1991–92 Golden State Warriors season

On the first day of the regular season, the [[Run TMC]] trio was broken up when the Warriors traded star guard [[Mitch Richmond]] to the [[1991–92 Sacramento Kings season|Sacramento Kings]] in exchange for rookie small forward, and top draft pick [[Billy Owens]] out of [[Syracuse University]]; Owens was drafted by the Kings with the third overall pick in the NBA draft.<ref>{{cite news | title = Kings Deal Owens to Golden State for Richmond | work = United Press International | date = November 1, 1991 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/11/01/Kings-deal-Owens-to-Golden-State-for-Richmond/2138688971600/ | access-date = December 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Richmond Is Traded for Rights to Owens | work = The New York Times | date = November 2, 1991 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/02/sports/sports-people-pro-basketball-richmond-is-traded-for-rights-to-owens.html | access-date = December 31, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Richmond Traded to Kings for the Rights to Billy Owens: Pro Basketball: Warriors Break Up His High-Scoring Trio to Get Syracuse Rookie | work = Los Angeles Times | date = November 2, 1991 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-02-sp-478-story.html | access-date = November 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Warriors Get Rights to Owens | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = November 2, 1991 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1991/11/02/warriors-get-rights-to-owens/4f90b609-67ba-4907-8bfc-e2d42a385ca7/ | access-date = November 20, 2022}}</ref> Owen's additional height at 6' 8" compared to Richmond's 6' 5" height was the size that head coach, and General Manager [[Don Nelson]] believed would complete the team;<ref name=cooper>{{cite news |last=Howard-Cooper |first=Scott |title=Time Can't Fade Indelible Mark Run TMC Left on Warriors, NBA |date=August 23, 2011 |work=NBA.com |url=http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/08/23/remembering-run-tmc-warriors/index.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112010749/http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/08/23/remembering-run-tmc-warriors/index.html |archivedate=January 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 2, 2013 }}</ref><ref name=hoffman>{{cite news|last=Hoffman |first=Benjamin |title=Fascination Lingers for Three Stars of Warriors' Brief Run |date=February 16, 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/16/fascination-lingers-for-three-stars-of-warriors-brief-run/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218121543/http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/16/fascination-lingers-for-three-stars-of-warriors-brief-run/ |archivedate=February 18, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wolff |first=Alexander |title=The Golden West |date=December 2, 1991 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1991/12/02/125531/the-golden-west-who-would-have-figured----certainly-not-us----that-the-retooled-warriors-and-the-magic-less-lakers-would-be-the-big-winners-in-the-pacific-division |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219203821/http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&urlID=434965742&action=cpt&partnerID=289881&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsportsillustrated.cnn.com%2Fvault%2Farticle%2Fmagazine%2FMAG1140072%2Findex.htm |archivedate=2014-02-19 |url-status=live |access-date=2017-12-10 }}</ref> Nelson said he was "under pressure to get (the team) bigger" to improve the Warriors from a good team to a great one,<ref name=osborne>{{cite news|last=Osborne |first=Ben |title=Original Old School: Run & Shoot & Shoot… |date=January 3, 2011 |work=SlamOnline.com |url=http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2011/01/original-old-school-run-shoot-shoot/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514042038/http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2011/01/original-old-school-run-shoot-shoot/ |archivedate=May 14, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> and stated that he would "never make that trade again".<ref name=osborne/>

On the first day of the regular season, the [[Run TMC]] trio was broken up when the Warriors traded star guard [[Mitch Richmond]] to the [[1991–92 Sacramento Kings season|Sacramento Kings]] in exchange for rookie small forward, and top draft pick [[Billy Owens]] out of [[Syracuse University]]; Owens was drafted by the Kings with the third overall pick in the NBA draft.<ref>{{cite news | title = Kings Deal Owens to Golden State for Richmond | work = United Press International | date = November 1, 1991 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/11/01/Kings-deal-Owens-to-Golden-State-for-Richmond/2138688971600/ | access-date = December 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Richmond Is Traded for Rights to Owens | work = The New York Times | date = November 2, 1991 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/02/sports/sports-people-pro-basketball-richmond-is-traded-for-rights-to-owens.html | access-date = December 31, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Richmond Traded to Kings for the Rights to Billy Owens: Pro Basketball: Warriors Break Up His High-Scoring Trio to Get Syracuse Rookie | work = Los Angeles Times | date = November 2, 1991 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-02-sp-478-story.html | access-date = November 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Warriors Get Rights to Owens | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = November 2, 1991 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1991/11/02/warriors-get-rights-to-owens/4f90b609-67ba-4907-8bfc-e2d42a385ca7/ | access-date = November 20, 2022}}</ref> Owen's additional height at 6' 8" compared to Richmond's 6' 5" height was the size that head coach, and General Manager [[Don Nelson]] believed would complete the team;<ref name=cooper>{{cite news |last=Howard-Cooper |first=Scott |title=Time Can't Fade Indelible Mark Run TMC Left on Warriors, NBA |date=August 23, 2011 |work=NBA.com |url=http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/08/23/remembering-run-tmc-warriors/index.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112010749/http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/08/23/remembering-run-tmc-warriors/index.html |archivedate=January 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 2, 2013 }}</ref><ref name=hoffman>{{cite news|last=Hoffman |first=Benjamin |title=Fascination Lingers for Three Stars of Warriors' Brief Run |date=February 16, 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/16/fascination-lingers-for-three-stars-of-warriors-brief-run/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218121543/http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/16/fascination-lingers-for-three-stars-of-warriors-brief-run/ |archivedate=February 18, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wolff |first=Alexander |title=The Golden West |date=December 2, 1991 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1991/12/02/125531/the-golden-west-who-would-have-figured----certainly-not-us----that-the-retooled-warriors-and-the-magic-less-lakers-would-be-the-big-winners-in-the-pacific-division |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219203821/http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&urlID=434965742&action=cpt&partnerID=289881&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsportsillustrated.cnn.com%2Fvault%2Farticle%2Fmagazine%2FMAG1140072%2Findex.htm |archivedate=2014-02-19 |url-status=live |access-date=2017-12-10 }}</ref> Nelson said he was "under pressure to get (the team) bigger" to improve the Warriors from a good team to a great one,<ref name=osborne>{{cite news|last=Osborne |first=Ben |title=Original Old School: Run & Shoot & Shoot… |date=January 3, 2011 |work=SlamOnline.com |url=http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2011/01/original-old-school-run-shoot-shoot/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514042038/http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2011/01/original-old-school-run-shoot-shoot/ |archivedate=May 14, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> and stated that he would "never make that trade again".<ref name=osborne/>

The Warriors started their regular season by winning their first four games, then won 11 of their 15 games in February including an 8-game winning streak. The team held a 29–15 record at the All-Star break,<ref>{{cite web | title = NBA Games Played on February 6, 1992 | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/index.fcgi?month=2&day=6&year=1992 | access-date = November 21, 2022}}</ref> and finished in second place in the [[Pacific Division (NBA)|Pacific Division]] with a 55–27 record, the most wins in a season for the franchise since [[1975–76 Golden State Warriors season|1975–76]], and earning the #3 seed in the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]].<ref name="schedule">{{cite web | title = 1991–92 Golden State Warriors Schedule and Results | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/GSW/1992_games.html | access-date = December 1, 2021}}</ref>

The Warriors started their regular season by winning their first four games, then won 11 of their 15 games in February including an 8-game winning streak. The team held a 29–15 record at the All-Star break,<ref>{{cite web | title = NBA Games Played on February 6, 1992 | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/index.fcgi?month=2&day=6&year=1992 | access-date = November 21, 2022}}</ref> and finished in second place in the [[Pacific Division (NBA)|Pacific Division]] with a 55–27 record, the most wins in a season for the franchise since [[1975–76 Golden State Warriors season|1975–76]], and earning the third seed in the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]].<ref name="schedule">{{cite web | title = 1991–92 Golden State Warriors Schedule and Results | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/GSW/1992_games.html | access-date = December 1, 2021}}</ref>

[[Chris Mullin (basketball)|Chris Mullin]] averaged 25.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, and was named to the [[All-NBA Team|All-NBA First Team]], while [[Tim Hardaway]] averaged 23.4 points, 10.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and was named to the [[All-NBA Team|All-NBA Second Team]], and sixth man [[Sarunas Marciulionis]] contributed 18.9 points and 1.6 steals per game off the bench. In addition, Owens provided the team with 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and was named to the [[NBA All-Rookie Team|NBA All-Rookie First Team]], while [[Rod Higgins]] contributed 10.2 points per game off the bench, but only played just 25 games due to a wrist injury,<ref>{{cite news | title = Warriors' Higgins Might Be Sidelined for Rest of the Season After Surgery | work = Los Angeles Times | date = December 14, 1991 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-14-sp-164-story.html | access-date = November 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Higgins Out with Broken Wrist | work = United Press International | date = December 14, 1991 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/12/14/Higgins-out-with-broken-wrist/1092692686800/ | access-date = November 21, 2022}}</ref> second-year forward [[Tyrone Hill]] averaged 8.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, [[Mario Elie]] provided with 7.8 points per game, Alexander averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and [[Vincent Askew]] contributed 6.2 points per game.<ref name="stats">{{cite web | title = 1991–92 Golden State Warriors Roster and Stats | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/GSW/1992.html | access-date = December 1, 2021}}</ref>

[[Chris Mullin (basketball)|Chris Mullin]] averaged 25.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, and was named to the [[All-NBA Team|All-NBA First Team]], while [[Tim Hardaway]] averaged 23.4 points, 10.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and was named to the [[All-NBA Team|All-NBA Second Team]], and sixth man [[Sarunas Marciulionis]] contributed 18.9 points and 1.6 steals per game off the bench. In addition, Owens provided the team with 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and was named to the [[NBA All-Rookie Team|NBA All-Rookie First Team]], while [[Rod Higgins]] contributed 10.2 points per game off the bench, but only played just 25 games due to a wrist injury,<ref>{{cite news | title = Warriors' Higgins Might Be Sidelined for Rest of the Season After Surgery | work = Los Angeles Times | date = December 14, 1991 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-14-sp-164-story.html | access-date = November 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Higgins Out with Broken Wrist | work = United Press International | date = December 14, 1991 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/12/14/Higgins-out-with-broken-wrist/1092692686800/ | access-date = November 21, 2022}}</ref> second-year forward [[Tyrone Hill]] averaged 8.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, [[Mario Elie]] provided with 7.8 points per game, Alexander averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and [[Vincent Askew]] contributed 6.2 points per game.<ref name="stats">{{cite web | title = 1991–92 Golden State Warriors Roster and Stats | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/GSW/1992.html | access-date = December 1, 2021}}</ref>