Run TMC: Revisiting Tim Hardaway's role as a member of one of the most iconic scoring trios in NBA history on his 55th birthday

Bursting on the scene

Tim Hardaway, who played for legend Don Haskins at UTEP, became part of one of the highest scoring teams in NBA history in 1989. Tim Hardaway was a bull point-guard who could get to the rim no matter who guarded him. The UTEP Two Step, his crossover dribble, made Tim Hardaway difficult to guard, and with Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond at his side, Tim Hardaway was about to explode on the scene.

In the NBA season opener in Golden State Warriors ran past the Denver Nuggets with the insane score of 162-158. Chris Mullin led with 38 points, Mitch Richmond had 33 and Tim Hardaway scored 29. It is the highest scoring regulation game in NBA history. Don Nelson knew he had the scorers with the drafting of Tim Hardaway and "Nellie Ball" was ready to rock.

After having a fan competition, the high scoring trio became known as Run TMC. TMC was the first names of each and was word play for the iconic hip hop group, Run-DMC. Golden State went 30-18 when Tim Hardaway, Mitch Ritchmond and Chris Mullin scored at least 20 points in the same game. The trio only lasted two seasons before Hardaway was traded away to the Miami Heat.

The UTEP two-step origin

Tim Hardaway, the 14th pick in the 1989 NBA draft, came into the NBA with a crossover dribble dubbed the UTEP two-step. The crossover, if executed, provides separation from the defender with a dribble from different angles in front of the player. Tim Hardaway's crossover was arguably the best in the game, he explained the origin of his crossover as:

"I'm at Texas-El Paso in college in '86-'87. I see Pearl Washington come down, and back then there was a Big East game of the week on a Monday night -- Syracuse vs. Georgetown. He came down and crosses over I think Williams (Reggie). It was so low that it rode Williams of the screen (TV). I said man, let me practice that move. I gotta see if I can do this move. So I went to practice the next day and I tried to do it. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it. It was so low and I thought, how can I not do this move? So, I kinda devised my own move where I put it (basketball) between my legs and crossed over in front of somebody and it just stuck with me. I practiced, practiced, practiced it every day in practice on people. I practiced on people. Played one on one all the time. It was just my favorite move. It wasn't something I went to, it was something I just did to get to the basket and make a play for somebody. Then I started doing other things (with the ball). I put it between my legs in front of somebody, wrapped it around my back going left. That's where it started back in college. When I played this guy one on one,I dunked on him, and said OK, this is a nice move. It really didn't get recognition until we were playing Magic Johnson in '91 (26.8 points, 12.8 assists and 3.8 steals for the series) and Magic was like "We gotta watch out for Tim Hardaway and that killer crossover. That's when it took off and everybody started recognizing it."

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Before Steph, Klay and Dray, it was Tim, Mitch and Chris.The trio better known as RUN TMC changed the game in Oakland. pic.twitter.com/UCgk91ft1H

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 1, 2019

Tim Hardaway vs. Allen Iverson

Many say Allen Iverson's crossover is just as good -- if not better than Hardaway's. Hardaway disagrees:

“No question I do. I couldn’t wait for somebody to say that. I’m the killer crossover king. That is me, Tim Hardaway. I invented the move, I didn’t carry, I didn’t set nobody up as Allen Iverson did. I came down, I crossed you over, I made you fall, I might make you tumble, but I made a move people are still trying to do today. They still try to work at it today. It takes hard work at it, and I tell the kids it’s not going to happen overnight. You need to work at it to perfect it. My crossover, my handles are better than Allen Iverson."

Run-TMC came around as different coaches tried to offset the tough defense played in the NBA. Though there was not much defense played in Golden State, those two seasons will not be forgotten.

The 1990's “Run TMC” Warriors played ball with Run DMC.Watch Crossover TV: https://t.co/YTb1fG2YR8 pic.twitter.com/uiqFT5V2sN

— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) June 1, 2018

Happy Birthday Tim Hardaway

Tim Hardaway was a five time all-star, a gold medal Olympian, and amassed 5,000 points and 2,500 assists faster than anyone except Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson. His son, Tim Hardaway Jr., recently signed a 4 year, 72 million dollar deal to stay in Dallas with the Mavericks.

Happy Birthday Tim!