Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Nick Richards was born on November 29, 1997, in Kingston, Jamaica. He is a center in the NBA.

Richards competed in soccer, volleyball and track and field before being discovered by Andre Ricketts, a New York City based basketball scout, in the summer of 2013 during a basketball camp in Jamaica. Ricketts brought him to the US, where Richards attended St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, New York. He transferred to The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey in 2014.

He was ranked a five-star recruit in the class of 2017 (by ESPN) and committed to the University of Kentucky in November 2016. He was UK’s first commit in the class of 2017 and chose Kentucky over Syracuse and Arizona. At the conclusion of the regular season, Richards was named to the First Team All-SEC. He averaged 14 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Following the season, Richards declared for the 2020 NBA draft. In the 2020 NBA draft, Richards was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans (42nd overall) and immediately traded to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for a second-round pick in 2024.