Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson

For 3 many years we’ve lined many wonderful basketball characters, however some stand above the remainder—not solely due to their on-court expertise (although these are at all times related), however due to how they influenced and proceed to affect basketball tradition, and thus influenced SLAM. In the meantime, SLAM has additionally modified these gamers’ lives in numerous methods, as we’ve documented their careers with basic covers, legendary pictures, wonderful tales, compelling movies and extra. 

We compiled a gaggle of people (programming be aware: 30 entries, not 30 individuals whole) who imply one thing particular to SLAM and to our viewers. Learn the full list here and order your copy of SLAM 248, the place this checklist was initially printed, here.

As they inform it, Darius and Q have been on their solution to being AND1 guys when Michael Jordan himself made positive they joined Jordan Model. Leap, males. They obtained all kinds of uncommon retro PEs, head-tapped their means into the general public consciousness again when Melo was nonetheless hoopin’ at Towson Catholic, landed a well-deserved KICKS cowl. They have been an unlikely pairing who meshed in unlikely methods; Miles a willowy 6-9 rim runner who ate up the court docket with big strides, Richardson a strong 6-6 with a seemingly bottomless post-up bag and three-point vary.

It’s type of loopy to look again and notice that Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson performed simply two seasons collectively. The Clippers drafted them 15 picks aside in 2000—Darius third, Q 18th—and cut up them up in the summertime of 2002 when Darius was dealt (together with Harold Jamison) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andre Miller and Bryant Stith. In these two seasons, the Clippers received 70 mixed video games and didn’t make the playoffs. Miles began 27 video games, Richardson 28. From a basketball standpoint, it was barely a ripple—the anticipated Clippers revival (or maybe vival, wasn’t no “re” about it) by no means actually transpired, not less than not till the rise of Lob Metropolis. However you possibly can’t simply measure affect by Ws and Ls or factors or any of that.

Miles was the one with the celebrity vibe, the one who ended up on the “Roc L.A. Familia” SLAM cowl alongside Lamar Odom and Elton Model, all sporting one another’s jerseys. Elton was removed from alone in rocking an outsized Miles 21 jersey, wasn’t even the one one to put on it backward. Miles had Iverson’s vibe and Pippen’s sport, a protracted, lanky stat-sheet filler who on his finest nights seemed like he may very properly fulfill the promise that led to Sports activities Illustrated placing him on their cowl with Kevin Garnett peeking out from behind.

Need a wild stat? The Clippers weren’t superb, solely had 4 nationally televised video games in Darius’ and Q’s two seasons—one of their first season, three of their second—however the Clippers went 4-0 in these video games, together with a win over the Shaq and Kobe two-time defending champion Lakers in January 2002. Of their last nationwide TV sport, towards the Mavs every week later, they each performed 30-plus minutes off the bench, each scored 15 factors, each crammed each box-score field—hit a 3, had not less than one rebound, help, steal and block.

Their Clippers promise went principally unfulfilled—which maybe shouldn’t have come as a shock given a younger workforce within the Donald Sterling days. A rose would possibly develop from concrete, however it isn’t a standard incidence. As for expectations, these are ours, one thing separate from the careers that truly play out. So after the summer time of 2002, Darius and Q wound up journeymen on their very own journeys: Darius with injury-plagued years in Cleveland, Portland and Memphis; Q breaking the Suns single-season three-point file in Phoenix earlier than enjoying in New York (twice), Miami and Orlando. Darius performed his final sport at 27, Q at 33; each of their last seasons mere epilogues.

However their tales didn’t finish, their journeys weren’t over. And a full decade-plus after their last video games, they’d reunite—on a podcast this time—because the Knuckleheads, each giving flowers to former teammates and opponents in addition to receiving their very own. They’re each lively on social media, usually in SLAM’s IG feedback exhibiting like to each lively and retired hoopers. Possibly Darius and Q have been by no means All-Stars and by no means received championships, however they discovered each other, they bent basketball tradition of their path, and truthfully? That’s greater than sufficient. 

Picture by way of Getty Photographs.