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Richard Anderson has returned to Austria to join forces with his former coach Raoul Korner is hopes of bringing an Austria Championship to the city of Wels, Austria. The team is currently in the midst of an eight week training camp that will see the team play 12 exhibition games as they get ready for the season. The team looks strong and should definitely improve upon its fifth place finish last season. Richard joins Rod Platt inside as they look to become the most dominating inside tandem in the league.
Richard spent the summer competing with the Canadian Men's' National Team as it looked to Qualify for the 2006 FIBA World Championships of Basketball in Tokyo Japan. After inconsistent performances leading up to the tournament the team could not make it out of the first round pool play ending their hopes of World Championship glory next summer. This marks the first time since 1967 that the Canadian Men's team has failed to Qualify for the World Championships. It was a rough start for first time head coach Leo Rautins as the Canadian Squad had trouble maintaining a consistent effort for 40 minutes. The youth of the team showed on many occasions. Although the outcome of the summer was disappointing the future looks promising with the young talent that produced a pair of stellar efforts against the US, knocking them off twice; once in a tournament in Brazil and the second in Santo Domingo. The second win marked the first time Canada had beaten the US in International Competition in 20 years.
Belenenses saw a promising season come to a halt after losing its final six games including a 0-3 first round playoff series loss to Porto. Inconsistency plagued the Portuguese squad the entire season and proved to be their undoing. Anderson finishes the season in Portugal averaging 10.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, shooting 53.8% from the floor and 69.6% from the free throw line.
Richard used a new start in Estonia to show why he played four years with the Canadian National Team. The team played well after the arrival of Anderson clinching a play-off spot following a win, beating Rakvere 82-75 at home. The team entered the play-offs in 6th place looking to make waves as they try to return to their Championship form of last season. They fell short losing to A Le Coq at home and then dropping a heart breaking loss on a buzzer beating shot. The season ended for Tallinna Kalev losing the series 0-2 to A Le Coq. Anderson has lead the way averaging 17.4ppg and 10.6rpg (league leader in rebounding) while shooting a career best from the floor (59.6%) and the free throw line (81.8%).
February marked the last game Richard Anderson was to play in Angers, France ending a rollercoaster ride that saw a high of 20 straight victories in the 02-03 season and a low of 5 straight losses to start the season and a record of 3-14 at the time of his departure. With the help of Anderson, Angers saw their team finish the season in second with 29-7 overall record. During that season the squad won 20 straight games and proved that they belonged in Pro B with wins against three Pro B team on their run to the Final Eight in the Coupe De France of Basketball. The 03-04 season was plagued with problems as management made numerous changes in search of the best player to compliment the players who remained on the team from the previous season. The team seemed unable to play together and uncomfortable with the constant changes throughout the season. The resignation of the coach Bertrand Van Butsele led to a coaching change and the eventual replacement of the foreign players ending Anderson's career in Angers. Richard leaves averaging 13.3ppg and 7.1rpg.
Richard spent the Summer of 2002 competing in the World Championships of Basketball in Indianapolis, Indiana where the Canadian team finished a disappointing 13th place. The team was without the well known talents of Steve Nash, Todd MacCulloch and Peter Guaracsi this summer, however played with the inspiring passion that has become the trademark of Canada Basketball. The team lost its first three games (Spain, Angola and Yugoslavia), including a hard fought lost to the eventual 2002 World Champion Yugoslavian Squad that sported six NBA players, which knocked the Canadian team out of medal contention but finished the tournament strong winning its final two games against Lebanon (91-67) and Venezuela (98-97). Richard finished the tournament averaging 5.0ppg and 4.4rpg.
Richard spent 2001-02 playing his first professional season with the Mattersburg 49ers where he led them to their best season in club history . The team won its first Austrian Cup Championship in fifty years as well as a second place finish in the first round of league play. Mattersburg won its first play-off series 3-1 over the Traiskirchen Lions in which Richard scored a career high of 36 points in a 105-80 victory in Mattersburg. The Mattersburg squad fell to the Furstenfeld Panthers in the Semi-Final Series 3-1. Anderson finished the season averaging 18.2 PPG and 9.6 RPG in 39 games with the team. He led the league in field goal percentage (67.7%), rebounding and blocks (1.1 per game. Richard finished the season receiving several honours from the Austrian Bundesliga. He was placed on the All-Austrian Bundesliga 1st Team (2002), the Austrian Bundesliga All-Imports 1st Team (2002) and the Austrian Bundesliga All Defensive Team (2002).
Richard spent the summer of 2001 with the Canadian Men's National Team Program for a third consecutive year. He competed with the Senior Men’s Team in the NBA’s Los Angeles Summer League as well as the Student National Team, which finished sixth at the University Games in Beijing, China. The team also finished with a 4-2 record in six games played in Mexico versus the National and Student National Mexican Team. Richard finished the tournament averaging 11.8ppg and 8rpg. Two years before Richard helped the Men's' team qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the COPABA Qualification Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1999 (the following year Richard was side lined by an injury and was forced to miss the Olympics) and competed in the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba that same summer.
Richard Anderson was a member of the Simon Fraser University men’s basketball team from 1996-2000. As a member of that team he was a four time PNWAC Player of the week and holds the Simon Fraser Clan record for career field goal percentage (60.6%) and set an NAIA record with 20 consecutive field goals over a three game period during his third year.
Some of Richard Anderson’s career achievements in Basketball:
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Canadian Men’s National Team -- 1999 to 2005
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SFU Men’s Basketball Most Improved Player -- 97
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SFU Men’s Basketball Most Valuable Player -- 98
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NAIA Honourable Mention All-American -- 98
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BC Most Outstanding Senior Male Basketball Athlete -- 98
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All-Conference Selection -- 99
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NAIA Honourable Mention All-American -- 99
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Pan-American Games -- 99
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All-Conference Selection -- 00
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NAIA Honourable Mention All-American -- 00
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BC Most Outstanding Senior Male Basketball Athlete -- 00
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Canadian University National Team -- 01
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World University Games in Beijing, China -- 01
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Austrian Cup Winner -- 02
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Austrian A Bundesliga Semi-finals -- 02
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All-Austrian Bundesliga 1st Team -- 02
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Austrian Bundesliga All-Imports Team -- 02
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Austrian Bundesliga All-Defensive Team -- 02
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World Championships in Indianapolis -- 02
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National I First Team All Star -- 03
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Estonian Foreign Team All Star -- 04
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Eurobasket All-Estonian League Center of the Year -- 04
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Eurobasket All-Estonian League 1st Team -- 04
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Eurobasket Estonian League All-Imports -- 04
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Estonian Cup Finalist -- 04
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Portugal All Star Selection -- 05
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FIBA World Championship Qualifier, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic -- 05