Chris Mullin is best known as one of the NBA's prime shooters. However, the St. John’s standout had a rough start to his pro basketball career. He admitted that he was an alcoholic, and this needed to be resolved.
In his first two seasons, Mully somehow survived despite having a drinking problem. With the Golden State Warriors undergoing changes, Chris needed to adapt. However, on December 10, 1987, the 7th overall pick of the 1985 Draft was suspended after skipping practices and being spotted at bars.
Mullin underwent rehab and finished the 30-day program in January 1988. He would return to practices, admitting to reporters that he didn’t realize how serious his drinking problem had become. He pointed out that it was a hereditary issue, pointing out how his father was a recovering alcoholic. Aside from that, his uncle died of the disease.
“There's no moderation. With alcoholics, the word 'moderation' is not in their dictionary,” a reformed Mullin said via NYT .
Turning it around
Mullin would turn things around after resolving his drinking issues. He was an entirely different player, transforming into the All-Star player basketball fans now know him to be. Nelson was the first to witness that and did not hide at the new Chris Mullin.
“It made him this beautiful person,” Nelson said in another NYT report.
From there, everything just fell into place for the New York native. By the 1988-89 season, his reinvigorated performance saw him figuring prominently. He would reach the All-Star level and figure prominently in individual award races such as the Most Valuable Player and Most Improve Player awards.
More importantly, Mully’s efforts would provide Golden State a huge boost in getting past the regular season. Combined with Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond, the trio better known as “Run TMC,” the Warriors were a dangerous team to contend with.
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Dream Team sniper
Aside from his run with the Warriors, his offensive talent was enough to land him a spot on the 1992 United States Dream team. He would be a prominent contributor to that star-studded gold medal-winning squad. He was the fourth-leading scorer of that team, averaging 12.9 points in Barcelona.
Mullin was very grateful for the chance to play alongside greats such as Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley. He admitted that it was one of the high points of his basketball journey, branding it “amazing.”
“It was a truly amazing experience thanks to very fortunate timing’ the timing worked out perfect for me, as I was playing at a very high level at that point in time,” Mullin said .
Mullin was at his peak until 1993. When injuries started to kick in, the five-time All-Star's performance started to recede. Although he was an offensive weapon for the Warriors and eventually the Indiana Pacers, missing games proved costly for Chris, who would end up retiring in 2001.
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