When John Calipari moved to Arkansas, he brought a few things with him. He brought his luggage, a Hall of Fame level of experience, and most importantly, loads of Kentucky players, including three five-star commitments. One of those commitments is Billy Richmond III.
Earlier this week, Whistle Sports released a new addition to its original series “No Days Off” that follows athletes as they train with their support systems. For Richmond, that includes his mom, Kimberly Thomas, trainer Jevonte Holmes, agent Ryan Davis, and high school coach Maalik Wyans.
"He's always in the gym. He's always watching film, so mentally and physically, he's working every day," said Wyans. The constant theme about Richmond was how great his work ethic is.
Davis — who knows a thing or two about what it takes to be in the NBA — said, "Billy has a great work ethic. I think he's already working out pretty similar to a pro, so I think Billy understands what it's going to take to get to the NBA, and I think he understands it early enough... He's on track to get there himself."
It wasn't an easy journey either. From ninth grade to tenth, Richmond grew five inches, from 6-foot to 6-foot-5-inches. "What makes me most proud of Billy is the things he had to overcome," said Holmes. "Him coming in high school... being a 6-foot guard, the growing pains he went through from his ninth-grade year, going to his sophomore year, 6-foot to 6-5. I knew there was times he wanted to shut down."
"It was tough mentally, and it was tough for him to just even run up and down the court," said Richmond's mother, Thomas. "So overcoming that and creating a strong mindset and having a strong support system are some of the ways that he overcame it."
Richmond's work ethic stands out in his game, too. "I feel comfortable about driving, getting downhill, playing both sides of the ball," said Richmond. "I love defense." Even his agent Davis noticed his "intention to play defense" when he first watched Richmond play.
In a time when touch fouls and nitpicky calls are common in basketball, Richmond swims against the current. “I’m a dog on the court," said Richmond. " not a lot of aggressive players out here, so when I'm out here, I'm really like the only aggressive player. You don't see too many of those, especially this generation."
Razorback fans will love him for this. With former players like Bobby Portis, Daniel Gafford, Corliss Williamson, etc., toughness is celebrated and respected at Arkansas. Richmond said playing in the Tennessee basketball scene helped him develop that toughness, "They don't really call fouls... You just got to play without the fouls, play without the refs going at you, so you got to be hard if you come from there."
When asked about what Richmond wanted from life, he stated some of the obvious, "My long-term goal is to be a Hall of Famer, retire my mom." But even with the fame and fortune that comes with being an NBA star, Richmond would like to partake in the simple life. "I want to have a farm, too. I just want cows, sheep, all that."
"No days off means... to sacrifice. You got to sacrifice time, money, basically just to get to your goals in life," said Richmond when asked what "No Days Off" means to him. It's obvious from the video that he's lived that motto since he was very young. Now, he joins a former teammate DJ Waggner at Arkansas, taking the next step in realizing his lifelong dreams.