Jase Richardson Bio
Jason Anthoney Richardson II, professionally known as Jase Richardson, is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A shooting guard standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 180 pounds, he was selected 25th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft after a single standout season with the Michigan State Spartans. Born on October 16, 2005, in Berkeley, California, Richardson has quickly emerged as one of the most talked-about young guards of his draft class.
Early Life and Background
Jason Anthoney Richardson II was born on October 16, 2005, in Berkeley, California, and grew up in Denver, Colorado, in a household deeply rooted in basketball. His father, Jason Richardson, was a second-team All-American at Michigan State and a member of the Spartans’ 2000 NCAA championship team before enjoying a 14-year NBA career. His mother, Jackie Paul-Richardson, played college basketball at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and coached her son from age four through high school, shaping his early fundamentals and basketball IQ.
Before his freshman year of high school, Richardson’s family relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he attended Bishop Gorman High School. As a sophomore, he averaged 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals per game, and after missing most of his junior year, he finished his Nike EYBL career as the third-leading scorer at 20.1 points per game, posting a 10-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio that earned him first-team Peach Jam honors. He transferred to Christopher Columbus High School in Westchester, Florida, for his senior year, where he averaged 15 points, six rebounds and four assists while helping lead the program to its third consecutive FHSAA 7A state championship and a Chipotle Nationals final four appearance alongside Cameron Boozer.
Path to Basketball
Richardson was rated a four-star recruit and chose Michigan State, his father’s alma mater, over scholarship offers from Alabama and Cincinnati. He committed to the Spartans with the intention of continuing a family tradition and developing his game under a high-level college program. The decision to follow in his father’s footsteps at the same Big Ten program created a natural narrative heading into his freshman season.
Richardson enrolled at Michigan State University in June 2024 to take part in the Spartans’ summer practices, accelerating his adjustment to college basketball. He made his official college debut on November 4, 2024, against Monmouth, recording 10 points, two rebounds and four assists in an 81–57 win. That early performance signaled his readiness to contribute, and he spent the season transitioning from a reserve role to a starting position.
Jase Richardson Career
Early Career (2024–2025)
Richardson’s lone college season at Michigan State served as his introduction to high-level organized basketball at the national stage. He came off the bench for most of the year before earning his first career start on February 8, 2025, against Oregon, a game in which he scored a career-high 29 points in a win over the Ducks. From that point on, he remained in the starting lineup and quickly became a central figure in the Spartans’ late-season push.
He guided Michigan State to the Big Ten conference regular-season championship and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA tournament, where he was selected to the 2025 South Regional Team. His freshman-year impact was recognized with selections to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten third team, along with an invitation to the 2024 Jordan Brand Classic. On April 8, 2025, he announced the end of his college career and officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, forgoing his remaining eligibility.
NBA Breakthrough (2025–Present)
Richardson was selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, beginning his professional career with the franchise. His selection reflected both his upside as a young guard and the basketball pedigree that comes with being the son of a former NBA standout. He joined an Orlando organization looking to add backcourt depth and playmaking behind its veteran core.
Following his draft selection, Richardson signed with the Orlando Magic and was also assigned to the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s NBA G League affiliate, to continue his development. He is listed as a shooting guard and wears jersey number 11 for the organization. The early stages of his NBA career are expected to blend NBA minutes with G League reps as the Magic ease him into a full-time role.
Driving Style and Strengths
Richardson is best known for his high basketball IQ, court vision and efficient decision-making, a profile shaped by years of coaching from his mother. He finished his Nike EYBL career with an extraordinary 10-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, the best of any point guard in the circuit, and showed throughout high school and college that he can rebound, defend and facilitate from the guard position. His combination of poise, playmaking and scoring touch has drawn comparisons to the modern combo-guard prototype, and his fit in Orlando’s up-tempo system offers a natural platform for those skills.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his most notable early milestones, Richardson scored a career-high 29 points in his first career start for Michigan State against Oregon, helped lead the Spartans to the 2025 Big Ten regular-season title and an Elite Eight run, and was selected to the 2025 South Regional Team. He was also named to the 2024 Jordan Brand Classic and earned Big Ten All-Freshman and All-Big Ten third-team honors in his only college season before being drafted 25th overall by the Orlando Magic in 2025.
Jase Richardson Career Wins
As a young professional still in the opening months of his NBA career, Jase Richardson is in the early stages of compiling individual and team accomplishments. His verified wins and honors to this point come from a single, productive season at Michigan State and a successful draft night, with his first NBA milestones still ahead.
Michigan State Highlights
During his lone season with the Michigan State Spartans, Richardson helped the program capture the 2025 Big Ten regular-season championship and reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. He scored a career-high 29 points in his first collegiate start against Oregon and was recognized with selections to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten third team. His individual statistical impact, combined with team success, established him as one of the top freshmen in the conference.
Other Wins and Performances
Richardson earned first-team Peach Jam honors during his Nike EYBL career and finished as the third-leading scorer on the circuit at 20.1 points per game. At Christopher Columbus High School, he helped the program claim its third straight FHSAA 7A state championship and reach a final four at the Chipotle Nationals, capping his high school career with a team title run.
Jase Richardson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jase Richardson comes from one of the most accomplished basketball families in the country. His father, Jason Richardson, was a second-team All-American at Michigan State, a member of the Spartans’ 2000 NCAA championship team and a 14-year NBA veteran, while his mother, Jackie Paul-Richardson, played college basketball at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and served as Jase’s personal coach from age four through high school. His younger brother, Jaxon Richardson, is a consensus five-star basketball recruit in the class of 2026, extending the family’s presence in the sport to a new generation.
Personal Life
Richardson was born in Berkeley, California, and raised in Denver, Colorado, before his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, ahead of his freshman year of high school. He has long credited his mother, Jackie Paul-Richardson, with the technical and mental foundation of his game, citing her years of hands-on coaching as central to his development. Off the court, he has been described as a focused, family-oriented young athlete, and he continues to share a close bond with his younger brother Jaxon as the two pursue basketball careers of their own.
2025 Season Performance
Jase Richardson’s 2025 campaign has been defined by a rapid ascent from elite college freshman to first-round NBA Draft pick. He capped his Michigan State season with a Big Ten regular-season title, an Elite Eight run and a 29-point breakout performance against Oregon, and his selection 25th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2025 NBA Draft officially launched his professional career. The transition from Big Ten star to NBA rotation player is the defining storyline of his rookie year.
As a rookie, Richardson is expected to split time between the Orlando Magic and the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s NBA G League affiliate, to accumulate on-court experience. The Magic organization views him as a long-term backcourt piece with two-way potential, and his early assignments will be closely tied to his development in pick-and-roll decision-making, perimeter defense and perimeter shooting. With his high basketball IQ and professional pedigree, he enters the league as one of the more polished young guards in his class.
Looking ahead, Richardson’s outlook for the rest of 2025 and beyond is shaped by his long-term fit in Orlando and the developmental resources available to him. Continued G League reps and selective NBA minutes should help refine his scoring efficiency and on-ball defense as he adjusts to the speed and physicality of the professional game. If his rookie curve mirrors his rapid college rise, he has the tools to grow into a meaningful rotation role for the Magic in the seasons to come.
