Run TMC Trio

Lore & Background

Mullin was selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft, Richmond was drafted fifth overall by Golden State in 1988, and Hardaway was taken in the first round in 1989 with the 14th overall selection. They were the core of the Warriors' uptempo offense, known as 'Nellie Ball' after their coach Don Nelson. Nelson was a Warriors vice president in 1987–88 before becoming their coach and general manager starting in 1988–89.

The Warriors led the NBA in scoring in 1989–90 in Run TMC's first season. Early on, the rookie Hardaway was not as proficient a scorer as Mullin and Richmond. In a win over the Boston Celtics in the 38th game of the season, all three players surpassed 20 points in the same game for the first time. In their two seasons together, they accomplished the feat 48 times, going 30–18 in those games.

The Warriors sold out every home game in 1990–91. In the season opener, they defeated the Denver Nuggets 162–158, the highest-scoring regulation game in NBA history. Despite their scoring prowess, the Warriors were limited defensively. On February 26, 1991, they lost 131–119 to the Orlando Magic despite the trio each scoring more than 30 points (the rest of the team totaled 21 points).

Golden State finished the season 44–38, their best record in nine years, and finished second in the league in scoring (116.6). Mullin finishing eighth in scoring (25.7), Richmond 10th (23.9), and Hardaway 11th (22.9), averaging 72.5 points as the league's highest-scoring trio. Their combined scoring average was the second highest in NBA history for a 20-point trio, surpassed only by the 76.7 by Denver's Alex English (28.4), Kiki Vandeweghe (26.7), and Dan Issel (21.6) in 1982–83.

The Warriors advanced to the playoffs, upsetting David Robinson and the San Antonio Spurs before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. On November 1, 1991, Run TMC was broken up when Golden State traded Richmond and Les Jepsen to the Sacramento Kings for 6 ft rookie Billy Owens, whose additional height compared to Richmond was the size that Nelson believed would complete the team. Nelson said he 'was under pressure to get [the team] bigger' to improve the Warriors from a good team to a great one.

Reader's Guide

Hardaway, Richmond, and Mullin began the 1990–91 season being called the 'Big Three'. Midway through the season, The San Francisco Examiner sponsored a 'Name the Warriors Trio Contest.' Over 1,500 entries were received in two weeks. The newspaper pared it down to the 50 best before presenting them to the players, who selected 'Run TMC' over the other two finalists, 'The Marks Brothers' and 'Three-Mendous'.

Six entrants had entered 'Run TMC', with musician Peter Elman declared the contest's winner in a drawing. The name was a reference to hip hop group Run-DMC. 'Run DMC was one of the first rap groups that most people really took notice of... We definitely liked that nickname,' remembered Richmond.

Former Laker Sam Perkins recalled that the Warriors even had Run–DMC perform at one of the Warriors–Lakers playoff games that season. Richmond was a six-time All-Star with Sacramento, and the Kings retired his number in 2003. Owens never provided his expected impact and played only three seasons with Golden State. They won 55 games and finished in 2nd place, two games behind the Portland Trail Blazers in 1992, but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

In 1996, Hardaway was traded to the Miami Heat, and the Warriors dealt Mullin the following year to the Indiana Pacers. All three enjoyed successful careers after the breakup. Mullin and Hardaway came close to winning an NBA championship, while Richmond won one with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002, albeit with limited playing time. Mullin was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

He acknowledged that his career 'took off' when Richmond and Hardaway arrived with Warriors. Nelson was inducted the following year. In 2014, Richmond was also voted in, while Hardaway was admitted as part of the Hall's class of 2022. Run TMC's short time together belied their enduring popularity.

'It was only [a couple of] years, but it seemed longer,' Mullin said. The Boston Globe in 2007 wrote the trio had 'probably the best nickname' ever. As of 2013, Run TMC T-shirts were still available for sale online. Online tributes are authored by bloggers who were too young to have seen them play, and YouTube is filled with their highlights.

NBA.com in 2011 attributed Run TMC's popularity to 'romanticism of a loyal fan base that hasn't had much to cheer about.'