Fans boo Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob at Chris Mullin’s jersey retiring ceremony – NBA News
The bitter memory of departing from Golden State Warriors 3 years ago still haunts Chris Mullin. However, the ill-feeling was put aside after seeing his No.17 jersey hanging at the Oracle Arena on Monday.
The retired Warriors great was overwhelmed at the ceremony which was conducted during the halftime break of the game between the Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Mullin received a standing ovation from the fans who chanted his name and the gesture really seemed to move Mullins, but the occasion was marred when the fans took their anger out on co-owner Joe Lacob. Just when Lacob was preparing
to unveil the No.17 jersey hanging in the rafters a symphony of boos echoed inside the arena.
The reason for the aghast of the home fans is the trade which saw their favourite Monta Ellis being shipped to Milwaukee Bucks. The situation got so out of hand that Mullin had to take over the microphone.
"As the greatest fans in the NBA ... sometimes change is inevitable, and it's going to work out just fine," Mullin said. "With your support and patience, and use that passion in the right direction ... this thing is going in the
right way. I've got great confidence in Joe, [coach] Mark Jackson and everything will work out just fine. Just a little bit of patience."
The disruption though was enough to ruin Mullins evening. He watched the game with his family while the fans held out Mullin bobble heads as he walked into the tunnel before ceremony. The guard, along with Mitch Richmond and Tim
Hardaway, was part of the trio formally known as "Run-TMC". The troika used to be feared for their hi-octane offense in 1980’s and early 1990’s in what was the Golden era of the franchise.
Mullin played as a shooting guard and small forward from 1985 to 2001 for Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers. Later he went on to serve as a special assistant for Warriors and was promoted as Executive Vice President of Basketball
Operations in 2004. However, he ended up getting into a power struggle with other executives and was consequently fired in 2009.
In 2011, he was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame that was followed by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Now on Monday he became the 6th Golden State player after Al Attles, Nate Thurmond,
Wilt Chamberlain and Barry, whose number was retired by Warriors.
This ceremony will surely mitigate the bitterness of past events but on the other hand Joe Lacob will remember this as an ignominious night.
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