I’m sure you all know by now that Patty Mills and Aron Baynes are the newest Australian NBA Champions.
Baynes played a minor role for the Spurs in the five-game Finals series against the Heat, very similar to Mills’ role last year.
But this year was very different for Mills.
The 25-year-old played a pivotal role in downing the Heat and cemented himself as a San Antonio fan favourite. His energy and pure excitement coming off the bench was infectious for the rest of his teammates.
Mills played the biggest game of his career in Game 5, scoring 17 points, including five three pointers. He made the third quarter his own, scoring a huge 14 points.
It wasn’t always this way for Mills though. He was drafted with the 55th pick by the Portland Trailblazers in 2009. He was never able to fully push into their rotation and returned to Australia to play for the Melbourne Tigers in 2011 and then travelled to China.
He was picked up by the Spurs in March 2012 and while he wasn’t able to solidify his spot in the rotation until this season, you could tell he fitted in perfectly with the Spurs.
He loves to play for his teammates and is a great team player. This is what Spurs basketball is all about – putting the team first.
After the heartbreaking 2013 Finals loss to the Heat, Mills took his training and dieting to a whole new level. Everyone knew he was too heavy, including his coach Gregg Popovich, who said he was “a little fat ass”.
This commitment helped Mills take his game to a new level. His shooting from beyond the arc is now automatic and he shot a phenomenal 52 per cent from three point land in the Finals.
Defence was always the biggest deficiency in Mills’ game, but throughout the series he was commended for this side of his game. Followers of Mills’ early career would know just how much his defence has improved and it is a credit to him and the Spurs coaching staff.
Mills was forever known for his infamous towel waving on the sidelines, and some thought that’s all he would ever be, a benchwarmer.
While he still loves a good towel wave, Mills will now be remembered for his shooting, energy and that crazy third quarter in the Championship-clinching Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals.
As Australians, we should all be extremely proud of the way he has represented our country throughout this NBA season. He has single-handedly put Australian basketball back on the map.
Congratulations, Patty!
Stan McCan
Guest
Think we will just stick with an Aussie team
Terrosilops
Guest
Could make an ANZAC team - with the Superstar of the Future = Steve Adams
GoodGame
Guest
Funny you should mention the Pendlebury Scholarship deal...... I was watching foxsports the other night and strangely enough Sydney Swams Coach John Longmire was talking about how a while back they tried to convince Mills to play to Aussie Rules for the Swans (or their development team)...needless to say he made the right choice! :)
GoodGame
Guest
Stan McCan
Guest
AIS offered the scolarship first to Pendlebury as Mills was already living in Canberra and it was easier to keem him involved without contract as Pendles is from Sale. Would Mills have played in China or Melbourne if there was no NBA lockout that year?
Hayley Wildes
Roar Pro
Patty is a battler because he was never a star coming out of college and had to take trips to China, back to Australia, and played some time in the NBA D-League to get to where he is today. He was drafted with the 6th last pick(!) in the 2009 draft. Not a bad effort to win an NBA Championship after all that!
AR
Guest
It's a great story - well done Patty Mills.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
It's a good example of someone realizing the work they need to do to take their game to the next level and going away and doing it. I saw something about him where his coach commented that he came back from the offseason with a new body. He wanted the gain and faced the pain required to get it and it's totally turned his career around. One of the big differences between the NBA and the NBL is the sheer athleticism. It's hard to go past it. The good players in the NBA are just pure quality athletes with finely tuned bodies. To seriously compete in that environment without becoming that yourself you would have to be some incredible freak who can just hit a stupid shooting percentage after being blindfolded and spun around. It's just not going to happen. Much respect for the way he's put in massive amounts of hard, physical work over the offseason and is now reaping the rewards! I do hope that he doesn't make a bad career move from here taking free agency to another club where he then fades into nothing.
Swampy
Guest
Fantastic for Patty and fantastic for basketball in this country. We have 4 players in the NBA currently and that may swell to 7 or 8 in two to three years time. We are about to start on a golden generation of basketball the likes we haven't seen in this country on a world scale. Patty Mills is a fantastic story of the kid who almost didn't make it. He's worked his butt off and stuck around for his chance when he so easily could have given up and taken the easy money on offer in Europe. This season affirmed he had the ability and the nous to be an NBA basketballer. While there is every danger he may not cope with an expanded role outside of the Spurs he will thoroughly deserve his next contract. I wish him well. If the Spurs are smart they will try to keep him but I'm certain there will be offers far bigger than what the Spurs can manage. Not sure if it's true, but I heard that Patty Mills only gained an AIS Scholarship once Scott Pendlebury turned it down... so at age 16 he wasn't even considered amongst the top 5 or 6 in his age group. Now he's in the top 200 in the world.
Graham Sanyo
Guest
Why is he a battler?
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Key role players on championship teams almost inevitably leave with free agency. He'd probably be crazy not to as unfortunate as it may be.
Peeeko
Guest
Well done, great to see an Aussie of normal height making it in the NBA
astro
Guest
I hope he stays with the Spurs!!! Can't help but think of Gary Neal...the Spurs previous back up PG to Parker. Scored 24pts in a Finals game last year, chased a bigger contract and is now stuck on the Bobcats/Hornets bench after being bounced out of Milwaukee, all while openly lamenting his decision to leave San Antonio.
Will Sinclair
Roar Guru
I heard Mills interviewed on the radio this morning, and gee has was impressive. It makes you so proud to hear an Aussie athlete like this - who has made it on the very biggest stage in the World - still sound so grounded, and ego-free. Well done Patty Mills.
Pete
Guest
Was great to see! Hopefully Basketball in Australia can gain some momentum in the next few years with the likes of Exum/Simmons etc coming into the NBA and seeing Patty and Bogut doing so well. Future looks bright, lets hope the NBL can capitalise
Adam Smith
Guest
As he is a free agent now I hope he gets picked up by another good NBA club and continues playing regularly, he really is a good player .