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THE relaunch of the BASKETBALL SA Hall of Fame on Friday, February 7 at Stamford Plaza will acknowledge the first group of inductees of the decade, featuring the late, great Ken Richardson, with tickets on sale now.

The gala event from 6:30pm to 10 will recognise the exceptional service to basketball of the inductees while also acknowledging the past Hall of Fame members and those granted automatic BSA Hall of Fame status by virtue of their previous recognition by Basketball Australia.

Already in the BSA Hall are Michael Ahmatt, Frank Angove, Jean Bain, Andris Blicavs, George Dancis, Alan Dawe, Lorraine Eiler, Inga Freidenfelds, Merv Harris, Algy Ignatavicius, Werner Linde, Keith Miller, Huba Nagy and Pat Rowe. 

All of the new inductees are unique and showcase the best of basketball in SA across the ages and it is our pleasure here to reprint their back stories.

Get along on the night - tickets are available by hitting this link. It promises to be one of the great nights on the annual basketball social calendar.

Meanwhile, today's inductee back story is of the late, great Kenny Richardson.

INDUCTEE - KEN RICHARDSON

*Deceased, October 2013

Ken Richardson arrived in Australia in March, 1974 from Ohio and a distinguished college career, immediately having the greatest impact of any American player to hit South Australia’s shores.

The lanky 6-6 power forward/centre with the pinpoint fullcourt touchdown pass, array of scoring skills and high basketball IQ dominated the competition for West Adelaide Bearcats as no other player.

He immediately led West to the grand final and a year later in 1975 became the first American to win the Woollacott Medal as the fairest and most brilliant player in SA.

After two years in SA, he spent two further years rewriting the record books of the VBA at St Kilda Saints, returning to SA in 1978 as West Adelaide’s playing-coach.

Richardson then led the Bearcats to a State record five consecutive SA Championships, winning the titles in 1978-79-80-81-82.

During that period, he also steered West Adelaide into the newly-formed NBL and to a fourth-placed finish in 1979. He was named the new national league’s inaugural Most Valuable Player, averaging 26.2 points per game (#2 in the league).

In the NBL’s second year, Richardson player-coached West Adelaide into the 1980 grand final where it lost, ironically, to St Kilda.

His 24.1 points per game in 1980 still was good enough for #4 in the NBL and Richardson was named in the NBL First Team, the first All Star Five in the league’s history.

A season-ending injury cost Richardson the 1981 season as a player but as coach, West still finished third in the NBL.

In his comeback season as a player-coach in 1982, Richardson brought himself off the bench, averaging 14.5ppg at 58.8% (143/243 - #2 in NBL), 6.2rpg, 1.4 apg and leading the Bearcats to the NBL championship.

West Adelaide produced a 21-5 win-loss record, an 81% success rate, and averaged 97.1ppg, conceding 83.7, a winning differential of 13.4ppg.

In four years as West's NBL playing coach, his win-loss record was 67-27 (71.3%), the best of any coach at a single club. West finished 4th, 2nd, 3rd and 1st in his four NBL years as its playing-coach.

(His overall NBL coaching record is 98-58, 63%, the second-best all-time mark for any coach who coached at least 100 games, behind only his one-time assistant at Geelong Supercats, Brian Goorjian.)

Richardson also was head coach of the SA men’s state team for three years and was revered nationwide as the best American basketball player of the era and a much-loved figure in the game.

His honesty and candour made him a wonderful ambassador for the game and as such, he was relentlessly sought for TV news, radio and newspaper interviews

Richardson also is the owner of a unique personal record as a player, becoming the only American who was still an American, to represent Australia.

The anomaly occurred in the late 70s, when Richardson strongly was considering taking out Australian citizenship. Working on the assumption he would, the Boomers coach at the time, the legendary Lindsay Gaze, suited him up for Australia to play against visiting US college team Biola University.

So proud to wear the green-and-gold of his adopted home, Richardson delivered 43 points in that game, 29 in the first half.

Here's a summary of his achievements.

*1974, as a player, led West Adelaide into the SA Championship grand final.
*1975, as a player, led West Adelaide to the SA Championship, defeating Glenelg Tigers in the grand final.
*1975, became the first American to win the Woollacott Medal as the fairest and most brilliant basketball player in SA.
*1976, transferred to St Kilda Saints in Victoria, leading them to the championship and leading the scoring in the VBA.
*1976, led South Australia to a dramatic victory over the 10 Victorian Olympians at Apollo Stadium.
*1977, playing for St Kilda, won the VBA’s Most Valuable Player award.
*1977, led St Kilda to the Australian Club Championship title and led the scoring at the tournament in Sydney.
*1978, returned to SA as playing-coach of West Adelaide and in that capacity led them to a record five consecutive SA Championships, winning the titles in 1978-79-80-81-82.
*1979, he led West Adelaide into the NBL and to a fourth-placed finish.
*1979, was the inaugural winner of the NBL's Most Valuable Player award, while averaging 26.2 points per game (#2 in the league).
*1980, playing-coached West Adelaide into the NBL grand final where it lost to St Kilda.
*1980, his 24.1 points per game was #4 in the NBL.
*1980, named in the NBL First Team, the first All Star Five in NBL history.
*1981, missed the season with injury but coached West Adelaide to third in the NBL.
*1982, brought himself off West Adelaide's bench, averaging 14.5ppg at 58.8% (143/243 - #2 in NBL), 6.2rpg, 1.4 apg.
*1982, playing-coached West Adelaide Bearcats to the NBL championship.
*1982, West went 21-5, an 81% success rate and averaged 97.1ppg, conceding 83.7, a winning differential of 13.4ppg.
*In four years as West's NBL playing coach, his win-loss record was 67-27 (71.3%), the best record of any coach at a single club. West finished 4th, 2nd, 3rd and 1st in his four NBL years as its playing-coach.
*1986, coached Geelong Cats to a 14-12 record, missing the playoffs on percentage.
*His overall NBL coaching record is 98-58, 63%, the second-best all-time mark for any coach who coached at least 100 games, behind only his one-time assistant at Geelong, Brian Goorjian.
*In the late 70s, when Ken strongly was considering taking out citizenship, on the assumption he would, then Boomers coach Lindsay Gaze suited him up for Australia to play against visiting US college team Biola University.
*Coached the South Australian state men’s team for three years.