(WRIC) — 2015 was a year for new beginnings and sad departures for the sports scene here in Richmond and the entire state.
We mourned the loss of one of the greatest athletes to come from our area, Petersburg native Moses Malone, the first player ever to be drafted out of high school who went on to lead a Hall of Fame career in the NBA.
Frank Beamer’s retirement announcement in early November garnered national attention, but hit especially close to home here in Virginia.
Here in Richmond, VCU basketball fans were devastated to hear that Shaka Smart, who built VCU’s men’s basketball team into a perennial NCAA tournament contender, was leaving for Texas. Smart made the announcement in April.
One of the most beloved players in VCU basketball history, Briante Weber, saw his season end early due to injury last winter, but rebounded to get signed by the NBA’s Miami Heat. That came after he watched his Rams capture the A-10 title.
And who can forget the raucous atmosphere JMU and UR football fans created when ESPN’s College GameDay opened camp in Harrisonburg?
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