‘Run TMC up there with all-time great trios,’ says Hardaway

The NBA has been littered with legendary trios from different generations from Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor with the Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics’ original Big 3 of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish.

There was also, again, the Lakers’ Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy and, again, the Celtics’ next Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.

San Antonio also had its version in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, and who could forget the infamous Heatles of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in Miami.

All the mentioned trios have won titles, Baylor is technically a champion since he still played with the Lakers during the 1971-1972 season when the Lakers won the championship, but none of those had a rad nickname that symbolized the decade they were in.

Enter Golden State’s Run TMC of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin who derived their name from the legendary hiphop group Run DMC during the transitional period between the 1980s and 1990s.

Run TMC personified what the decade was all about and it was of radical movement and fast-paced action and the T in the group said they could’ve went toe-to-toe with the other trios in NBA history.

“We’re right up there,” said Tim Hardaway, now 51, during the NBA 3X Philippines Saturday at Mall of Asia Music Hall. “You know there were different eras but we’re up there.”

Although Run TMC lasted for just two seasons, it was the NBA poster boy for offensive production from 1989 to 1991.

During the 1990-1991 NBA season, all three members of the group produced more than 20 points a game.

Mullin had the highest average of 25.7 points a game with Richmond at 23.9 points a game and Hardaway with 22.9 points and 9.7 assists a night.

The Warriors finished that season with a 44-38 record finishing as the seventh seed in the Western Conference and stunning second seed San Antonio 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

Golden State, though, bowed to the Lakers 4-1 in the conference semifinals.

Though short-lived without winning a title, Richmond was traded before the 1992-1993 season began. Run TMC was still a notable figure in NBA history.

“There were different eras but our trio is right up there with the all-time great trios,” said Hardaway.