Michael Ray Richardson was banned from the NBA for testing positive for cocaine for the third time, which led Commissioner David Stern to impose a lifetime ban in 1986. He later regained the right to play in the NBA in 1988 but chose to continue his career in Europe and never returned to the NBA as a player. Key points:

• First active NBA player to receive a lifetime ban.
• Ban stemmed from violations of the league’s substance abuse policy related to cocaine use.
• Reinstated in 1988 but pursued professional basketball overseas.
• Post-NBA, Richardson found success as a coach in other leagues (e.g., CBA, NBL Canada).

If you’d like, I can pull up contemporary sources or summarize how the ban affected his NBA career and subsequent coaching path.