"I'm gonna be decisive": When Dream Team member deemed Julius Erving as inferior to former Michael Jordan teammate
On Aug. 12, 2021, Chris Mullin - a first-ballot Hall of Famer- appeared on the 'Knuckleheads Podcast.'
There, the former Golden State Warriors wing was given a tough decision to make: he had to play a game of start, bench, cut. However, the players on offer were Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird and Julius Erving.
All three players on offer were elite NBA talents during their prime. Yet, Mullin appeared to take the question in his stride and made light work of his decision-making process.
"Bird, Pippen, Doc," Mullin said. "I'm gonna be decisive. I might not be right, but I'm going to be decisive. But, by the way, Doc paved the way for Bird, who paved the way for Pippen. You want to pull up some Dr. J in the ABA? Check that out!"
By choosing to cut Julius Erving, Chris Mullin was essentially saying that the former superstar small forward was inferior to Scottie Pippen, who Mullin chose to have on his bench.
The NBA game has evolved over the years, but Pippen is arguably one of the legendary players who could still impact the game in the modern era, notably because of his point-forward abilities.
However, Julius Erving could get buckets. The question is whether Erving's game would translate to the modern game, which is a question we will likely never know the answer to.
Chris Mullin makes bold claim regarding Golden State Warriors
Chris Mullin spent 13 of his 16 seasons with the Golden State Warriors. Mulling played for Golden State in 12 straight seasons before spending three years with the Indiana Pacers and returning to Golden State for his final season.
During an Apr. 19, 2022 appearance on 'Warriors on NBCS,' Mullin made a bold claim regarding the Golden State Warriors championship-winning core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Mully on Steph, Klay and Draymond:
“This is the greatest trio in the history of the NBA” pic.twitter.com/JY3A4aAfxm
"This is the greatest trio in the history of the NBA, unquestionable. All the credit to Steph, Klay and Draymond.
"Some credit to Bob Myers and Joe Lacob for having the vision and the patience to keep them together for a decade and about. So tremendous job by the players ofcourse but also management, the coaches."
Chris Mullin's stint with the Golden State Warriors is among the most successful in franchise history. However, it's clear that the trio of Curry, Thompson and Green has surpassed his achievements in the last decade.
Nevertheless, any compliment from someone as accomplished as Chris Mullin is something to cherish. The Warriors superstar trio will look to add a fifth NBA championship to their resume in the 2023-24 NBA season.