Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson is interested in playing soccer after watching Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder make his professional soccer debut in Germany.
Schroder is spending his offseason creatively by playing in Germany’s sixth division.
Brooklyn Nets’ Dennis Schroder made his official pro soccer debut in Germany’s 6th division ⚽️
Schroder played 62 minutes for F.C. Germania Bleckenstedt in their 5-1 loss to S.C. Gottingen 05 on Wednesday.
Richardson, drafted by Miami in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft, is eager to try soccer but needs to recover from his season-ending shoulder injury first. He had surgery on his right shoulder, causing him to miss the last two months of the regular season and Miami’s playoff series against Boston.
Richardson rejoined Miami as a free agent before the 2023-24 season after spending several years away.
During the 2023-24 season, Richardson played in 43 games for the Heat, averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 44.4% from the field and 34.7% from three-point range.
At 30, Richardson likely has more time in his NBA career, but he may pursue soccer after his basketball career ends.
His interest, spurred by Schroder’s soccer activity, highlights the versatile talents of NBA athletes.
Schroder had an eventful 2023-24 season, starting with the Toronto Raptors before being traded to Brooklyn. He played well across 80 games for both teams, averaging 14.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 43.5% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range.
With Schroder under contract for the 2024-25 season, he may have more time to explore other sports without contract negotiations.
Richardson has a player option for the 2024-25 season with the Heat and could become an unrestricted free agent.
Hopefully, Richardson can recover from his shoulder injury and return to basketball – and maybe even soccer – in the near future.
