History of Patty Mills in Timeline
Patrick Sammie Mills is a professional basketball player from Australia who currently plays for the Miami Heat. He was born and raised in Canberra and has both Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian ancestry. A significant milestone in his career was his selection as the third Indigenous player to represent the Australian national basketball team in 2007. His NBA journey began in 2009 when he was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers after playing college basketball at Saint Mary's College of California.
1949: Mills' Mother Part of the Stolen Generations
In 1949, Patty Mills' mother, Yvonne, and her siblings were forcibly removed from their parents as part of the Stolen Generations.
1961: Highest Draft Pick Since 1961
Patty Mills became the highest NBA draft pick from Saint Mary's since 1961.
1964: Michael Ah Matt Represents Australia in Olympics
Michael Ah Matt became the first Indigenous basketball player to represent Australia at the Olympics in 1964.
1980: Danny Morseu Joins Australian Olympic Team
Danny Morseu became the second Indigenous Australian to play basketball for Australia at the Olympics, participating from 1980 to 1984.
1983: First Saint Mary's Player Drafted Since 1983
The selection of Patty Mills marked the first time a Saint Mary's player had been drafted into the NBA since 1983.
August 1988: Birth of Patty Mills
Patty Mills was born in August 1988.
1988: Helps Gaels Achieve Top 25 Ranking
Patty Mills played a crucial role in helping the Saint Mary's Gaels basketball team achieve a top 25 ranking for the first time since the 1988-89 season.
2004: Attends Australian Institute of Sport
Patty Mills left Marist College to attend the Australian Institute of Sport in 2004.
2005: Excels at Australian Olympic Youth Festival
Patty Mills showcased his skills at the Australian Olympic Youth Festival in 2005.
January 2006: Awarded RE Staunton Medal
Patty Mills was awarded the RE Staunton Medal at the U20 Nationals in Perth in January 2006.
November 2006: Signs with Saint Mary's College
Patty Mills committed to playing college basketball for Saint Mary's College of California in November 2006.
2006: Receives Multiple Awards and Recognition
Patty Mills received numerous accolades in 2006, including the Junior Male Player of the Year, Deadlys Award for "most promising new sports talent", Australia Basketball Player of the Year, and National Sportsperson of the Year by NAIDOC.
November 2007: Sets Saint Mary's Freshman Record
On November 20, 2007, Patty Mills set a new scoring record for Saint Mary's freshmen with a 37-point performance against Oregon.
2007: Represents Australia in Basketball
In 2007, Patty Mills became the third Indigenous basketball player to represent the Australian national team.
2007: Joins Saint Mary's Gaels
Patty Mills joined the Saint Mary's Gaels basketball team for the 2007-2008 season.
2007: Debuts for Australian National Team
Patty Mills made his debut with the Australian senior national basketball team, the Boomers, at the FIBA Oceania Championship in 2007, becoming the third Indigenous Australian to achieve this.
2007: Helps Australia Qualify for Junior World Championships
Patty Mills was part of the Australian team that qualified for the 2007 Junior Men's World Championships.
2008: Earns All-WCC First Team Honors
Patty Mills continued to excel in his sophomore year (2008-09) and earned All-WCC First Team honors for the second consecutive year.
April 2009: Declares for the NBA Draft
Patty Mills declared for the NBA draft in April 2009, forgoing his remaining two years of college eligibility.
June 2009: Drafted by Portland Trail Blazers
Patty Mills was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft.
July 2009: Suffers Foot Injury
Patty Mills fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during practice in July 2009, causing him to miss the NBA Summer League.
October 2009: Signs with Trail Blazers
Patty Mills officially signed his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers in October 2009.
December 2009: Assigned to Development League
After recovering from his foot injury, Patty Mills was assigned to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League in December 2009.
2009: Drafted into the NBA
Patty Mills was drafted into the NBA by the Portland Trail Blazers as the 55th overall pick in 2009.
January 2010: NBA Debut with Trail Blazers
Patty Mills made his NBA debut with the Portland Trail Blazers in January 2010.
March 2010: Queensland Flood Relief Efforts
Patty Mills' first foray into charity work took place in 2010 when he helped raise over $40,000 for flood relief efforts in Queensland.
December 2010: "Assist Australia" Founded
Patty Mills founded the charity project "Assist Australia" in December 2010, following devastating floods in Queensland in March and December of that year.
2010: Popularizes "3 Goggles" Trend
During the 2010-11 NBA season, Patty Mills and his teammate Rudy Fernández gained recognition for starting the "3 Goggles" trend. Players would make a hand gesture resembling goggles after successfully making a three-point shot. The trend started as a lighthearted way of acknowledging Fernández's improved three-point shooting and quickly gained popularity among players and fans.
2010: Plays 64 Games for Trail Blazers
Patty Mills played in 64 games for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2010-11 NBA season.
2010: Represents Australia at FIBA World Championship
Patty Mills showcased his skills on the international stage, representing Australia at the FIBA World Championship in 2010.
January 2011: "Assist Australia" Response to Floods
Patty Mills' charity "Assist Australia" focused on providing aid after Queensland experienced significant floods in December 2010 and January 2011.
August 2011: Signs with Melbourne Tigers
Patty Mills returned to Australia during the NBA lockout and signed with the Melbourne Tigers in August 2011.
October 2011: Scores 28 Points in Season Opener
Patty Mills had a strong start with the Melbourne Tigers, scoring a game-high 28 points in the season opener against the Sydney Kings in October 2011.
December 2011: NBA Lockout Ends
The NBA lockout, which had led Patty Mills to play in China, ended in December 2011.
2011: Plays in the NBL and China
During the 2011 NBA lockout, Patty Mills played for the Melbourne Tigers in Australia and the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China.
2011: Competes in FIBA Oceania Championship
Patty Mills continued to contribute to Australian basketball by participating in the FIBA Oceania Championship in 2011.
January 2012: Released by Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Patty Mills' time with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers ended in January 2012 when he was released after suffering a hamstring injury.
March 2012: Joins San Antonio Spurs
Patty Mills signed with the San Antonio Spurs in March 2012.
March 2012: Signs with San Antonio Spurs
In March 2012, Patty Mills signed with the San Antonio Spurs, marking a significant step in his NBA career.
April 2012: Sets Career Highs with Spurs
On April 26, 2012, Patty Mills achieved career highs with 34 points and 12 assists for his first NBA double-double in a win against the Golden State Warriors. This game also marked the highest single-game score by an Australian in the NBA, surpassing Andrew Bogut's 32 points in January 2010.
July 2012: Re-signs with Spurs
Patty Mills re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs in July 2012, continuing his journey with the team.
2012: Leads Scoring Average at London Olympics
At the 2012 London Olympics, Patty Mills made a significant impact by achieving the highest scoring average (21.2 points per game), surpassing notable players like Kevin Durant of the United States.
April 2013: Scores Season-High 23 Points
On April 15, 2013, Patty Mills scored a season-high 23 points during a game against the Golden State Warriors.
June 2013: Exercises Player Option, Returns to Spurs
Patty Mills exercised his player option in June 2013 to return to the San Antonio Spurs for the 2013-14 season.
2013: Represents Australia at FIBA Oceania Championship
Patty Mills once again donned the green and gold, representing Australia at the FIBA Oceania Championship in 2013.
July 2014: Keys to the City
In July 2014, Patty Mills received the keys to the city of Canberra, following his contribution to the San Antonio Spurs' championship victory.
July 2014: Signs Three-Year Contract with Spurs
In July 2014, Patty Mills signed a three-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs, solidifying his place on the team.
2014: Spurs Return to NBA Finals
In 2014, Patty Mills played a key role in helping the San Antonio Spurs return to the NBA Finals. During Game 5 of the Finals, he contributed significantly by scoring 14 of his 17 points in the third quarter, ultimately aiding the Spurs in securing a series-clinching victory against the Miami Heat.
2014: NBA Championship with the Spurs
Patty Mills played a significant role in the San Antonio Spurs' NBA championship victory in 2014.
2014: Wins NBA Championship with Spurs
Patty Mills was part of the San Antonio Spurs team that won the NBA Championship in 2014.
2015: Competes in FIBA Oceania Championship
Patty Mills continued his commitment to Australian basketball by participating in the FIBA Oceania Championship in 2015.
2016: Helps Boomers Secure Fourth Place at Rio Olympics
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Patty Mills played a pivotal role in helping the Australian Boomers achieve a fourth-place finish.
April 2017: Scores Postseason-High 20 Points
On April 25, 2017, Patty Mills achieved a postseason-high score of 20 points during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
August 2017: Re-signs with Spurs
In August 2017, Patty Mills re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs, continuing his tenure with the team.
December 2017: Achieves Milestones with Spurs
December 2017 marked significant achievements for Patty Mills with the Spurs. He became the third Spur to make 500 3-pointers as a reserve and one of only three Spurs in franchise history to score 3,000 career points as a reserve.
2017: Co-Authors Children's Book Series
In 2017, Patty Mills collaborated with Jared Thomas on a series of books aimed at young readers.
February 2018: Climbs Spurs' All-Time 3-Pointer List
In February 2018, Patty Mills reached another milestone with the Spurs, moving up to fourth place on the team's all-time list for 3-pointers made.
2018: "Game Day! Championship Collection" Published
The book series "Game Day! Championship Collection," co-written by Patty Mills and Jared Thomas, was published in 2018.
March 2019: Sets 3-Point Record with Spurs
In March 2019, Patty Mills set a record with the San Antonio Spurs by becoming the only player to make more than 120 3-pointers in five different seasons.
July 2019: Marries Alyssa Levesque
On July 8, 2019, Patty Mills married his long-time girlfriend, Alyssa Levesque, in a ceremony held in Waimea Valley, Hawaii.
January 2020: Reaches 1,000 NBA 3-Pointers
Patty Mills made history in January 2020 by becoming the first Australian player in NBA history to reach the milestone of 1,000 3-pointers.
December 2020: Becomes Longest-Tenured Spurs Player
As of December 2020, Patty Mills became the San Antonio Spurs' longest-tenured player, surpassing all others in the team's history, including being the last remaining player from the 2014 championship team.
2020: Leads Australia to Olympic Medal
In 2020, Patty Mills led the Australian Boomers to their first Olympic medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
2020: Makes History as Australian Flag Bearer
Patty Mills etched his name in Australian sports history by becoming the first Indigenous Australian to carry the nation's flag at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He shared this honor with swimmer Cate Campbell. Later in the games, as captain, he played a pivotal role in leading the Australian men's basketball team to their first-ever Olympic medal, securing bronze after a stellar performance in which he scored 42 points against Slovenia. His exceptional contributions were recognized with a place in the Tokyo 2020 All-Star Five for men's Olympic basketball.
2020: Combatting Racism and Police Brutality
Patty Mills used his platform to actively fight against racism and police brutality, particularly in his home country of Australia, in 2020.
January 2021: Sets NBA Record for 3-Pointers as Reserve
In January 2021, Patty Mills set a new NBA record for the most 3-point shots made by a reserve player for a single team, solidifying his reputation as a sharpshooter.
August 2021: Signs with Brooklyn Nets
Patty Mills signed with the Brooklyn Nets in August 2021, beginning a new chapter in his NBA career.
2021: Leads Australia to Olympic Medal
In 2021, Patty Mills captained the Australian Boomers to their first-ever Olympic medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
July 2022: Re-signs with Brooklyn Nets
In July 2022, Patty Mills re-signed with the Brooklyn Nets, continuing his journey with the team.
July 2023: Traded Multiple Times
July 2023 marked a period of significant movement for Patty Mills as he was involved in multiple trades. He was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Houston Rockets, then to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and finally to the Atlanta Hawks.
February 2024: Waived by Atlanta Hawks
Patty Mills was waived by the Atlanta Hawks in February 2024, making him a free agent.
March 2024: Signs with Miami Heat
In March 2024, Patty Mills signed with the Miami Heat, joining his former NBA Finals rivals.