OAKLAND, Calif. -- Chris Mullin didn't think he'd see his No. 17 Golden State jersey hanging from the rafters at Oracle Arena, not after a bitter parting with the Warriors three years ago.
But, Mullin has found a way to overcome a lot during his life and Hall of Fame basketball career.
Mullin was to be honored as part of a halftime ceremony during Monday night's game between Golden State and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The former St. John's star who went on to become a five-time All-Star after entering the NBA as a first-round pick in 1985 was having too much fun remembering his playing days and joking with former teammates than to get caught up in a discussion about any lingering resentment he may have toward his former employers.
Wearing a dark-colored suit with a light blue and yellow tie, Mullin smiled as he recalled spending hours in the gym after practice with Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway, each player trying to one-up the other no matter what the drill was.
The trio formed the famed "Run-TMC" combination which was the centerpiece for the Warriors' run-and-gun style under coach Don Nelson in the late 1980s and early `90s.
Richmond and Hardaway joined Nelson and several other former Golden State players in Oakland to take part in the ceremony honoring Mullin seven months after the Brooklyn native was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
"It was the most fun I had playing basketball in my whole life," Mullin said during a 20-minute pregame interview with reporters. "What Tim had, I didn't have. What Mitch could do, I couldn't do. Together, Nellie figured out how to mix and match that thing. I loved that style of play."
Mullin spent countless hours practicing and playing on the Warriors' home court during his 13-year career with the team. He still holds franchise records for games played (807) and steals (1,360), and is fourth on the club's career scoring list.
While he was beloved as a player, Mullin's foray into Golden State's front office didn't have the same results.
He was fired as the team's executive vice president of basketball operations following the 2008-09 season, nearly a year after the former star player seemingly lost his authority in a power struggle within the tumultuous Warriors.
Mullin has only returned to Oracle Arena a handful of times since, and acknowledged being surprised when he was informed the Warriors intended to retire his jersey.
"I really didn't think about it, but now that it's here, it's two different parts of my life," Mullin said. "This is about my playing days and the things that happened throughout my playing career, and with that it's nothing but good memories. But I never believed this would happen. I never thought about it."
Mullin is the sixth Warriors player to have his jersey number retired, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Berry, Al Attles, Tom Meschery and Nate Thurmond. With the exception of Chamberlain, who was represented by his sister Barbara Lewis, all attended the ceremony for Mullin.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7711659/golden-state-warriors-retire-chris-mullin-jerseyA nice gesture by the Warriors organization, but did anyone actually see the ceremony that they had? The Warriors owner got up to introduce Mullin and the fans booed him the entire time and really tarnished the whole thing. A classless move by the Warriors fans because tonight was supposed to be Mullin's night to shine, and they really took that away from him. It's a real shame.