The last time Jason Richardson faced off against his son, Jase, in a game of 1-on-1 basketball, the younger Richardson was 16-years-old.
He outmaneuvered his father on the court and they haven’t played since.
Now 19, Jase has continued to follow his dad’s footstep by attending the same Big Ten school as the older Richardson and getting selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the same team his father played for — the Magic.
“It’s weird and crazy at the same time,” Jason Richardson said recently. “I thought he was going to Alabama. He chose Michigan State. To get drafted to one of the teams I played for is a really eerie feeling, but it’s still surreal and it’s just amazing he gets to be a part of a franchise like this.”
Jason Richardson spent 13 years in the league and played over 100 games in Orlando across two seasons (2010-12).
He has memories of his son, who was around 6 or 7 years old at the time, running around Stuff’s Magic Castle, an indoor children’s playground located inside the then-Amway Center.
“My two years here were great,” Jason Richardson said. “The fanbase here is amazing. The front office is amazing. They’ve got a great atmosphere with the pride of being an Orlando Magic.
“So, I’m just excited he gets the opportunity to experience that,” he added.
Watching his son evolve from a 4-star recruit out of Columbus High School in Miami to an eventual first-round pick out of Michigan State, Richardson doesn’t too nervous or overly excited when Jase is on the court.
“It’s more analyzing what he’s doing wrong,” Richardson said with a laugh. “And he doesn’t do much wrong but just trying to pick out what he’s doing, what he’s seeing, especially with his basketball IQ he’s thinking a totally different game than how I played the game.”
It’s his basketball lQ why Magic president of basketball Jeff Weltman sought Jase in the draft.
Richardson scored in double figures 23 times in one season with the Spartans, including 14 of the last 15 games of the season when he moved into the starting lineup. In the final 15 games of the season, he averaged 16.1 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 42% from 3-point range.
Although he’ll have to earn his time on the court as a rookie on a team that’s made back-to-back postseason appearances, Orlando hopes Richardson will one day help create space from distance.
“It’s a great fit for him,” his father said. “This organization is a winning organization but they’ve got the team that’s winning right now. They made some new additions to the team to help them. He can fit in right away, especially with the way they play defensively, sharing the ball offensively, moving the ball. He couldn’t [be] in a better situation.”
Jason Richardson shared what Magic fans can expect when Jase steps on the court.
“The way he sees the game, it’s really special to watch,” he said. “When you watch him play, he’s not going to ‘wow you’ with a whole bunch of dribbling or crazy shots … It’s his love for the game. He gets so much joy out of playing basketball and you can see it.”
Ultimately, Jason is just proud of Jase’s journey.
“It’s just an amazing feeling as a dad to see your son finally accomplish his goal.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
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