The Golden State Warriors went up against the Los Angeles Lakers in their first regular season game of the 2025-26 campaign on Tuesday night, with rookie guard Will Richard making a good first impression and earning an unlikely comparison from head coach Steve Kerr.
During the broadcast, NBC announcer Noah Eagle said that Kerr was very complimentary of Richard and all of the experience he brings to the table despite his rookie stature. Eagle said that Kerr likened Richard to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who was a starter at Iowa State for three straight seasons before being selected by San Francisco with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Steve Kerr likens Will Richard to Brock Purdy
Richard played four collegiate seasons, one with Belmont University and then three with the University of Florida where he won a national championship in his senior year.
Richard played in 32 games or more in each of his collegiate seasons, played in 141 in total. That can be rare for young NBA players, but all of that experience has certainly paid off early on for Richard in his NBA career.
He had some solid showings in the preseason and even got people talking about him as a potential member of the rotation. Richard seems to be a big X-factor for the team this season and could be a very big part of the team's second unit over the likes of Gary Payton II and Gui Santos.
All of that experience with the Florida Gators has seemingly paid off, so Kerr's comparison between Richard and Purdy definitely seems to hold some water. Oftentimes in the NBA, young players who did not play a ton in college will come into the league and struggle to adjust and get acclimated. They may have raw skill, but they lack the refinement and polish of a player who saw a lot of playing time in the college ranks and has more reps.
Just like in the NFL, quarterbacks taken early in the NFL Draft without much experience will often look overwhelmed initially. They have trouble reading defenses or adjusting to the speed of the NFL while guys like Purdy who simply played more might have the upper hand even if they are not as fast, tall, or have the same arm strength.
Golden State looks very smart for trading for Richard after he was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2025 NBA Draft. He has already made an impact after one game and looks like the NBA is not going to overwhelm him even though he is a rookie.
The 22-year-old had five points in just under 14 minutes in his NBA debut, knocking down a big corner 3-pointer in the fourth-quarter and also converting on a smart put-back after a Buddy Hield air ball.