Hofstra Pride men’s basketball alumnus and Hofstra Hall-of-Famer Norman Richardson has played basketball all over the world. He began his career at Hofstra, guiding the Pride to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2000 and 2001. He then spent time with the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA in 2002 before going overseas to play for teams in places such as Italy, Venezuela, France and Germany, among others, from 2003 to 2010. It is safe to say Richardson knows a thing or two about the game.

Richardson retired from playing in 2010, but his basketball career wasn’t over yet: He would see himself out on the court yet again in 2012, this time as a coach.

“I knew I wanted to be a coach while I was still playing. It was in my last two years where I got that itch to see the game from a different perspective,” Richardson said. “One of my coaches from the team that I was on at the time told me that I had a good eye and that it was something I should consider when I’m finished.”

Richardson started off his coaching career with TSV Bietigheim, a professional club in Germany, before coming back to America to coach for the NBA G-League. Currently, Richardson is an assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the G-League affiliate for the Pacers.  

“Being a part of the Pacers organization again is definitely a special thing. I think that everyone would want to go back to where it all started,” Richardson said. “They still have some people in their organization that were there from when I played with them back in the day. It brings a certain comfort level and familiarity to the job, and I am very fortunate for the opportunity I’ve had for the last three years.”

Despite being a very busy man, Richardson still makes time to cheer on the Pride during the college basketball season, especially last season when the men’s basketball team punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament before it was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It would have been the first time the Pride returned to the tournament since Richardson was on the team 19 years before.

“It felt like I was a part of the team. I have been rooting for Hofstra to make it back into the tournament ever since I graduated in 2001,” Richardson said. “The group that they had was special. I remember watching the [Colonial Athletic Association] Championship game and cheering them all on. And to see them win that and make it into the tournament again was special for me because it made me remember when we did that back in the day. In the end, it was unfortunate that the pandemic cost them a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament because that is a once and a lifetime experience.”

When it comes down to the two most recent NCAA Tournament teams for the Pride, Richardson knows that if they were to play in a head-to-head matchup, there is “no question” his 2000 team would prevail.

“Speedy Claxton and I talked about this, and although this year’s team was good, there is no question that our team would get the win.” Richardson laughed. “We’d see Speedy Claxton versus Desure Buie and then I’d see myself matching up against Eli Pemberton and getting the best out of that, so overall our physicality would be too much for them to handle.”

Going beneath the surface to things that are bigger than basketball and sports itself, Richardson spoke about issues of racial injustice throughout the world this past year. Richardson, who has played basketball with many different people from all over the world, knows how important it is to make a change in hopes to come together as one.

“When it comes to social issues, this is something people need to be involved in full-time. It cannot be treated like a part-time job, change won’t be made that way,” Richardson said. “We need to start holding our leaders more responsible. They should be trained in these matters in hopes to help the people and come up with solutions.” 

During the NBA playoffs this year, some players stepped up and spoke out about the issues people of color face every single day. There were even boycotts of playoff games to get the message across that the players, coaches and staff in the league wanted to see change.

“The NBA has a strong voice and players that are looked up to by many people. So, I was all for the boycotts,” Richardson said. “I thought it was necessary to bring national attention to these issues that are happening in our country. I am very proud to be a part of this league because of the awareness they have brought in order to help this movement.”

Richardson is a father as well. He has a young son and hopes to teach him as he continues to grow and learn. But when it comes to social issues, Richardson hopes to protect his child for as long as he can.

“I feel like these times can bring trauma, and I do not want to instill any fear or anxiety into my son. He should be able to enjoy his youth and his young age for as long as possible,” Richardson said. “For every parent it’s different, and some may feel that it’s necessary to communicate sooner. For me, that is something I will wait on doing until I know the time is right.” 

Richardson believes that in order to fix the systemic inequality people of color face every day and to take a step forward in the push for diversity all over the world, we must start with ourselves. 

“Look yourself in the mirror. It starts with your personal self. Ask yourself, ‘How can I make a change? How can I help the conditions we are dealing with on a day-to-day basis?’” Richardson said. “Once you figure out what you can do in order to make an impact, then I think things will start to change. If we do that together, we can bring these issues to an end over time.”

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics