Sacramento Kings All-Time Starting Five: Shooting Guard

Mitch Richmond was drafted 5th overall in 1988 by *that other team in Northern California* and was voted NBA Rookie of the Year for the 1988-1989 season. Richmond made an impact in his first couple of years in the league as part of “Run TMC” alongside Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin. The trio played an exciting, fast-paced style of basketball for coach Don Nelson.

In 1991, Richmond was traded to Sacramento and immediately became the franchise’s first true star player since the team had moved from Kansas City in 1985. “Rock” rewarded the Kings organization for bringing him in by making six consecutive All-Star Game appearances in his seven seasons in Sacramento. Richmond was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP for the 1995 edition of the game. 

A Florida native and star at Kansas State University, Richmond endeared himself to the Sacramento Kings fan base by being an absolute bucket between 1993 and 1998. In his Kings career, he averaged over 23 points per game to go along with 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. 

Richmond shot over 45% from the field and over 40% from three point range over that span, earning himself the reputation of being both a sharpshooter and a pure scorer. He was a nightmare for opposing defenses to guard, as defenders who sat back too far could only watch as Richmond buried threes. Defenders who closed out too hard to prevent the three point shot would be left in the dust as Richmond drove to the hoop.

During his tenure in Sacramento, Mitch Richmond received consistent (and well-earned) accolades for his stellar individual play. In addition to the six All-Star Game appearances, Richmond was also named to the All-NBA Third team twice and the All-NBA Second team three times. 

Unfortunately for Kings fans, team success did not follow. Sacramento made the playoffs just once in Richmond’s stay with the team, a first round exit at the hands of the eventual Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics in the 1995-1996 season. The Kings did manage to take one game from the Sonics, as Richmond led the way with 37 points in a Game 2 victory.

However, Richmond did play a role in what would become the Kings’ most successful run as a franchise, as Sacramento traded Richmond and Otis Thorpe to the Washington Wizards for Chris Webber. This move began the transformation of the Kings from consistent lottery team to annual playoff and title contender.

Richmond was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, and inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. He has also had his #2 jersey retired by the Sacramento Kings franchise. Although the teams he played on did not achieve much success, Richmond has remained a fan favorite amongst Kings fans.