Jason Richardson

High-flying Warrior legend and two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion.

Jason Anthoney Richardson Sr. (born January 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Richardson was taken by the Golden State Warriors as the fifth overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft after playing college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. Richardson has also played for the Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, and the Philadelphia 76ers. Richardson will join the Altitude Sports and Entertainment television coverage team of the Denver Nuggets for the upcoming 2026-27 season as a studio analyst.

Quick Facts

Born: 20 January 1981
Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
High school: Arthur Hill (Saginaw, Michigan)
College: Michigan State (1999–2001)
Draft round: 1
Draft pick: 5
Drafted by: Golden State Warriors
Career position: Shooting guard

Lore & Background

Richardson is often remembered for his proficiency in dunking and shooting. Early in his career, he won the NBA Dunk Contest in both 2002 and 2003, becoming the second player, after Michael Jordan, to win the competition in consecutive years. Later, he became a more proficient shooter, leading the league in three-pointers made from the 2007–08 to 2011–12 seasons, with 820. Since 2021, Richardson has been an active player for Tri-State of the BIG3.

Reader's Guide

Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Richardson graduated from Arthur Hill High School in 1999. Having led the Arthur Hill basketball team to the Class A championship game, Richardson was Mr. Basketball of Michigan and a McDonald's High School All-American in his senior year. Richardson chose to play college basketball for Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. In his freshman season at Michigan State, Richardson averaged 5.1 points per game in 37 games (including three starts) and made 50.3% of attempted field goals.

Led by Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, the Spartans won the NCAA Championship with Richardson as a key reserve. In a bigger role in his sophomore season at Michigan State, he led the Spartans in scoring averaging 14.7 points per game. Richardson played along future NBA players Zach Randolph and Charlie Bell as the Spartans advanced to the Final Four before losing to Arizona. He was named Big Ten First Team that year.

Richardson graduated from the University of Florida with his Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management in 2025, the school him and Spartans beat for the 2000 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship.

Did You Know?

He set the Warriors franchise record for three-pointers made in a game without missing (8) in a home win against the Phoenix Suns.
Richardson is the father of Jase Richardson, who is an Orlando Magic guard, and Jaxon Richardson, a consensus five-star recruit for the 2026 class committed to The University of Alabama.
He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025, enshrined on December 19, 2025 in Detroit.