Quentin Richardson

Aug. 5, 2010

CHICAGO - Quentin Richardson was back at DePaul Tuesday overseeing his basketball camp and wondering about the next big-time "Chicago kid" who could spark a basketball renaissance at his alma mater. It was Richardson,--along with former Simeon star Bobby Simmons and ex-Julian star Lance Williams---who lifted DePaul back to national prominence from 1998 to 2000. "I wanted to come here and play every night in front of family and friends," said Richardson, who signed with the Orlando Magic in the offseason after helping lead the Miami Heat to the NBA playoffs. "Staying close to home made the transition easier for me. I talked to friends who had gone far away, and they were pretty homesick. Those guys were 17, 18 years old and this was the first time away from their families." Richardson flashed that boyish smile, the same one that lit up Peoria's Carver Arena after he led Whitney Young to the state basketball championship in 1998. "People in the city are always going to remember that I stayed home to help build a winner at DePaul," he said. "These same people saw me growing up as a little kid and watched me win a state title. "Sure, you could go play at Duke, North Carolina or Kentucky. But they already have their traditions made by players from somewhere else. "Our tradition is from Chicago kids, and I stayed home because I wanted to do something special for my hometown university." Richardson, who had games of 20 and 15 points against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs last April, would like to see Chicago's finest stick around. "We have to get out of the stereotype that the top Chicago kids should go to Duke or North Carolina," Richardson said. "Then again, I was as guilty as anyone. "When I got my first recruiting letter---and it was just a form letter from Michigan---I lost my mind. Oh my God, it was Michigan and the Fab Five. I got all excited. "We have to get away from that. Don't be afraid to be different. Step out and take a chance. We know as Chicago kids that we have the talent and determination to make a difference." That's precisely what happened with Richardson, Simmons and Williams. "We all talked about going to DePaul together," Richardson said. "It was kind of like LeBron (James), D-Wade (Dwyane Wade) and Chris Bosh teaming up in Miami. "If we all go to DePaul, we can change the city. We can put our stamp on DePaul's basketball history. It was something we could always be proud of---that we made people sit up and take notice of DePaul again." In just two seasons, "Q" scored 1.147 points for the Blue Demons, averaging nearly 18 points a game. He was the National Freshman of the Year after turning a 7-23 program into an up-and-coming, 18-13 winner that advanced to the second round of the NIT. A year later Richardson led DePaul to the NCAA tournament where the Blue Demons fell to Kansas 81-77 in the opening round. The 6-foot-6-inch swingman was a first-round pick (18th overall) of the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2000 NBA Draft. His 10 seasons include averaging 17.2 points for the Clippers in 2003-04 and 14.9 points for the Phoenix Suns in 2004-05. "I'm not going to lie---my college choice was all about the NBA," Richardson said. "Where could I go that would be the quickest route to the NBA? "Well, Chicago is one of the three biggest markets in the country, and I liked the visibility of it all. Michael Jordan had just retired, so we had a chance to grab some headlines." And that opportunity is still out there, according to Richardson. "If you're a top player, don't be afraid to take a chance and start something special at DePaul," he said. "Once you come here, other talented guys are going to follow you. Everybody wants to play on the same team with the best. "Back then, Lance committed first, then Bobby, who talked to me just before he made his announcement. I told him it was down to Kansas and DePaul, and that I was leaning towards DePaul. "Just because DePaul went 7-23 the year before we arrived didn't matter to us." Richardson fondly recalled sitting in the front room of his South Side home with his mother, Emma Richardson, watching DePaul games when he was eight years old. "She loved DePaul," Richardson said of his mom, who died of breast cancer when he was 12. "My mom would have loved to come see me play at DePaul." And Emma Richardson would have enjoyed seeing her son team up with his high school buddies. "We were three kids from the inner city who went to Chicago public schools," Richardson said. "We came in, made a difference and proved it can be done. "Steven Hunter, Andre Brown, Imari Sawyer all came after us. All the to players in the city were taking DePaul seriously. You can't ask for much more. "At the end of the day, man, this is Chicago. It's one of the greatest cities in the world. It's got great sports teams and the best fans in the world. This is the city Michael Jordan played in. "Why not stay home and enjoy it? I'm happy with the choice I made. And because of that, I'm very happy with the person I am today."

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