Chris Mullin

The left-handed sharpshooter who anchored the Golden State Warriors and conquered the world with the Dream Team.

Christopher Paul Mullin is a celebrated American former professional basketball player, executive, and coach known for his exceptional shooting and two Olympic gold medals. Born in Brooklyn on July 30, 1963, he played primarily as a shooting guard and small forward in the NBA from 1985 to 2001. Selected seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1985 draft, Mullin spent over a decade with the franchise before stints with the Indiana Pacers and a return to his original team. A five-time NBA All-Star and four-time All-NBA Team member, he is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee: first as part of the 1992 "Dream Team" in 2010, and again for his individual career in 2011.

Quick Facts

Born: 30 July 1963
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
High school: Power Memorial (New York City, New York); Xaverian (Brooklyn, New York)
College: St. John's (1981–1985)
Draft round: 1
Drafted by: Golden State Warriors
Career number: 17
Career position: Small forward; shooting guard

Lore & Background

Mullin's early life in Brooklyn saw him studying Knicks stars Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe while wearing number 17 to honor John Havlicek. He honed his skills playing in predominantly Black neighborhoods across the Bronx and Harlem before leading Xaverian High School to a New York Class A state championship in 1981. At St. John's University, recruited by Lou Carnesecca, he averaged 16.6 points as a freshman and broke the school record for points scored. Over his next three years, he became a dominant force, named Big East Player of the Year three times and winning both the Wooden Award and USBWA College Player of the Year in 1985. As a senior averaging 19.5 points, he led St. John's to its first #1 ranking since 1951 and the 1985 Final Four, finishing as the program's all-time leading scorer with 2,440 points.

Reader's Guide

Mullin's professional journey began with the Golden State Warriors (1985–1997), where he developed into a five-time All-Star. His career was marked by resilience after overcoming alcohol addiction, returning to form as part of the "Run TMC" era. He joined the Indiana Pacers from 1997 until the 1999–2000 season, contributing significantly to their Eastern Conference Finals run and appearing in the 2000 NBA Finals. He concluded his playing days with a return to the Warriors for the 2000–01 season. Off the court, Mullin held executive roles as special advisor for the Sacramento Kings starting in 2013 and served as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Warriors until 2009. His coaching tenure at St. John's (2015–2019) ended with a 59–73 record. He also worked as an NBA analyst for ESPN and later NBC Sports Bay Area.

Did You Know?

Mullin is one of only three players in history to win the Haggerty Award three times (1983–1985).
He was a member of the 1992 "Dream Team," the first American Olympic basketball team to include professional players.
During his time with the Indiana Pacers, he led the NBA in free-throw percentage (.939) and set a career high with 107 three-point shots made.
He served as head coach of St. John's University from 2015 to 2019, where he resigned citing a "personal loss" widely seen as the death of his brother.