Mitch Richmond is the best-kept secret in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The shooting guard of the Sacramento Kings has averaged over twenty-one points per game in each of his first eight seasons, only the seventh NBA player to accomplish this feat. Despite his consistent excellence, Richmond has not gained the national exposure that other NBA stars receive. In 1996, however, the NBA recognized the Kings' star by naming him to the men's basketball "Dream Team III" that represented the United States at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Growing up

Mitch and mom

Mitchell James Richmond was born June 30, 1965, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His mother--Ernell O'Neal--has always been his best friend. "We were always close," O'Neal recalled in Sports Illustrated. "I wouldn't let him sleep over at his friends' houses. I wanted to know where he was at night." Richmond sang in a church choir when he was...