Chris Mullin talks Knicks’ outlook, state of St. John’s, college hoops

[Halldan1]

Chris Mullin talks Knicks’ outlook, state of St. John’s, college hoops

St. John’s legend and Hall of Famer Chris Mullin swished a Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby at the grand opening of the the New York Roadshow.

nypost.com

By Steve Serby

St. John’s legend and Hall of Famer Chris Mullin swished a Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby at the grand opening of the the New York Roadshow — a new sports card and memorabilia store in Bronxville (www.roadshowcards.com).

Q: If you were the Knicks, would you sacrifice RJ Barrett in a trade for Donovan Mitchell?

A: Look, if you’re gonna get a player like that, you’re gonna give something up you don’t want to give up. I think ideally they’d all be together and grow together. [Jazz exec] Danny Ainge looks like he wants picks.

Q: What if he insisted on Barrett, would you do that deal to get Mitchell?

A: I probably would.

Q: Why would you sacrifice RJ?

A: This guy’s [Mitchell] a star. And you clearly feel like you need to change the landscape of your team. I’ve watched RJ from a distance. … To me, look, the talent’s there, you see it, but is that the guy you want to go forward with exclusively, or is that a guy that Donovan Mitchell can do some of the things he does, and you get something from someone else and fill in the gap. That’s when those deals become tough. To me it’s more the specifics and the inner details. OK, RJ Barrett’s 6-7, he’s a young player — that everyone knows. It’s the other parts of him that become more important to me when you’re doing those deals ’cause is he really like an integral part of your team building moving forward. Look, the Knicks have had talent. They haven’t been able to put a nice team together, with chemistry, and offensive flow, and defensive coordination and symmetry.

Q: How would Mitchell fare in New York?

A: I love his playmaking ability. I just think he’s one of those guys that would welcome the big stage. Kind of a local kid. When I threw out the first pitch at Citi Field [2015] I met his dad [Donovan Sr., Mets senior director for DEI and player relations] there. Donovan had just gone to Louisville. He knows New York and … I think he’d be a good fit.

Q: Barrett?

A: Love RJ. Got to improve his consistency from the perimeter. Everything else is in place for him to be a big-time player. I know of him, I know he’s a hard worker, he’s a team guy — guys like that will improve.

Q: What are your thoughts on a potential Mitchell-Jalen Brunson backcourt?

A: Very exciting. Really good offensively. Donovan Mitchell’s one of those guys when you watch him you think he’s 6-4, 6-5 — he plays so big and he’s so explosive. Sometimes he looks like a small forward almost. The biggest concern defensively now is obviously guarding the 3-point line, but maybe more importantly is containing guys off the dribble. A lot of that’s physical, like quickness and length and all, but also, what those two guys have, they’re both very smart players. So there’s a way to make up for lack of athleticism and speed and quickness, and that’s with your brain. That’s probably the main concern, especially with a Tom Thibodeau team, is containing at the point of attack so you’re not just getting blown by, and all of a sudden now you got your bigs coming to help, and now you’re in full rotations and you’re just chasing the ball for that possession. That’s probably the main concern — offense I think they’ll be dynamic, they’ll be great. … I wouldn’t be overly concerned about that.

Q: Brunson?

A: Love Jalen. He’s a winner. Obviously he comes from Villanova under Jay Wright — incredibly fundamentally sound, plays the right way. Old-school player. He doesn’t bomb 3s, he can make an open 3, he’ll get to his mid-range, he’s never out of control. I think he’ll bring a winning attitude to the Knicks.

Q: How much of a difference can he make?

A: I think on paper, talent-wise, he’s not a guy that sticks out as lifting the franchise, but I think on a daily basis, his seriousness, his approach to the game, will rub off on other players in a positive way.

Q: Thibodeau?

A: Incredible defensive, intense basketball lifer. This is what he’s born to do. This is what he loves to do. I don’t think there’s much else in his life — 100 percent focus. And I think a little misread … he’s actually a really nice, funny guy.

Q: What was your best St. John’s coaching moment?

A: Beating Duke at the Garden [2018].

Q: Were your four years as coach not as much fun as you thought it would be?

A: The only job I had that was fun was playing. … I never expected [coaching] to be fun. Four years was perfect. I’m glad I did it. But four years was enough.

Q: How do you want St. John’s fans to remember you as a coach?

A: Left it better than I found it.

Q: What did you learn as the St. John’s coach about the pressures and great expectations of the fan base for Chris Mullin, the legendary hometown hero?

A: I felt a great sense of responsibility and accountability. I don’t know about so much pressure. I felt like I always put great expectations on everything I do. … I felt a lot of support, a lot of love. With that comes responsibility. What I was trying to do was what Coach [Lou Carnesecca] did for me: coach the game of basketball, of course. But then guide those young men through their college careers. There probably wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t use something that Coach either taught me, said to me … almost every day, something popped up with one of my players that I kind of felt Coach’s guidance.

Q: It was almost like you were in a no-win situation when you started?

A: The fact of the matter was, we inherited I think the least amount of minutes and points per game in the history of the game of basketball. It was starting from scratch, and I understood that. So for me to go from eight to 14 to 16 to 21 [wins] … that’s a job well done. I’m really proud of my staff — six of the guys that worked for me, one woman, are on NBA staffs now. So I’m really proud of that. Everything was done aboveboard, and I’m proud of that. Criticism always comes. I’m not on social media … that does not affect my move like one iota — never has, by the way.

 

[Halldan1]

Q: Was there an added burden in your hometown on your family?

A: I don’t think so. My wife and daughter went back to California after my first year. My boys were in college already. My daughter [Kiera] went back to school, she was homesick. She started high school in Queens and then didn’t make that transition. So there was no burden there. The burden was on me sitting in the house by myself (laugh). Me and my dog.

Q: What kind of dog?

A: Akita.

Q: Still alive?

A: Lost him, we got another one. That was Kuma, Japanese for bear, now we have Kona.

Q: Did your brother Roddy have something to do with you stopping?

A: When I came back in 2015, he got diagnosed [with cancer]. So pretty much my whole four years, he was coming to every game. So it was a great re-bonding with us. It wasn’t why I was doing it, but it really was good for both of us. When he passed away, not just the coaching part, just life in general. He was three years older than me. Not that I needed someone to put my life in perspective, but all of a sudden you kind of cherish that freedom, that time of being back with doing what you want to do, on your own time, on your own schedule. He loved coming to the games, he loved calling me after the games, and talking about the players — I’m like, it’s keeping him alive but it’s killing me (laugh). Especially the losses, but … it definitely put me in a mind frame of I need to take a step back, kind of just do my own thing. It was the right time. That wasn’t the only reason, but it definitely was a wake-up call to me.

Q: Roddy lost his cancer battle at 58 before you took the Red Storm back to the NCAA Tournament in 2019.

A: He’d sit right behind me, too. So I just saw the deterioration, much like my dad [who succumbed to cancer in 1990]. But, the blessing was we had four great years together. It’s amazing. He came on a bunch of road trips with us. It was good.

Q: When you made up your mind, was that a painful conversation with Lou?

A: No, not really. Not at all. Because I was very sure what I was doing. He said he was happy. It was an easy conversation. Very direct. He said, “You did a good job, and move on to the next thing you want to do.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the state of the St. John’s program and coach Mike Anderson?

A: Mike Anderson is a proven winning coach. I think they are set up for success this coming season.

Q: What do you think about Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving situations with the Nets?

A: I think we all have to stay tuned. I don’t think it’s gonna be a quick transaction. And it may change. Who knows? Maybe they wind up staying, I don’t know. I can see that happening. … Look, they’re two of the greatest talented players we have in the game right now. So, if they’re looking to win … they could stay together [in Brooklyn] and do that.

Q: Ben Simmons?

A: I really want to see him succeed. I’m anxious to see if he’s been working on his game a little bit. ’Cause he’s got a lot of God-given ability that could make him successful. And he obviously had the shooting, free throw, offensive liabilities that can be fixed in my mind. But his defense, his speed, his quickness, the way he pushes the ball up the floor, really a perfect complement to KD and Kyrie.

Q: Do you think Jay Wright would be a good NBA coach?

A: His demeanor, his preparation. I think he might be a better NBA coach than he was a college coach. He’s just got that personality, easygoing yet intense. I don’t know if he’s gonna do it. But I’d almost guarantee he’d be great at it.

Q: Describe former Duke star and Orlando top-overall pick Paolo Banchero.

A: Love him. Carmelo [Anthony] type, a little bigger, that type of game, all-around game — post-game, mid-game, out to the 3. This day and age, could probably play five positions. He could probably play center right now the way the game is.

Q: Chet Holmgren, the second-overall pick by the Thunder, out of Gonzaga?

A: It’s gonna be a big transition for him. At 7-1, you see the length, he’s got great timing on defense, blocking shots, good awareness and awareness defensively. Offensively, he can shoot the 3, he needs just a little bit of a Dirk [Nowitzki] type of mid-post, just get it and shoot over people. So I think what they’re gonna do, they’re gonna play smaller. If he hangs on the perimeter, he’s basically small. So to me, they’re gonna play a 3-man on him, they’re not gonna play a center on him. Why would you? Everything I hear, loves the game, big-time competitor, wants to succeed. To me, he’s more like [Kristaps] Porzingis body type than he is KD.

Q: No. 3-overall pick by Houston, Jabari Smith, out of Auburn?

A: Of those three, as talented, but maybe has a little more seasoning to do. Pretty big-time shooter, incredible athlete.

Q: What do you think of the transfer portal?

A: Kind of a disaster. It’s kind of like the opposite of what you would do if you were trying to build a team.

Q: As a player, you would like it, right?

A: Yeah, I mean I transferred high schools, who am I to talk about it?

 

[Halldan1]

Q: You think it hurts the game?

A: I don’t think it helps. I’m getting back to the team building — you just flip around. It’s got that kind of bailout mentality to it. The players have the right to do what they want to do, now they have it, but just ’cause you have it, you need to use it properly, and have people help you with your decisions. You got guys going to transfer portal who get 35 minutes a game. It seems like they’re in a really good situation and they’re going somewhere else for … which gets into the NIL.

Q: How would you have done with NIL?

A: As a player? I think pretty damn good (laugh).

Q: What kind of endorsements do you think you might have had?

A: Back then, I woulda had a lot of endorsements. I’m sure a few of the local pubs on Flatbush Avenue would have funded me. ’Cause I was funding them!

Q: What is your opinion of NIL?

A: Some schools have it all figured out and locked in, it seems like. And some don’t.

Q: What do you remember about Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s recruitment of you?

A: A lot. I got some on my phone here, some of his letters … I got stacks of handwritten letters from him.

Q: How often did he write?

A: A lot. He wrote to me, he wrote to my mom, he wrote to my dad, he wrote to all three of us. We got really close during that process.

Q: When did he start writing those letters?

A: My junior year. I think when I went over to Xaverian from Power. That was his first year at Duke. And then the following year was his first recruiting year. Put it this way: Coach Carnesecca was the first one to come into my house. And he said, “I’m not gonna bother you at all.” I knew Coach since I was 10. Did the meeting, laid everything out — “I’m not gonna bother you.” About midway through my senior year, he goes, “I need to come in again.” (laugh)

Q: Did your mom serve him pasta?

A: My mother made a great lasagna, but she’s Irish. I don’t know what Coach would say about that (chuckle). I’m sure Coach said it was great.

Q: He faked his way through it?

A: Exactly. He was recruiting me! (Laugh).

Q: At that time you just wanted to stay home?

A: When I went on those recruiting trips — I went to Virginia, Duke, Louisville — the weekends were great. By Wednesday I had forgot about it.

Q: How do you think Jon Scheyer will do replacing Coach K?

A: I think really well. I think the fact that he’s been around Coach K for so many years, he played there, he knows the dynamic of Duke. I know he’s already got some recruits in place, seems like a very composed, poised young man. And Coach K will help when needed.

Q: What did you think of Coach K’s swan song?

A: I thought his last year was amazing. I thought for him, he handled it beautifully. I was just impressed with the way the young players handled that barrage of every day … of their John Wooden.

Q: What do you think of new Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway?

A: Love Shaheen. He was assistant at Seton Hall the years I was coaching at St. John’s. I knew him a bit as a player. He’s your typical New York … basketball junkie. He loves it, he lives it, he teaches it. He can relate to the kids. He’s been through everything as a player and coach. Beautiful that he got back to Seton Hall. Incredible run.

Q: What did you think of his Saint Peter’s team?

A: It was amazing. It was like watching a Riverside Church team or something get together and all of a sudden get hot. No one knows what the hell’s going on as they’re blowing these big programs out.

Q: So what would you tell the Big East about Seton Hall now?

A: Well, Seton Hall’s been pretty damn good for a number of years now under Kevin Willard. Look, college, it’s like anything: If they get players, they’re gonna do fine. If they don’t, they’re gonna struggle.

Q: Tim Hardaway once said that you played the game like you were black.

A: (Laugh) I take that as a compliment. Part of my upbringing when I went to Power Memorial High School — midtown Manhattan, 61st and Amsterdam — that’s when I started going uptown, to Riverside Church, up to Harlem, up to The Bronx. That’s where I learned a big part of my game was playing in the parks with everybody, with all different types of players, with all different types of backgrounds. And to me, the basketball part became obvious. But maybe one of the biggest educational parts of my life was traveling the city on the trains, going to different neighborhoods, meeting kids that didn’t have two parents like I did. Didn’t have someone home when they came home from school. It opened up my eyes a lot to real life.

Q: Do you remember the very first time you went to one of those playgrounds?

A: It was intimidating. Felt pressure to perform. The funny thing about that too, though, was you feel relieved when you have a good game. But then the next time up you gotta do it again. Even if it was the day later, it didn’t matter.

Q: Did Mario Elie go with you at that time?

A: Mario, Ed Pinckney. Eddie used to walk me to the train station a lot. That was my guy. That was my bodyguard.

Q: Lou once said: “I watch him and I see Joe DiMaggio in center field.”

A: That’s probably the hugest compliment Coach can give ’cause Coach always referenced Joe DiMaggio. I remember distinctly him telling me Joe DiMaggio never had to get his uniform dirty. Because at the sound of the bat, he knows where the ball’s going. He never had to dive for the ball. So, anticipation and awareness … feel for the game.

Q: Game on the line, the world is about to end, one person to take a last-second shot: You or Steph Curry?

A: Steph Curry.

Q: Is he the best shooter you’ve ever seen?

A: He is, because of his variety and the fact that he can get his shot off off the dribble, and off screens. So he’s just so dynamic with and without the basketball.

Q: You’d be No. 2 then?

A: I’ll be in the top 10 (laugh).

Q: When you watched him at Davidson, did you think he would amount to what he is?

A: I went to the game in the Garden when he played West Virginia. No preconceived … just to go watch. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I don’t really know why, I think it was his activity with and without the basketball. He didn’t have a great game, he had a good game, made big shots at the end. I saw an All-Star. I didn’t see a two-time unanimous MVP, four-time champ, game-changer. But he had something that was different. Everyone was talking about his body, that never bothered me whatsoever. But I just didn’t think he’d be this good.

Q: Who are players you like to watch other than Steph?

A: I love Klay [Thompson]. … I love the kid Ja Morant. Just his relentlessness, his ability to finish in the paint. Not only over bigger players, around ’em. Unique skill set for a smaller guard. I think he led the league in points in the paint. I love his tenaciousness, his energy. I love [Nikola] Jokic. He’s a throwback guy too, like a [Larry] Bird type, or Magic [Johnson] almost. There’s so many great young players.

Q: Zion Williamson?

A: He’s gotta stay healthy. He looks like he’s healthy now. I think he’s gonna be dynamic. He’s like a Charles Barkley. He has his own little category. He’s not a 5, he’s not a 4. But he scores big, he shoots incredibly high from the field, he’s a good passer. He’s just gotta stay healthy.

Q: Is there anyone in today’s game who reminds you of you?

A: Joe Ingles a little bit.

Q: If you could go one-on-one against anybody in NBA history, who would it be?

A: Walt Frazier. He was my idol, I loved everything about him, his style. He was I think an underrated player overall. His skill — his ballhandling, his jump shot, he had a post game — he did everything. He was the guy I watched all the time.

Q: How would your wardrobe game compare to his?

A: (Looks down at T-shirt and laughs) I got khakis and a blue T-shirt on. Totally different league.

Q: If you could pick the brain of any player in NBA history, who would it be?

A: I sat down once with him, but didn’t pick his brain: John Havlicek. … It was more of a social gathering.

Q: What could you have asked him?

A: I met him during the ’84 Olympics. Bobby [Knight] was our coach, he was Bobby’s teammate. Had dinner with him. … But just his relentless … kind of like Steph, and Klay. Moving without the basketball. His commitment to fitness. And then, being able to be so successful as a sixth man for many years, and then becoming the face of that franchise. His humility, his ability to just blend in, but yet, most people don’t know, he’s still the leading scorer in Celtics history. I think that’s the way he lived his life — very humble, didn’t make too much that he was the star basketball player. Just was John Havlicek.

Q: Kind of like the way you were.

A: Again, Walt Frazier I saw more. But I was told to always watch John Havlicek.

 

[Halldan1]

Q: What adjectives would you use to describe Chris Mullin the basketball player?

A: Fundamentally sound … my game revolved around my shooting, that opened up the rest of my game, opened up my passing, opened up my ability to get by much more athletic, much quicker players … good court awareness … team defender (laugh).

Q: I would think of “crafty,” “savvy” or “moxie.”

A: I would say, feel for the game. I learned the game from playing one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three, and all those games are different. There’s different angles, there’s different shots that are available, you have to get open different ways. That’s the way I was taught — one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three, four-on-four, to build up to five-on-five. But along the way you’re learning all different skills.

Q: What are you most proud of about your Hall of Fame basketball career?

A: Consistency. Being able to succeed at high school, college, NBA, Olympics. Each level I was able to adjust to and then get to a good level at every stage of my career. And then being able to get knocked down and get back up.

Q: What are you most proud of in life?

A: Being sober. No question. That’s my greatest life achievement. One that keeps me on my toes each and every day, every minute of the day. But it has brought me so many blessings. It helped my basketball career obviously at that time, but more importantly, it’s really helped me in life, way beyond sports, work … just life — being a father, being a husband, all the things that I’ve been able to evolve into from that. It’s the greatest blessing in my life.

Q: Regrets in both?

A: In basketball, nothing keeps me up at night, but [the 1985] Final Four loss to Georgetown. Looking back, that’s always something that, you know, you’re one game away, right? But, we lost to a pretty damn good team (laugh).

Q: How do you think you would have done against Villanova?

A: Oh, we definitely woulda beat them. It was one of those matchup things. Regret yeah, but not anything that keeps me up at night. And then same thing with the NBA. We got real close with the Pacers, good run. … In life … that’s a tough one, man. Because most of my regrets … maybe early on, when I was a youngster carrying on before I got sober — but that led me to getting sober. Both of them are to me part of this journey that got me here.

Q: You’re a Mets fan. How would you like a Subway World Series?

A: That’s what the city needs.

Q: Favorite NYC pizza?

A: John’s of Bleecker.

Q: Describe your oldest child Sean, 30.

A: He works in medical device sales. He lives in Boston. Sean is incredibly intelligent — not like me — very outdoorsy, very independent, incredible athlete, great lacrosse player. Second is my son Chris [28], lives in San Francisco, works for a sports marketing company. Chrissy’s a mama’s boy (laugh). Liam is 25, lives here in New York. He’s a throwback to like one of my father’s brothers. He’s an old soul. He reminds me of one of my uncles. He’s a Brooklyn kid. He’s investigating and working in the CBD industry. My daughter Kiera is 21. She’ll be a senior at the University of San Diego. She lives in the Bay Area, goes home school in San Diego, and summers in the Hamptons — she’s the smartest of all of us. Very easygoing, sweet. … I’d say she’s like her two grandmothers combined.

Q: Your wife Liz?

A: She’s been my best friend for over 35 years now. We’ve been through ups and downs, sideways, everything together. We just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. And … life is good. We keep moving, we keep going on the journey together. We’re having a blast. And now she’s an insane pickleball maniac.

Q: What’s it like being Chris Mullin today?

A: I got a great life right now. I do the Warriors pre- and postgame. I get to watch an incredible team, incredible players, I don’t travel, I just stay home. The only traveling I did was to The Finals. So I love it.

Q: How would you describe your life now?

A: Calm … peaceful … and mellow. No turbulence. No drama.

Q: If there was a movie about your life, what would the title be?

A: “A Kid From Flatbush.” (smile)

 

[Seton75]

Excellent interview

 

[radecicco]

Great interview. If SHU gets players, they’ll be good. If not they’ll struggle. Straight forward analysis.
He would give up Barrett to get Mitchell. Is concerned about perimeter defense with Brunson and Mitchell.

 

[dehere23]

Clearly likes and thinks highly of Sha as well.

 

[Halldan1]

Really, who doesn't!