-- Lakers guard and Lauderdale Lakes native Mitch Richmond boasts a stellar NBA r?sum?: rookie of the year; six All-Star appearances; 20-plus points scoring average for 10 consecutive seasons; three times All-NBA second team.

But there is a glaring absence among the Boyd Anderson High graduate's accomplishments: an NBA championship. So at 36, and in the twilight of his career, Richmond made an understandable decision last summer. In choosing to become a role player for two-time defending champion Los Angeles, he passed on opportunities such as signing with Miami, where he would be playing quality minutes and likely putting up respectable numbers.

Heat coach Pat Riley, a longtime admirer of Richmond, said the reason the 13-year veteran isn't in a Heat uniform today is simple.

``He looked at us, and he looked at them, and that's where he went,'' Riley said Wednesday night. ``If I was him, I would have probably done the same thing. He had a chance to go to a championship team.''

Richmond's route to obtaining a potential title, however, has become somewhat of a trying experience. He entered Wednesday night's game against the Heat averaging a career-low 12.3 minutes and 4.5 points after averaging 36.8 minutes and 22.2 points for his career. On a team featuring Kobe Bryant, arguably the game's best shooting guard, playing time for teammates at the same position is always going to be scarce.

But Richmond, whom the Heat made more than one attempt to acquire in recent years, would do it all over again.

``Coming into this situation, I knew what I was coming into,'' he said. ``I'm playing behind a young guy who's in the prime of his career. I know my time is going to vary. I just have to be prepared.

``I didn't think it would get like this, but I still love the situation I'm in. I'm on the best team.''

Though Riley understands that decision, he would have relished the opportunity to coach a player who has surpassed 20,000 career points and is one of the game's all-time great long-range shooters.

Richmond entered this season fifth on the three-point shooting list (1,308 made). He signed a one-year, veteran-minimum contract of $1 million with the Lakers, a deal the Heat could easily have completed had Richmond sought it.

``We would have been very interested in him,'' Riley said. ``He would have played a lot more. I always liked Mitch as a bulldog post-up player.

``He could shoot the ball from outside and had three-point range, but he was tough down in the paint.''

Richmond said Wednesday he considered the Heat as an option after settling for a lump-sum payment on the final two years of a deal with the Washington Wizards last summer. But at the time, Riley was in the midst of a semi-overhaul of the Heat's roster, and Richmond wasn't exactly interested in waiting by the phone.

Riley can take solace in one thing: He might have another shot to sign Richmond, who wants to play one more season, though he prefers it be with the Lakers.

``I feel I'll be back next year,'' said Richmond, who turns 37 in June. ``I feel like I can go through the aches and pains.''