What draft pick was Patty Mills?

Patty Mills is an Australian professional basketball player signed with the Miami Heat. Growing up in Canberra, Mills picked up basketball when he was four years old. He started playing for a local indigenous club founded by his parents called “The Shadows.” He was also the ball boy for the Canberra Cannons of the NBL.

Besides basketball, Mills also played Australian rules football at a high level. He had an opportunity to play for the AFL, but decided against it to pursue basketball. By this time, he was the youngest player selected for the Australian Boomers squad that represented the country at the 2006 FIBA World Championships. Mills was also named the “most promising new sports talent” at the 2006 Deadlys Awards.

After relocating to the US to develop his basketball skills, Mills played college basketball for Saint Mary’s College in California. He was named the WCC Newcomer of the Year and earned All-WCC First Team honors. In Mills’ first season, the Gaels finished with a top 25 ranking for the first time since the 1988/89 season.

Patty Mills Draft

In the 2009 NBA Draft, Patty Mills was selected with the 55th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. Initially, Mills was assigned to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League for the first few months of his rookie season before being called up to the Blazers main team. He played two seasons with the Trail Blazers before going back to the Melbourne Tigers in 2011 during the NBA lockout. Mills played one season for the Tigers and one season for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China before returning to the NBA. He was signed by the San Antonio Spurs and immediately became a key part of their rotation.

Mills flourished as the backup point guard/shooting guard under legendary coach Gregg Popovich. In 2014, he helped the Spurs win their fifth championship and forever cemented himself as a Spurs legend. Since then, he has played for the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat. While he does not get the same playing time as he once saw with the Spurs, he is still a key veteran for every team he plays for and is a pivotal piece every team would love to have.