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Kendra AndrewsESPN
golden state warriors Legends Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond made an important announcement to the Chase Center crowd during the Warriors’ April 7 game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Dub Nation, we received some great news last weekend,” said Marin. “Warrior legend Tim Hardaway is a member of the 2022 Hall of Fame.”
Sitting courtside, Hardaway received a standing ovation as he stood up and waved.
It’s been a long road for Hardaway, who missed out on voting for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame five times. All of these missed opportunities resulted in him barely being able to answer the phone when he saw Hall calling the previous week. I didn’t want to hear the words, “Sorry, I didn’t get enough votes.”
But this time he got better news. Hardaway, Marin and Richmond – the core of the Warriors’ famous run from 1989 to his 1991 TMC era – will reunite in the Hall of Fame.
“Still, every time it pops into my head, it chokes me out,” Hardaway told ESPN. “We’re a family. We’ve always been a family. I can’t put into words how I feel about having three people in the hall for what we’ve done in just two years.”
I don’t think Run TMC is one of the greatest trios in NBA history, but I think they could be. Given the chance, they could have used the momentum from their second-round playoff loss at the end of the 1990-91 season to take the next step towards the championship.
Mullin, Richmond and Hardaway know that the last two seasons created a legacy that is still a fan favorite.
“We only played together for two seasons,” Marin told ESPN. “It’s unique, but looking back, it’s kind of sad for us. A lot of things happened and we made the most of our time together. For me, when we played It was a most enjoyable, uplifting and energetic time, with a lot of promise.
“When we get together, years later, decades later, we always think, ‘What if?
Warriors Drafted Marin, a 6-foot-6 forward after posting a league-worst 22-60 record in 1985.
They drafted the 6-5 guard Richmond in 1988, and that same year Don Nelson, who came to the Warriors two years earlier as the team’s vice president, became general manager and head coach.
And finally, the Warriors drafted 6-foot point guard Hardaway in 1989.
“Tim really turned this franchise into a powerful, high-energy, aggressive juggernaut,” Mullin said.
When Marin, Hardaway and Richmond brought Nelson’s fast-paced “Nelly Ball” offense to life, they quickly became one of the most popular trios in the NBA. To distinguish them, a Bay Area newspaper held a contest for fans to come up with nicknames for the trio.
There were entries like “The Ultimate Warriors,” “Three-mendius,” and “The Dunk-and-go-nuts.” But none were correct. It was Run TMC that stuck.
The nickname is a reference to Run DMC, the iconic hip-hop trio who rose to fame in the 80s. The trio’s nickname, TMC, comes from the initials of each player’s first name.
“You have to have a great mind to innovate what you want your team to do, make it fun, and put it where other teams can’t keep up,” Hardaway said. I didn’t understand that you could play against players, they could be under the age of 6 to 5. We were doing it, but people couldn’t keep up with us. ”
Although the Warriors went 37-45 and missed the playoffs in the 1989-90 season, they led the league in scoring average and pace of play, displaying the stylistic traits that defined the Run TMC era.
In the first regular season game of the following season, the Warriors recorded the highest scoring non-overtime game in league history, beating the Denver Nuggets 162-158. That season, they averaged 116.6 points per game, his second-most in the NBA behind the Nuggets.
Golden State advanced to the second round of the 1991 playoffs that season, but lost in five games to the Lakers, who advanced to the NBA Finals.
The Warriors could feel their franchise-building momentum picking up, but came to a complete halt after one game into the 1991-92 season.Minutes after the season-opening win over the Nuggets, Richmond was traded to the Sacramento Kings for a rookie holdout Billy Owens.
Owens was the No. 3 pick in the 1991 draft, and his offensive versatility seemed a good fit for Nelson’s system. And his 6-8 frame would strengthen the size of the Warriors – Nelson was under pressure to improve.
At first, Marin and Hardaway thought Richmond was joking when he said he wouldn’t be on the team bus. While the team returned to Oakland, Richmond headed northeast to Sacramento, 90 miles away.
“It still hurts me [this] Richmond said. [what we had] Leaving, the first time I was traded, the first time I went through a team that didn’t want me, it was a lot. … wore it in the game. Every time I was in court, I was angry. “
Richmond has always been a quiet man, but after leaving Golden State he became even less talkative. It took him years to wash his bitterness about Nelson out of his mouth.
Richmond blossomed into an All-Star in Sacramento, but the trio of Hardaway, Marin and Owens never flourished. In his next three years, Golden State made the playoffs twice, losing in the first round both times. This included his 1993–94 season when Hardaway missed due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Hardaway’s Warriors career ended after 422 games when he was traded to the Miami Heat in 1996. His Run TMC days in Auckland are over.
for Richmond is usually at the center of the “what if” conversations surrounding Run TMC. All three players have found success with different teams, but Richmond won the title with the Lakers in his 2002 but never had a chance at a championship together.
the trio with themselves Stephen Curry, draymond green When Klay Thompson He is almost certain to follow in the footsteps of Hardaway, Richmond and Marin. The current championship Warriors play in an up-tempo style reminiscent of his Run TMC era, but what really ties those two eras together is how each member of each trio played against each other. It’s a way to complement each other’s talents.
“It’s one thing to like your teammates and respect them, but when it’s in place and you need your teammates, it’s on a whole other level,” Mullin said. “Draymond needs Steph and Klay shooting. Steph and Klay need Draymond passing and defense. Steph needs Klay guard size. become”
For Run TMC, it was Hardaway’s 1-1 and passing skill combined with Richmond’s drive and Marin’s shot that made it so lethal.
And there are similarities in their personalities.
“Draymond is like me,” said Hardaway. “I’m the voice. I’m the starter that pushes us forward. Chris and Mitch are like Steph and Clay….they just get out there and say nothing. Just get out there and say nothing.” do your job.”
This season, the Warriors will wear a Run TMC-inspired jersey that Marin proudly models at the team’s promotional events.
In their eyes, they seem to recognize how Run TMC has shaped an entire organization, the current Warriors, and a culture of fans who remember the trio.
“It shows they respect what we were doing,” Hardaway said. “They were excited to be in the game to see what we were doing. We gave them excitement.
In their two seasons together, Run TMC never came close to reaching the NBA Finals. We lost two more games than we won. He was the only time Run TMC had won a playoff series. Still, Golden State’s influence on basketball can be viewed as transcendent. I made everyone into the Hall of Fame.
“The really amazing thing is when we walk together and see the three of us,” Hardaway said. See what we’re talking about.
