-
Kendra AndrewsESPN
SAN FRANCISCO — When Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond sat in the press conference room at Chase Center on Monday night, it was immediately apparent that their chemistry was as healthy as the two seasons they first played together. the 90s.
“Our cool attitude made it great,” Richmond joked about what made the trio click instantly. “When we got out on the court, it was three guys who really loved the game … and that carried over to the court. Tim and I were going to go shopping together but I stopped because everything I picked up , he would choose. But yeah, it was just natural.”
They hope they have that instant chemistry again Monday night, but this time in the studio instead of on the court.
Mullin, Hardaway and Richmond served as announcers and play-by-play analysts during the Golden State Warriors’ broadcast of their game against the San Antonio Spurs. Tom Tolbert will be the sideline reporter.
Work with TMC
takes ‼️Listen to the trio tonight @NBCSAuthentic broadcast » https://t.co/OMrtDufAON pic.twitter.com/4gWY68oYsu
– Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2022
The former teammates have been involved with the Warriors community since retiring. Two months ago, they got their latest request from the team: broadcast the game on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Initially, the Warriors wanted to find a way to honor Tim Hardaway’s Hall-of-Fame promotion, reuniting the trio in the Hall. They thought it was fitting that it was the night the team honored the Run TMC era with the jerseys. But then it blossomed into a full publication.
Mullin is no stranger to broadcast television. He serves as an analyst for the Warriors’ NBC pre- and postgame shows. But this is new territory for Hardaway and Richmond.
“We’ll see what kind of talent we have combined,” Hardaway said. “Chris is doing a great job, but we’re going to get a taste… and then we got Tom Tolbert. Oooh, wow. We don’t know what he’s going to say. He could say anything. He’s probably having a beer. right now.”
Last week, the Run TMC broadcast team held a 45-minute production meeting on Zoom. The manufacturer explained how calling a game works, and the steps they need to take to prepare.
Iconic.
Do TMC || #DubNation pic.twitter.com/zjqEz70oWX
– Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2022
Hardaway admits he barely noticed. But, one thing the producer made very clear: what you can’t say about the weather.
They didn’t do much research on the team heading into the game and planned to rely on their prior knowledge of the team and the history of the organization to guide them.
There are striking similarities between the Run TMC Warriors and today’s team.
“The way they run the ball kind of reminds us of how we played,” Richmond said. “We moved the ball, we cut, we passed. So it’s always nice to see.”
Another parallel between their team and this one, and one that Mullin, Richmond and Hardaway were not happy to learn, is that these are the only two Warriors teams to start 0-7 on the road (they did in 1989 (started 0-9 in -90, according to ESPN Stats and Info.)
“What a way to get in,” Hardaway said. “We were still trying to learn things and learn each other… I don’t know what to say about it.”
That’s when Mullin chimed in, pointing out that it’s similar to how he views the Warriors’ early struggles.
“It’s a unique situation because you’re talking about a dynasty and trying [move] dynasties beyond anything we’ve seen in the past,” Mullin said.
“It’s very early in the season and trying to close that gap and find the connection between the first unit and the second unit…the fact that it’s happening so early in the season, it’s getting a little overanalyzed. But we’re two years away. played together … they have been together for ten years. But it is a lot to expect them to understand [how to bend new, young players] and play the same way.”
