Every great nickname has an origin story and Pete Elman, the creator of the moniker Run TMC, provided the details during “Run TMC Takeover” on NBC Sports Bay Area for the Warriors’ matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
As the Warriors’ Hall of Fame trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin were taking the NBA by storm, San Francisco Examiner created a contest to give the three players a nickname which is where Elman entered the picture.
“Well, Chris, it has a little bit to do with you coming from Brooklyn,” Elman told the trio. “When I saw the contest, I said, what can I come up with? It’s going to sound kind of clever and catchy ... I know Chris is a Brooklyn guy, and I bet he likes his boys from Hollis, Queens, Run DMC.
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SIGN UP HERE “And I’m thinking, let me see. How am I going to put together? ... We got Tim. We got Mitch. We got Chris. So the whole thing took me about 10 seconds. I said, ‘I got it. RUN TMC.’”
The Run TMC nickname took off and while inventors can often be surprised when a creation takes on a life of its own, Elman wasn’t shocked by how popular the moniker became among Warriors and NBA fans.
“I think I knew it was coming because it just felt like the right nickname for you guys,” Elman added. “And you guys are just so wonderful to watch, and I’ve just always been a big Dubs fan. I’m really honored that that nickname stuck for as long as it did.”
RELATED: Former Warriors assistant Gregg Popovich has fond memories of Run TMC era
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Although the trio broke up way too early for Warriors fans, the nickname alone solidifies their place in the franchise’s history.
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