Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson wants a chance to play soccer after seeing Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder make his pro soccer debut in Germany.
Somebody better sign me fr https://t.co/gaoz7DEl3J
— Josuélito (@J_Rich1) May 31, 2024
Schroder is playing in the sixth division in Germany to perhaps creatively fill his offseason with a new way of training.
Brooklyn Nets Dennis Schröder made his official pro football debut in German 6th division ⚽️ #Netsworld pic.twitter.com/HQEzblP4rz
— NetsKingdom 👑🗽 (@NetsKingdomAJ) May 31, 2024
Schroder played 62 minutes for F.C. Germania Bleckenstedt in the team’s 5-1 loss to S.C. Gottingen 05 on Wednesday.
Richardson, a second-round pick by Miami back in the 2015 NBA Draft, may want to get out on the soccer field, but the Heat guard might need to heal from his season-ending shoulder injury first. He had season-ended surgery on his right shoulder, costing him the final two months of the regular season and Miami’s playoff series against Boston.
After several seasons away from Miami, Richardson returned to the franchise in free agency ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The veteran guard appeared in 43 games for the Heat during the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Richardson, 30, likely still has more time left in his NBA career, but it’s possible that he looks to try his hand at soccer once he’s done playing basketball.
His interest – and the fact that Schroder is currently playing soccer – just goes to show how talented NBA athletes are.
Schroder had an interesting 2023-24 season of his own, beginning it with the Toronto Raptors before he was moved to Brooklyn at the trade deadline.
The veteran guard has played for several teams in his career, and he played well across 80 games for Brooklyn and Toronto, averaging 14.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range.
Schroder is under contract for the 2024-25 season, so he may have some more time on his hands to play another sport since he doesn’t have to deal with contract negotiations.
As for Richardson, he has a player option for the 2024-25 season with the Heat. He could decline it to become an unrestricted free agent.
Hopefully, the Heat guard can recover from his shoulder injury and eventually get back to the basketball court – and maybe even the soccer field – in the near future.
