Over the course of the 76 seasons that the NBA has been in existence, we have seen some teams show up that were truly ahead of their time. One such famous example is RUN TMC in Golden State, as Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond formed one of the more exciting trios the league had ever seen.
While the NBA of the 1990s is often defined by grueling physical battles and some tough-nosed defense, RUN TMC was anything but that with their uptempo offense. The mastermind behind this offense was Don Nelson who took over as coach of the Warriors in 1988. Mullin was already drafted by Golden State in 1985, and once Richmond and Hardaway arrived in 1988 and 1989, respectively, they were on their way.
Tim Hardaway Sr. Hailed RUN TMC For Being Ahead Of Its Time
It was being part of RUN TMC that helped Hardaway establish himself as one of the best guards in the league, and during his Hall of Fame speech, he spoke about being a part of that iconic trio.
"We were ahead of our time."#22HoopClass Inductee Tim Hardaway shouts out his "Run TMC" running mates, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond! pic.twitter.com/m0dvfX10tK
— NBA (@NBA) September 10, 2022
“Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond. RUN TMC. Legendary baby, we was legendary. When I came into the NBA those two guys taught me everything, how to be a pro, how to take care of myself and they would ask me ‘Tim, how great do you really want to be?’ See, Mully and Rock they made me who I am today. RUN TMC, man we were ahead of our time. Chris, Mitch you will always be family to me. We did everything together during our time with the Warriors. I cherish those years, I cherish our friendship. Thank you!”
Nelson installed a run-and-gun offense, and during a time when the NBA was dominated by bigs, he implemented a small ball approach (sounds familiar?) termed “Nellie Ball” as the team thrived. They wouldn’t have a lot of playoff success, however, and the team was broken up after just 2 seasons, as Richmond was traded to the Kings in 1991.
It was short-lived, but their impact is felt to this day, and the current iteration of the Warriors have had so much success with the small ball approach that Nelson implemented all those years back.
Hardaway Sr. also had some touching words for his son Tim Hardaway Jr., as he lauded him for carrying on their basketball legacy. For a father and son to have played in the NBA is quite rare, and for both of them to have made a name for themselves while playing in the league is truly amazing.
