Studyin' at the Old School: Run TMC

I've been going down a lot of rabbit holes lately, remembering players and teams from childhood and digging into archival footage to learn something new. Sports are my drama and theater. I don't watch shows on TV, and I'm not all that into movies. Documentaries and historic footage? I'll take them all the time. Figured I might as well write about what I'm geeking on in case you came here interested in some throwback material.

First up, Run TMC. I remember following those early '90s Golden State Warriors teams from 2,000 miles away. The way that offense flowed when Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin were clicking was something else.

Those were my guys...the blue and gold unis, the black shoes. When I wasn't pretending to be Michael Jordan of my beloved Chicago Bulls on the playground, I was Run TMC...dribble-drivin' against imaginary defenders, pulling up and loving the feeling of swishing shots through frayed nylon on cold, cloudy days in southern Illinois.

I didn't realize at the time the system was the brainchild of coach Don Nelson. His imprint is all over the game today - small, guard-dominated lineups, lengthy forwards who can handle and dish, fast and aggressive play.

Hardaway's crossover dribble (The UTEP Two-Step!) is beautiful. Always love watching a guy who can shoot, handle and pass. He was my favorite, a Chicago kid, too.

Let's celebrate Run TMC a little bit today.