Sam Smith is Messed Up

by Atma Brother ONE on Mar 27, 2007 9:43 AM PDT in Links

Yesterday the self-righteous Sam Smith of ChicagoSports.com spouted out some supposed "inside knowledge" that Jason Richardson wanted to leave the Warriors and that JR's telling friends he wants to go to the Detroit Pistons or Chicago Bulls (see Rumor: Jason Richardson Wants to Go to the Pistons or Bulls). Well, if you talk to Jason Richardson it looks like good ol' Sam is full of it (via Janny Hu at SFGate.com):

"I don't even have family in Chicago, so I don't know how they got that. That's not true at all," said Richardson, a Michigan native. "I mean, everybody's playing good and we're trying to make the playoffs and you throw something like that out there? People are calling me, my teammates, like, 'Where did that come from?'

"It's kind of messed up, whoever ran that story. I've never said anything close to that."

Contrary to what his "mutual friends" with Sam Smith will have you believe, Jason wants to to stick around with the Warriors and live in the Bay Area for a long time:

Richardson, who just bought a new house in Oakland, says he not only wants to be there next season, but for the rest of his playing days. He is the second-longest tenured Warrior behind 10-year veteran Adonal Foyle.

"I've been here for six years, I love it here," Richardson said. "I mean, it's very seldom a player starts his career here and ends his career here, but I'd like to do that here, change things around."

Do you think Sam Smith just made this rumor up or do you think he actually has connections to Jason's "friends"?

Special thanks to loyal GSoM community member tadams1080 for putting this up in a diary Richardson Denies He Wants To Be Traded.

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J Rich

is a stand up guy. Props for fighting this BS story and saying that he loves the Bay. Can you really imagine JR in another uniform? I thought not

by tadams1080 on Mar 27, 2007 9:49 AM PDT reply actions

I think Sam Smith from the Chicago Times

really wants a Jason Richardson to Chicago deal, just the same as the talks were when he was injured and these sportswriters thought they could get Jason "on the cheap" through a trade for some roleplayers/journeymen.

by back2back51s on Mar 27, 2007 9:50 AM PDT reply actions

I can't believe

that Adonal is a 10 year vet in the league. Is he getting close to being the longest tenured Warrior of all-time?

by yehyeh82 on Mar 27, 2007 10:48 AM PDT reply actions

I'm not up on that but remember

something about the franchise # of blocks record.

by back2back51s on Mar 27, 2007 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

after

reading this rumor and then seeing that he didnt score last night, i thought it might be true and he was just tanking it to get traded, But props to Jrich for being the loyal Warrior that we all thought he was as he shows us with the quotes above.

by ilubthedubs on Mar 27, 2007 10:55 AM PDT reply actions

o yea

and Sam Smith is a B**

by ilubthedubs on Mar 27, 2007 10:56 AM PDT reply actions

Sam Smith is dumb

Where could he get that kind of info? The Bay Area produces smart people, therefore J-Rich's friends, the majority of which are probably in the Yay, are not dumb enough to tell stupid trade rumors to a journalist.

by bradyk2 on Mar 27, 2007 11:20 AM PDT reply actions

Rumor...

That has to be the worst rumor ever written. Chicago???? I would have believed it if it was Richardson traded to Detroit or something...

by Spree15 on Mar 27, 2007 2:44 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah.

It just made no sense to me. We didn't need to lose J-Rich. At best we could afford to lose Baron, not J-Rich.

Playoffs in '07, baby!

by coma @ Golden State Of Mind on Mar 27, 2007 4:02 PM PDT reply actions

even if j-rich did say it

i would still expect him to say this. that being said, i do think he likes it here and doesn't want to be traded. it would be kinda wierd that he's lasted thru 5-6 tough years with no complaints and then during their most successful year he would say something

by AJC3317 on Mar 27, 2007 7:49 PM PDT reply actions

J Rich is the W's heart and soul

they would really lose something if he left.

Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious.

by Kobe on Mar 27, 2007 9:52 PM PDT reply actions

reprimanded?

does sam smith get anything for spreading stupid bull rumors like this? does he not have to write a rewrite or an apology?...sometimes, the media kills me.

richardson is the emotion of this team. i agree with ajc3317, it's highly improbable that j-rich sticks with this team through the early 2000 seasons (what great seasons those were), and when we're on the verge of digging ourselves out, he says he wants to leave? just remember that j-rich runs warrior blood through him.

by the way did you read the article and comments off of the yahoo sports rumor page? there's one genius there that says "i hope they do get rid of him. That will open up more minutes for more deserving players like Azubuike. Who in my mind is a better player than Richardson anyways. Give Azubuike the same minutes and he will turn in a better performance every time"...my peeve is that there are many many warrior bandwagoners this year due to the success, and these people weren't here for the years where j-rich was our only ray of hope in a dampier, calbert, dunleavy, speedy, fishpond, etc etc team...now that our team is good people pay attention and don't know how much jason means to this team. i guess it's the good and bad thing of this bandwagon thing.

enough of my banter...c'mon phoenix!

by sandstorm on Mar 27, 2007 11:55 PM PDT reply actions

that was bs

its good he wants to stay. everyone knows that we cant win with out him. and by that i dont only mean him playing. even when he was hurt he gave support to the team. J rich is our man. and if it comes down to baron or j rich ill pick j rich. besides monta is honing is skills to be a pg. and monta does not get hurt hes like a cyborg, god if he got him with a year or two of college experience he would be a great pg, instead of the wait we have to do for him. I just hope the warriors dont go dumb and trade away their talent we had for the past 13 playoffless years. Theres a reason to why if you get traded from the warriors exception murphleavy you are the next superstar. Geez j rich is our all star even barkley knows it and said it. thank you j rich for wanting to stay even though you scared me with your scoreless night, but hey they were gonna loose that game even if he scored 20+

by 24k state fan since 87 on Mar 28, 2007 1:54 AM PDT reply actions