Former CHS basketball star dies

[okarol]

Former CHS basketball star dies

Brad Memberto/Sports Writer

Jay Richardson, who dazzled Cabrillo fans and frustrated opponents on the basketball court before graduating in 1998, died on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA.

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Richardson suffered from the same kidney disease that struck Alonzo Mourning. He began dialysis in March 2006.

The 6-8 Richardson was an All-League, All-County and All-Section player who played for Coach Mark Tasch.

“Jay was a key member of a couple very powerful Cabrillo basketball teams,” Tasch said. “He was a tremendously gifted player physically — if there was ever a five tool player in basketball, he was it.”

In his junior year, Richardson played a big part in the Conquistadores reaching the CIF quarterfinals.

“He was one of the most athletic post players we ever had at Cabrillo,” said Dan Duffy, who was an assistant to Tasch at Cabrillo for a time, but was just a spectator when Richardson played.

“He was so much fun to watch play,” Duffy continued. “And he played with his heart on his sleeve.”

In his senior year, with a terrific cast on the court, the Conqs made it to the semi-finals.

After Cabrillo, Richardson earned All-Western State Conference honors at Cuesta College where he averaged 15.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

From 2000 to 2002, Richardson played at Sacramento State.

Richardson played professional ball in the American Basketball Association after college until he was diagnosed with Focal Glomerulosclerosis, a life-threatening kidney disease.

Last October Richardson found a match in his aunt, but two days before the scheduled transplant in his final round of pre-op tests, it was found that Richardson was suffering from heart failure and the operation was canceled.

“He had an enlarged heart from it working so hard because of the kidney,” said his mother Shawn Gantt in a phone interview. “They had to put a defibrillator in.”

During his battle with his disease, Richardson kept a strong front and most of his friends were not aware of the severity of his ailment.

“Never, ever did he complain,” his mother said. “He was just living life — he was amazing.”

Gantt said that was not always the case.

“He didn’t like pain at all,” Gantt laughed. “When he was young he would always complain — he couldn’t handle pain.”

At his last birthday in May, Richardson told his mother that he knew it would be his last.

“He started making arraignments, giving things to his friends,” Gantt explained. “And he spent so much time with his son — 10-year old Elijah Kobe — they were very close.”

Tasch remembered how Richardson was when Cabrillo had youth camps in the gym.

“I can picture him like he is standing right here,” Tasch explained, thinking back to those days. “With two kids holding onto his legs he would have a big smile on his face as he dragged them around trying to make shots.

“He was as kind and gentle with those kids as anyone could be — that is what I will remember most.”

On Aug. 11, Richardson was admitted to UCLA suffering from liver and pancreas failure and his veins were shutting down, he was in the hospital until his passing.

A funeral celebrating Richardson’s life will be at the Foursquare Church in Santa Maria beginning at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. Visitation will be held the hour prior to the service.

September 2, 2009

http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2009/09/06/sports/sport36.txt