –
it’s my goal in life, I’m eligible and I’m ready to do it – I want
to give it a shot."
Experts have named Richards as one of
the top five international prospects in the draft, but Richards
insisted if he is chosen by a team then he wants to stay in the
States, even if it means joining a team affiliate in the
Developmental League – the equivalent of a reserve team.
He said: "I’ve made it pretty clear
that if I do get drafted, I want to stay with the team whether I
play up-and-down in the D-League or with the team.
"If they want to pick me and send me
back to Europe, I’d rather withdraw my name then come back next
year."
Thursday, June 17 2010
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