Top Highlights from Jason Richardson's High-Flying NBA Career

Jason Richardson has taken flight for the last time as an NBA player.

The 34-year-old announced his retirement on Instagram just before the start of training camps, deciding to walk away ahead of his 15th season.

After stints with the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers, Richardson was slated to join the Atlanta Hawks on a non-guaranteed deal. But he has battled injuries over the last few years, appearing in just 52 games since 2012-13, and recently learned he had bone spurs in his supposedly healthy right knee, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc. J. Spears.

"I didn't want to limp the rest of my life," Richardson told Spears of his decision to hang it up. "I still have my whole life in front of me, God willing."

Drafted fifth overall by the Warriors in 2001, Richardson is best known for his high-flying acrobatics as the headliner for mostly bad Golden State teams between 2001-02 and 2006-07. He won back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests in 2002 and 2003, and his 360-degree, in-game windmill jams became momentary therapy for an embattled Warriors fanbase.

"Through all the ups and downs of Warrior-dom in the early part of this century, Jason Richardson was the one constant," wrote Golden State of Mind's Bram Kincheloe. "He was our superstar. He was our savior. He was the one shining, athletically gifted light amongst a team full of Danny Fortsons, Eric Dampiers and Chris Millss. He jumped higher than anyone. He tried harder than anyone."

Richardson, to be sure, should be remembered for more than just dunks. He carried himself like the consummate hard worker.

Few aging vets would have busted their butts to return from injury and make 19 appearances for a tanking Sixers squad, as he did. He also adjusted his game to account for those aching limbs, not unlike the previously high-flying Vince Carter, relying on his outside shooting (37 percent from deep for his career) rather than his atmospheric adventures.

Still, rim-razing slams are an integral part of his legacy. There were so many of them. Too may to count. And though he hasn't been his soaring 20-something self for years, the realization that there will never again be a live-action shot of him abusing the iron is surreal.

And so, we reflect on the best of Richardson—on the gravity-scorning airtime, the seat-clearing dunks and everything in between.

The 'We Believe' Golden State Warriors

The 2006-07 Warriors weren't supposed to do much. They were projected to win only 40 games and spent the majority of the season below .500.

In the end, they did just enough to snag the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot, finishing with a pleasantly surprising 42 wins. And that was enough. 

Nothing else needed to happen for the Warriors. The top-seeded 60-win Dallas Mavericks awaited them in the first round, and the Warriors were going to lose.

They didn't lose.

Golden State unseated Dallas in six games, in large part because of Richardson. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals on 51.1 percent shooting through that series, joining Baron Davis as one of the team's two lifelines.

Little else mattered aside from that victory. The Warriors would fall to the Utah Jazz in five games during the second round, and it didn't matter. Golden State already did more than it was supposed to do.

Fittingly enough (sort of), this surprise run saw Richardson play his final games in a Warriors uniform. He was traded to Charlotte during the 2007 draft, on the heels of what is still one of the most impressive team feats in Warriors history.

360-Degree Everything

It's really hard, if not impossible to single out one of Richardson's 360-degree dunks. There are so many of them.

Go ahead and Google "Jason Richardson 360-degree dunks." The results go on forever. 

Watch as many as you can. Lose yourself in them. Start questioning why no one else in today's NBA has made them a part of their everyday repertoires.

Then, when you're done with all that, appreciate the above clip that shows Richardson routinely yet savagely taking flight and throwing down another 360-degree stuff in December 2008 during Phoenix's 110-102 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Is he the all-time leader in 360-degree jams? Who knows? 

My unofficially official guess: hell yes.

Holy Bounce-Oop

Back when Gilbert Arenas was still being paid to play basketball, Richardson and his budding running mate connected on a rare bounce-pass alley-oop while on the break during a 135-92 slaughtering of the Orlando Magic in November 2002.

Relative to many of Richardson's other stuffs, this one is pretty tame. But you just don't see this kind of mid-game flair in the NBA anymore.

Plus, Richardson really basked in this bucket. Time stood still as he elegantly floated through the air, leaning slightly sideways, before settling into a prolonged stay on the rim that almost assuredly would have earned a technical foul in today's league for its excessiveness.

Even better, Shawn Kemp—who, for your information, unexpectedly hugged me once—pointlessly fouled him at the end.

Maybe he was just trying to help Richardson off of cloud nine. For whatever reason, he half-pushed, half-grabbed Richardson's waist in a way that prompted the dunksmith to whip around around the rim, sort of like he was breakdancing in mid-air.

Yay, mid-air breakdancing.

No Regard for Floppers

This is what happens when Manu Ginobili tries taking a charge without exaggerating contact.

We really owe a retroactive thanks to the 2007-08 version of Raymond Felton. Had he not employed the totally unnecessary, make-Stephon-Marbury-proud handoff to Richardson in transition, there would be no poster slam on which to reminisce. There would be no reason to even mention this February 2008 bout with the San Antonio Spurs, as the Bobcats were pummeled into submission, losing 85-65.

Richardson just annihilates the rim on this one, no spin necessary. He threw it down with such force—using only one hand, mind you—the resulting noise sounded like a dinosaur fossil being snapped in half.

On a totally unrelated note: Man oh man, has Ginobili been rocking the bald patch for a while.

There Are No Words

No, seriously, there no words.

Except, wow.

Trailing by two inside five seconds to play during a March 2006 tilt against the Mavericks, the Warriors looked on as Jason Terry tried stretching the lead to three. But, almost as if what came next was written in the stars, Terry missed his free throw.

Richardson grabbed the rebound and, while not really known for his ball-handling chops, ran up the floor. He spun around Terry—because on-ball gyrations are his business—and tossed up an off-balance Hail Mary from a few feet behind the arc. It went in, because of course it did.

The Warriors won, head coach Mike Dunleavy awkwardly pumped his fist and Richardson yelled while making angry-happy faces.

Fun was had by all—except, you know, the Mavericks.

All About That Bounce, No Dribble

Richardson capped off the first of his two slam dunk titles in style—reverse-two-handed-windmill-off-the-bounce style.

There's something beautifully basic in his execution here. He didn't complicate the motions. He just showcased his range, fully extending his arms as he orbited around the rim, ostensibly pushing himself further away from it.

Mostly simple, with a dab of complication. That's the best way to describe this dunk. It looked like something he would break out in a game.

And truthfully, that's part of what makes it so incredible.

A New Kind of Buzzer-Beater

Off-balance game-winning three-pointers are cool.

Reverse alley-oop-finishing, overtime-forcing buzzer-beaters are probably cooler.

With just 0.4 seconds left in regulation of this November 2010 matchup between Phoenix and the Memphis Grizzlies, Grant Hill threw an inbounds strike to a backdoor-cutting Richardson who had taken it upon himself to enter his comfort zone: a reverse-dunking motion.

Richardson didn't actually dunk the ball. No, no, no. He took a gentleman's approach and guided it into the basket with his fingertips, completing one of the most softhearted buzzer-beaters in NBA history.

Phoenix went on to win 123-118 in overtime, while Darrell Arthur, then of the Memphis Grizzlies, would use this lapse in defensive judgment as the learning experience that fueled his eventual rise into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation*.

*One of these things may not be true.

Oh, He Threw Down Putbacks, Too?

Over the course of his 14-year career, Richardson grabbed 4,245 rebounds. 

This was one of them.

Steve Nash missed a wide-open pull-up jumper during Phoenix's March 2010 win over the Chicago Bulls, which is bad. But Richardson was his teammate at the time, which is good. He snuck into the scrum under the rim, out-jumping Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose like a spring-loaded firecracker.

Since Richardson obviously knew two-handed finishes were overrated, he went with the one-handed obliteration. That (presumably) taught Chicago to put a body on him moving forward, even during plays that didn't directly involve him.

Too bad highlights didn't go Vine viral back in the mid-2000s. There's a strong chance Richardson could have broken the Internet before his 30th birthday.

Miss You, 2003 Jason Richardson

What's better than winning one Slam Dunk Contest?

Dominating two.

That's what Richardson set out to do in 2003, and he succeeded in a big way. Not only did he win once again, but he brought the arena down with this ridiculous between-the-legs, reverse-windmill jam.

Between-the-legs, reverse-windmill jam.

Yes, that actually happened. Even Michael Jordan was impressed. And when you have Jordan smiling—uncontrollably, from the looks of it—you know you've done something special.

Reverse Layups Galore

There is a Jordan-like feel to the way Richardson could once absorb mid-move contact and then still fling the ball toward the basket. No-look reverse layups were kind of his thing.

On this particular play, he blows by Dirk Nowitzki during Golden State's Game 3 win over Dallas in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, attacking from the right baseline, at which point he's met by Erick Dampier as he begins to take flight. Richardson, still in mid-air, contorts his body around Dampier, swinging his arm under the outstretched one of Dallas' big man.

Somehow, after all this, Richardson hasn't yet hit the ground, and he's able to convert the and-1 layup attempt. 

Looking back, he made finishes like these look easy. Effortless. Routine.

But make no mistake, they were incredibly difficult and not for those of limited, regular-human-being athletic prowess. It's Richardson who added the calm and cool.

RIP Rasho Nesterovic

Next time you're watching an NBA game and see a defender—let's call him Blake Griffin—run from an explosive dunk attempt, this is why.

Nonchalantly crossing over Anthony Parker during Charlotte's April 2008 win over the Toronto Raptors wasn't enough. Well, actually, maybe it was. Richardson's subsequent beeline toward the basket could have just ended with an unchallenged one-handed slam. But no.

Rasho Nesterovic made the mistake of joining the impending photo op. Richardson rose up from just outside the restricted area and absolutely destroyed him with the right hand. You can actually see the basket sag more than usual as Richardson makes contact with the rim.

Now, it must be noted that Nesterovic had a knack for photobombing posters. Andre Iguodala dunked on him once. So, too, did Kevin Durant. Even Tracy McGrady joined in on the fun.

That doesn't make what Richardson did here any less superhuman. This is basically the inverse of what DeAndre Jordan did to Brandon Knight in 2013. Nesterovic, a center, had a good six inches and 30 pounds on Richardson, and yet the 6'6" guard still blew through the 7-footer like he was some inflatable pool toy.

Here's hoping that, at the time, someone updated Nesterovic's Wikipedia page to reflect his resulting incapacity.

Maybe Next Time, Kobe

Kobe Bryant has been named to 12 All-Defensive teams.

And in November 2010, during Phoenix's 121-116 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers, Richardson didn't care about a single one of those selections.

Here, we have Richardson showing off his deceptiveness as a member of the Suns. He feigns left, then spins right, leaving Bryant behind, frozen and confused as he halfheartedly puts his left arm up in response to Richardson's nimble footwork. 

Lamar Odom does rotate over to help his teammate, but it's to no avail.

Split seconds after leaving solid ground, Richardson angles the ball ever so slightly to his left with both hands. Odom momentarily bites, and by the time he recovers, Richardson has pushed the ball into his right hand and finished around Odom's outstretched arm.

There is only one explanation for how Richardson made so many decisions in so little time: He practices witchcraft.

This Dunk Contest Should Have Been over

Dunk Contest title defenses can be self-sabotaging. You struggle to come up with something new and fresh that also matches the degree of difficulty and fanfare from your first go-round.

Anyone worried that Richardson would suffer from dunker's fatigue after winning the 2002 and 2003 competitions was eventually put at ease. He showed up ready to amaze with the above gem. 

Off the backboard? Check. Between the legs? Yup. Obligatory windmill motion? Absolutely.

Important: jeez. Fred Jones actually earned the win in this dunk-off, because the world is unfair, but still: jeez.

Not unlike before, it's really difficult to put the sheer awesomeness of this aerial accolade into proper context. TNT analyst Kenny Smith came the closest to doing it justice.

"Are you kidding me?" Smith exclaimed at the time. "That is sick. That is sick. He's got the flu. He's sick."

Just when you thought you had seen it all from Richardson, he went and pulled a sanity-shattering stunt like this, reinforcing his standing as one of the NBA's foremost modern-day dunking pioneers. 

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @danfavale.