For the first time in five years, the Golden State Warriors won’t be preparing for a run at the NBA Finals. The league-worst 15-50 Warriors are one of eight teams that won’t be Orlando bound for the NBA’s restart. Instead, the Warriors will have an extended offseason to prepare for the NBA Draft.
For the first time since 2002, Golden State will have the opportunity to make a selection in the top-five picks on draft day. With months on the calendar until October’s draft, Warriors Wire is rewinding through Golden State’s draft history to highlight the most memorable selections — trades, surprises, busts, sleepers and everything in between.
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In 1985, the Golden State Warriors brought in a future Hall of Famer in the top-10.
June 18, 1985
To start the 1985 edition of the draft, the New York Knicks selected power forward Patrick Ewing out of Georgetown with the top pick. After six players went off the board, the Golden State Warriors were on the clock.
After finishing the 1984-85 season with a lowly 22-80 record, Johnny Bach’s Warriors desperately needed some firepower to pair with Purvis Short and Sleepy Floyd. With the No. 7 overall pick, Golden State general manager Al Attles landed Chris Mullin out of St. John’s University.
Mullin recorded a decorated college campaign, earning Big East Player of the Year and nods to the All-American Team three times in four years. In his final season at St. John’s, Mullin capped off his Red Storm career averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per contest.
As a senior, Mullin teamed up with future Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson to lead St. Johns to the Final Four in the 1985 NCAA Tournament.
As a rookie, Mullin started 30 games, averaging 14 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 25.3 minutes per game. In his sophomore year with Golden State, Mullin and Joe Berry Carroll helped push the Warriors to a playoff bid. George Karl’s Warriors advanced to the second round of the Western Conference postseason before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 13 seasons in the Bay Area, Mullin earned five trips to the NBA All-Star Game. After his retirement in 2001, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist became a member of the 2011 class for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
As one of six players to have their numbers retired with the franchise, Mullin’s No. 17 hangs in the rafters at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
Along with Ewing and Mullin, other notable members of the 1985 draft class included LSU’s Karl Malone, McNeese State’s Joe Dumars, Virginia Union’s Charles Oakley and Washington’s Detlef Schrempf.
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