Patty Mills Bio
Patrick Sammie Mills AM is an Australian professional basketball player who most recently played for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born and raised in Canberra, Mills is of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian descent and is recognized as one of the most influential Indigenous athletes in Australian history. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft after two seasons of college basketball with the Saint Mary’s Gaels. In June 2025, he was also named general manager of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball program.
Early Life and Background
Patrick Sammie Mills was born on 11 August 1988 in Canberra, the capital of Australia. He is the son of Benny Mills, a Torres Strait Islander, and Yvonne Mills, an Aboriginal Australian woman of Kokatha heritage. His mother, a member of the Stolen Generations, was taken from her parents by the Australian state in 1949. Mills has described learning of his mother’s past as a turning point in his understanding of his own Indigenous identity.
Mills first picked up a basketball at the age of four, playing for a local Indigenous club called The Shadows that his parents helped establish. As a boy, he served as the ball boy for the Canberra Cannons of the National Basketball League, where his future college coach David Patrick was playing. He attended Marist College in Canberra before moving to the Australian Institute of Sport and Lake Ginninderra College. Mills is the cousin of rugby league player Edrick Lee and fellow basketball player Nathan Jawai, the nephew of former Olympian Danny Morseu, and the great-nephew of Indigenous land rights activist Eddie Mabo.
Path to Basketball
Mills quickly emerged as one of Australia’s top young basketball talents. In 2005, he impressed at the Australian Olympic Youth Festival, and in January 2006 he won the RE Staunton Medal at the U20 Nationals in Perth. He was named the 2006 SEABL U21 Australian Youth Player of the Year and earned Junior Male Player of the Year at the Basketball Australia Junior Awards. Mills was also recognized as the most promising new sports talent at the 2006 Deadlys Awards and as Basketball Player of the Year by NAIDOC.
In 2007, Mills made his senior debut for the Australian Boomers at the FIBA Oceania Championship, becoming the third Indigenous basketball player to represent Australia at that level. That same year he signed to play college basketball for Saint Mary’s College of California, where he earned West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year and All-WCC First Team honours as a freshman. After his sophomore season, in which he averaged 18.4 points per game, Mills declared for the 2009 NBA draft.
Patty Mills Career
Early Career (2009–2011)
Mills was selected with the 55th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2009 NBA draft, the highest Saint Mary’s player selected since 1961. A fractured right foot in summer league delayed his start, and he spent time with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League before making his NBA debut on 4 January 2010. In 10 games as a rookie, he averaged 2.6 points in limited minutes.
In 2010–11, Mills appeared in 64 games for the Trail Blazers, averaging 5.5 points and 1.7 assists in 12.2 minutes. He scored a then career-high 23 points in the regular-season finale against the Golden State Warriors, capping a steady development under the Portland staff.
Portland Trail Blazers (2009–2011)
Mills’ two seasons in Portland were split between the main roster and the Idaho Stampede. He worked to add strength and improve his perimeter game, and by his second year had earned a more consistent role, posting 10 double-figure scoring outings and appearing in two playoff games. The foundation he built in Portland helped establish him as a reliable backup guard.
Melbourne Tigers and Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2011–2012)
During the 2011 NBA lockout, Mills signed with the Melbourne Tigers of the NBL, averaging 18.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists in nine games. He later joined the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China, where he produced a dominant 26.5 points per game across 12 contests before being released in January 2012.
San Antonio Spurs (2012–2021)
Mills signed with the San Antonio Spurs in March 2012 and quickly became a key reserve. On 26 April 2012 he set career highs of 34 points and 12 assists in a win over the Golden State Warriors, posting the highest single-game scoring mark by an Australian in NBA history at the time. The following season he reached the 2013 NBA Finals, missing the final four games after surgery for a right foot abscess.
In 2013–14, Mills set career-best marks for games and minutes and was a steady bench presence as the Spurs won the 2014 NBA championship over the Miami Heat. He scored 14 of his 17 points in the third quarter of the decisive Game 5. In 2017, he signed a four-year, $50 million extension and continued climbing the franchise’s all-time three-point list. On 19 January 2020 he became the first Australian to make 1,000 NBA three-pointers. He ended his Spurs tenure as the longest-tenured player on the roster and a respected leader in the locker room.
Brooklyn Nets (2021–2023)
Mills signed with the Brooklyn Nets in August 2021 and made an immediate impact, scoring 21 points on 7-of-7 shooting from three in his debut. In his first two games he became the first player in NBA history to shoot a perfect 10-of-10 from deep. He set a career high with nine three-pointers and 29 points in a November 2021 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, then tied a career high with 34 points on Christmas Day against the Los Angeles Lakers, setting a record for most three-pointers made on Christmas Day.
Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, and Utah Jazz (2023–2025)
Mills was traded three times in the 2023 off-season, eventually landing with the Atlanta Hawks, where he was waived on 29 February 2024. He signed with the Miami Heat in March 2024 and later joined the Utah Jazz in September 2024. On 1 February 2025, Mills was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in a multi-player deal, reuniting him with former teammates Kawhi Leonard and Ben Simmons.
Notable Events and Milestones
Mills is a 2014 NBA champion, a three-time Gaze Medalist, and the 2021 winner of The Don Award, presented annually to Australia’s most outstanding sportsperson. He is the all-time leading scorer among Australian NBA players, the first Australian to reach 1,000 NBA three-pointers, and the first Indigenous Australian to serve as a flag bearer at an Olympic Games. He was also credited as a co-creator of the popular 3 Goggles celebration during his time in Portland.
Patty Mills Career Wins
Across more than 15 NBA seasons, Mills has built a reputation as a clutch shooter and respected leader. His career highlights include an NBA championship with the 2014 San Antonio Spurs, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medal with the Australian Boomers, and a place among the most prolific three-point shooters in league history. He has appeared in NBA playoff series with Portland, San Antonio, and Brooklyn.
NBA Highlights
Mills’ most celebrated NBA moments include his 34-point, 12-assist effort against the Golden State Warriors in 2012, his record-setting three-point shooting during the 2014 NBA Finals, and his perfect 10-of-10 start from deep with the Brooklyn Nets in 2021. He set the Christmas Day record for three-pointers made in 2021 and reached the 1,000 three-pointer milestone in January 2020.
International Highlights
Mills captained the Australian Boomers to their first Olympic men’s basketball medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, scoring 42 points against Slovenia in the bronze medal game, an Olympic record for a medal-round contest. He is one of the top all-time Olympic basketball scorers and represented Australia at five Olympic Games, including Paris 2024.
Patty Mills Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Mills comes from a proud Indigenous family with deep sporting and cultural roots. His uncle, Danny Morseu, was the second Indigenous Australian to play Olympic basketball, and his great-uncle was Eddie Mabo, the renowned land rights activist. His cousins include rugby league player Edrick Lee and basketball player Nathan Jawai.
Personal Life
Mills met his wife, Alyssa Mills, while both were students at Saint Mary’s College of California, where she was also a college basketball player. The couple married on 8 July 2019 in Waimea Valley, Hawaii. In 2014, Mills was presented with the keys to the city of Canberra following the Spurs’ NBA championship. Outside of basketball, he is an avid rugby league fan who supports the Brisbane Broncos and the Queensland Maroons, and he also follows the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League.
2025 Season Performance
Mills began the 2024–25 NBA season with the Utah Jazz after signing in September 2024. On 1 February 2025, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he joined a contending roster. His veteran presence and three-point shooting were expected to provide a spark off the bench as the Clippers pushed for a deep playoff run. He later added another professional chapter when he was named general manager of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors program in June 2025, signalling the start of his post-playing executive career.