Hollywood couldn’t write a more unlikely story to basketball superstardom.

Chris Richard started high school as a freshman clarinet player in the Kathleen High School marching band who dreamed of one day being a marine biologist.
But instead, thanks to some pointers on toughness from his older brother Tim Jones and basketball tips from his mother, he’s the first Polk County athlete to earn both the Florida Dairy Farmers “Mr. Basketball” title and, in 2003, the Gatorade Florida High School Boy’s Basketball Player of the Year mantle. Ultimately his basketball skills would take him from Lakeland to Gainesville to Minneapolis and beyond.

In his four-year career as a Red Devil, Richard averaged 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and seven blocked shots per game. He was also a key part of the Red Devils team that brought home the Class 4A state championship in 2001.

Upon graduating from Kathleen, he attended the University of Florida. He played a significant role for the Gators men’s basketball team, contributing to the teams’ rare and legendary feat of winning back-to-back national titles. In 2007, he was also named the Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year. Richard is also in the top-10 for all-time games played.
Following four successful years at UF, three SEC championships, two national titles, and the SEC Sixth Man of the year award, Richard entered the 2007 NBA draft and was selected with the 41st pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, playing in 52 games during the 2007-08 season. He spent 2009-10 with the Chicago Bulls, before moving to China to play for the Liaoning Panpan Dinosaurs in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Since retiring from basketball, Chris has focused on player development and community outreach. In 2014 he received the nationally recognized FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award. He was also the keynote speaker for the FBI Tampa Division’s Junior Special Agent Academy, where he gave a presentation on making the right choices today to ensure a brighter future tomorrow.

Today, he’s returned to his roots – the gym. You can find him training kids and professionals of all ages, incorporating a number of innovative workouts he’s incorporated over the years.
In March of this year, Chris was named an SEC Basketball Legend. He was recognized as being one of 14 former greats who “excelled on the hardwood and helped write the rich history of men’s basketball in the SEC.”