OAKLAND, California, 19 October 2003 — The Golden State Warriors extended the contracts of guard Jason Richardson and forward Troy Murphy for a fourth year on Friday.
“We’re excited to have Jason and Troy in the fold through the 2004-05 season,” Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean said. “We think both of these young men are going to be very special players and will be the key to our future success.”
Richardson, 22, averaged 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and three assists in 82 games last season.
Murphy, who is also 22, averaged 10.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists, making him one of only five NBA athletes to average a double-double.
He wound up third in voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz exercised their option on rising talent Andrei Kirilenko, the 19th overall pick in the 2001 draft.
“This was an easy decision for us,” vice president of basketball operations Kevin O’Connor said.
Ekezie Suffers Knee Injury in NBA Comeback Bid
In Atlanta, Georgia, Nigeria’s Obinna Ekezie, who was playing well in preseason games for the Atlanta Hawks, was found Friday to have torn right knee ligaments and will be sidelined indefinitely.
The forward was making a National Basketball Association comeback after playing last season in Yugoslavia, but the injury that came in the final minutes of a 92-78 exhibition loss to Miami dimmed his bid.
Ekezie, a free agent, went up for a rebound and landed awkwardly on the floor with just under seven minutes to play. He was Atlanta’s third-leading scorer through four preseason games with 11.8 points a game. He was second in rebounds with 7.3 a game and the team’s top percentage shooter at 48.8
