The Golden State Warriors had a really good thing going when their Run TMC trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin emerged as one of the most tenacious trios in the entire NBA during the early 1990s. For one reason or another, however, the Warriors decided to break them up just two years into their inception.
This remains to be one of the biggest what-ifs in Golden State franchise history. What could this trio have achieved if they stayed together? As it turns out, Mullin himself feels exactly the same way (via Kendra Andrews of ESPN):
“We only played two seasons together,” Mullin told ESPN. “It's unique, but for us, as we look back, it's sad in a way. Things happen and we made the best of the time we had together. For myself, it was the most fun, uplifting, energetic time I played. We had so much promise.
“So many years later, so many decades later when we get together, we always ponder, ‘What if?'”
Just one game into the 1991-92 season, the Warriors decided to trade Mitch Richmond to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Billy Owens. A lot of Golden State fans weren't very pleased with this decision, and based on his revelation here, it seems that Mullin himself didn't like it.
For his part, Richmond clearly took it hard. So much so, that the trade also still lingers in his mind more than two decades later:
“That still hurts me to [this] day,” Richmond said. “To see [what we had] be separated, it was my first time being traded, first time going through a team not wanting me, it was a lot. … I wore that in my game. Every time I took the court, I was angry.”
For what it's worth, all three players were still able to find success in the league even after their breakup. Mullin, Richmond, and Hardaway all managed to build Hall of Fame-worthy careers. This fact probably makes their infamous divorce even more regretful.
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