Chris Mullin

Verified Timeline

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.

In Their Own Story

In his second NBA season (1986–87), Mullin helped lead the Warriors to the Western Conference semifinals under coach George Karl. By the following season, head coach Don Nelson planned to move him to small forward, but Mullin faced a personal crisis, admitting to alcoholism and entering rehabilitation after missing practices. He returned stronger, scoring 25 or more points for five consecutive seasons from 1988 to 1993 while forming the famous "Run TMC" trio with Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway. After a trade to the Indiana Pacers in 1997, he started all 82 games in his first season under Larry Bird, averaging 11.3 points and leading the NBA in free-throw percentage at .939. His career culminated in a return to Golden State for the 2000–01 season before retirement. Later, he served as head coach of St. John's from 2015 to 2019, guiding them to the NCAA tournament in his final season with a 21-13 record.

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.
• Mullin was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice: once in 2010 as part of the Dream Team and again in 2011 for his individual career.
• 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.