New Philadelphia 76ers guard Josh Richardson expects to help the Sixers compete for championships and help them take the next step. The long and athletic 6-foot-6 shooting guard averaged 16.6 points and 4.1 assists while shooting 35.7 from deep in 2018-19 and he’s very excited about joining a team with a lot of expectations.

He has been involved in a lot of high-pressure situations as a member of the Miami Heat and he knows that he will need to call on the toughness he learned from his time there to help him in Philadelphia.

“I think playing for Pat(Riley) and that organization built a lot of toughness in me,” he said. “I think there’s no way you can play on that team if you’re a soft guy or a soft player. That team can eat you up and spit you out.”

That toughness came in handy when the Heat matched up with the Sixers in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs and Richardson has recollections from the passionate Philadelphia fan base.

“I remember the fans letting me have it!” he said emphatically. “Every game just like ‘You’re trash! We hate you! Blah, blah, blah’ like constant every game. So now I hope to turn that into positives and I’m going to egg them on to do that to the other team.”

.@J_Rich1 speaks on what he learned on toughness during his days in Miami and what he remembers from the Philly fans here in the playoffs in 2018 #Sixers pic.twitter.com/H8wb4ASou4 — Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) July 12, 2019

Richardson totaled 75 blocks in the 2017-18 season using his athleticism to be able to make big plays. His length and defensive athleticism was a big draw as to why the Sixers acquired him from the Heat in the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade and if he can continue to make big plays, the Philadelphia fan base will definitely change their tune on the 4-year man out of Tennessee.