QUEENS, N.Y. (August 14, 2010) – St. John’s legend Chris Mullin, the most-decorated player in program history, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night, with his 1992 USA Basketball “Dream Team” Olympic gold medalist teammates as part of its 2010 class. The most recent group enshrined in the Springfield, Mass., venue also includes the 1960 USA Olympic gold medal team, Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls, Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, high school coaching great Bob Hurley Sr., and WNBA star Cynthia Cooper. NBA veterans Dennis Johnson and Gus Johnson and international star Maciel “Ubiratan” Pereira were honored posthumously.
Mullin became the ninth individual affiliated with St. John’s venerable basketball program to be inducted into the national hall. Coaches Joe Lapchick (1966), Frank McGuire (1977), Lou Carnesecca (1992) and standout player Dick McGuire (1993) have all been enshrined in Springfield, along with alumnus John O’Brien, 1909-10 head coach Harry Fisher, 1980-81 volunteer assistant coach and Knicks legend Willis Reed and 1948-51 letterwinner and former Marquette mentor Al McGuire.
“It was only with Coach Carnesecca’s guidance that I ever accomplished anything,” Mullin told RedStormSports.com.
One of New York City’s greatest players, Mullin is still one of the most recognizable figures in the history of Big Apple basketball. The Brooklyn native starred at Xaverian High School before attending St. John’s, and went on to give New York a four-year period to rival any other. He was the first St. John’s player to reach 2,000 points and his sweet jumper and savvy court sense led the 1985 Redmen to their first No. 1 ranking since 1951, and their first Final Four appearance since 1952. A consensus first team All-American as a senior, he was presented with the Wooden Award as the nation’s top player.
Mullin and former Georgetown center Patrick Ewing teamed to vault the fledgling BIG EAST on its way to the top of the national rankings. The two were members of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles. Mullin not only finished as St. John’s leading scorer, but set career records for steals, field goals, free throws and free throw percentage, and was also in the top five in assists. An outstanding NBA career followed along with Mullin’s selection to the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team,” where he led the squad during its gold medal run with 5.3 rebounds per contest.
One of the storied programs in the history of men’s collegiate basketball, St. John’s concluded the 2009-10 season as the seventh all-time winningest program in the NCAA Division I record book with 1,703 wins and 884 losses. The school’s .658 winning percentage ranks ninth all-time in NCAA history, while St. John’s 26 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances are tied for 20th. The program’s 26 NIT appearances and five titles are also unprecedented. Helms Foundation national champions following the 1910-11 season, St. John’s appeared in NCAA Final Fours in 1952 and 1985. The program boasts 11 consensus All-Americans, 59 NBA Draft choices and 45 players that have scored 1,000 career points or more.
Fans can be a part of the 2010-11 St. John’s hardwood campaign – the first under the direction of new head coach Steve Lavin – by visiting www.redstormsports.com and clicking on the “Tickets” link to order men’s basketball season tickets.
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