Mitch Richmond is NBA history personified: NBA champion, Rookie of the Year, five-time All-NBA, six-time All-Star and Hall of Famer. For many fans, he is best remembered as part of the legendary Run TMC era of the Golden State Warriors, with Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin.
Before sitting down for an interview with NBC Sports, Richmond was interacting with fans on the NBA App through Game Pulse. For those unfamiliar, Game Pulse combines a live court visualization with highlights and advanced statistics, including shot charts, in a live-updating experience that also features commentary and perspectives from NBA legends such as Muggsy Bogues, Carlos Boozer, Gary Payton, Joakim Noah and more.
Here is our conversation with Richmond (edited for length and clarity).
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NBC Sports: You’ve been on this Game Pulse NBA app experience with the fans. How has that been for you?
Richmond: It’s been great. You know, that’s my first time being on the Pulse. I always watch the association, and sometimes I already catch everything on NBA TV. But it was my first time, so it was a good experience.
Q: It seems like it’s a good experience for the fans. They get real interaction not just with the studio people, but with people like yourself, who happen to be Hall of Famers.
Richmond: Yeah, no question about it. It’s just the fan engagement. The fans want to be as close as they can, and sometimes they want to hear from other players watching the game. So it gives me an opportunity to kind of reach out to them, and especially since I played so long ago, so they don’t know me. But it’s a time to start Googling me. You know what I mean?
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Q: I think people underestimate, though, like how great and how impactful Run TMC was, and that era of Warriors basketball. As you look at the league now. Is there a player that kind of reminds you of Tim Hardaway?
Richmond: That’s a good question. Oh man, who reminds me of Little Tim? Oh man, I don’t, it’s hard. He had such power when he dribbles the ball, he gives you that shoulder as he goes by that you can’t get back in front of him. Yeah, man, that’s hard to do.
Q: It might be even harder with Chris Mullin in some ways.
Richmond: Oh man, let’s see who Mully would be. I mean, Mully was not the fastest guy, but it is back to what I say: It’s how you use your body, and how you use your skills, and how you move. We see it now in today’s game, it’s all about getting guys in angles when they pick-and-roll. They want you on their back and they want to make sure that you never get back in front of them. Mully had the tendency, if you get on the side of him, he has a way that you never get back around him. And so he was really, really methodical of how he’s going to move and take his little steps, and might do a little bird flip. So yeah, he was very tough to guard.
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Q: You’re close to the Warriors still to this day. They’ve been fun to watch at the start of the season. What’s impressed you about Yaxel Lendeborg as a rookie, just coming in like this?
Richmond: Coming in with that attitude, man, like I belong. And truly, truly, they need a spark like that. We don’t know how long Curry is gonna Curry is gonna give us, but they need a young star to come in and kind of help some of that load for Curry right now. I think he’s the guy. He has the temperament, and I like him. I like how he came in with Luka, arguing a little bit, but hey, I think that you need that. You need that spark. You need that spice.
Q: I like that [Warriors coach Steve] Kerr trusted him enough to give him that assignment in his first NBA game.
Richmond: I’m pretty sure he wanted it, and I think that’s what great players do at times, man. It’s for greatness. I want to guard the best player. You know what I mean. I have no problem. I want to guard the best player. We haven’t seen that in a while.
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Q: What other rookies have stood out to you?
Richmond: I mean, you look at Caleb. Man, he’s going to be a star down in Chicago. Caleb Williams. I like AJ [Dybantsa of the Wizards]. AJ is good. Even the young [Cameron] Boozer. Hopefully, he can start to get his game rolling. But I think it’s a lot of good young talent that we have, and I just love watching the games, to tell you the truth.
Q: Houston is off to a fast start. Dallas has knocked off two undefeated teams. What are you liking about those teams? What have you seen from them that’s making them look kind of dangerous early?
Richmond: I spent a little time with them in Macau when the Rockets played the Dallas Mavericks over there [preseason], and so they looked like just a fun team. And actually, both teams was personable, and I think they get along with one another. One, and they got two good coaches that’s coaching them right now. So, man, I thought Houston had a little bit more than Dallas, but Dallas has been playing excellent this year.
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Q: Houston, I like the way they’re built. I think they can be really dangerous in a West that feels a little more open right now.
Richmond: No question about it. I think the West is wide open. I think someone… can Portland come out of there? You know Portland is looking pretty good right now. I think the West, like you say, the West is wide open. Lakers are even looking pretty good.
Q: You mentioned Portland. Is there anybody else who’s just like, wow! When they’re on, I kind of want to watch them. I want to watch those players.
Richmond: I’m loving watching the Knicks, tell you the truth. I love watching the Knicks and how they play. Then I just start going for players to see how they’re doing. I go and pop over at Denver and see what [Nikola] Jokic is doing. I’m always on the channel with Golden State. I’m always turning the channel to Dallas. I mean, the Lakers, because the Lakers can actually do something as well. We didn’t expect that, but the center that they got from Utah?
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Q: Walker Kessler.
Richmond: I mean, no one ever saw this, buried in Utah, and now seeing him, and he was hurt as well. But to see what he’s been doing and the numbers he’s been putting up, you know, they needed a big man like that to run the floor and catch it at the rim.
Q: On the other side, the Heat have just not gelled yet. It hasn’t come together consistently. When you see them, what’s missing?
Richmond: I think just a little bit more time together. You know what I mean? I think sometimes, teams mesh very well. Look at Philly. You know, how LeBron [James] just came and and haven’t missed the beat over there. They’re just playing real fluid ball as well. I think Boston is playing pretty good as well. I think sometimes you need just a little bit more time to gel. We haven’t seen that yet, so hopefully they can they can catch a groove and start winning some games.
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Q: Philadelphia has gelled really quickly, but is that just LeBron bringing his own culture and that’s a team where guys seem willing to sacrifice, and they’re kind of in the right place to make plays.
Richmond: I think the sacrifice is a little different when you have a star player coming in that is a volume shooter. LeBron kind of plays every part of the game, so he doesn’t need those 40-point nights. You know, he might have one this year, but he has enough guns around him. And I think the guys, you have your shooting hands ready to shoot the ball when you have a guy that is a willing passer, and LeBron has been more of a willing passer, especially when he knows that he got young guns at his beck and call anywhere he goes. These guys can really shoot the ball. Look at Embiid. Embiid is in better shape. The guys are bringing enthusiasm. They had some enthusiasm over there. Let’s see if they can keep it the whole year, because at some point in time, teams are going to start figuring them out, and see how it happens. But I do like the start of them; they look like a team to be reckoned with later.
Q: You mentioned Jokic’s passing and a couple other guys. There are some great passers in the league right now. Who are some of the guys you want to tune in to watch because they see the court differently?
Richmond: Jokic is that guy. You know, if I played with him, man, I’d be coming off screens all day, going back door because he truly, truly finds guys. We have to put LeBron, he’s still there. LeBron still knows how to get passes to the right guys. It’s a few others out there, but I just love how guys like that move the ball, share it, and it looks wonderful.
