Florida great Will Richard’s Warriors debut ends in a massive surprise

When Will Richard was drafted late in the NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, it barely registered with most NBA fans. Even Florida Gator fans knew that Richard had a long road ahead to actually make a positive impact on the roster.

But after a huge preseason, Richard has been drawing the praises of everyone at Golden State and earned a huge honor in his NBA debut on Tuesday night.

Will Richard earns game ball in NBA debut

Richard came off the bench and played 14 minutes, scored five points, and had a rebound, a steal, and an assist.

The play that drew rave reviews for Richard last night started on the defensive end, when he came into the lane to collect his steal and started the fast break down the other end that resulted in a mini-alley oop.

Golden State head coach Steve Keer was impressed enough by Richard's showing that he gave Richard the game ball after the Warriors beat the Los Angeles Lakers.

After the game, Keer said:

"Will (Richard) looks like he's in his seventh year. He doesn't look like a rookie out there."

Golden State is a fun team for Gator fans in 2025-26, because it also means that Richard is now teammates with Florida legend Al Horford, who was in attendance during the national title game back in April.

Richard transferred to Florida from Belmont after his freshman season when Todd Golden got hired in Gainesville. He transformed from a three-point specialist to an all-around player, and while he wasn't the spotlight star of the Gators, he had a massive role in winning the national title.

During the national title game, when Walter Clayton Jr. was locked down in the first half, Richard had 18 points in the game and was four of seven from three.

Clayton Jr. and fellow Gator rookie Alijah Martin should make their official NBA debuts on Wednesday night with Utah and Toronto, respectively.