Born and raised in Australia, Patrick "Patty" Mills was a burgeoning basketball star at Saint Mary's College in California, foregoing his final two years of collegiate basketball in order to declare for the 2009 NBA Draft.
Taken with the 55th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2009, Mills went on to have an NBA career that is 16 years and counting. He has also appeared in five Summer Olympic Games. His 567 points in the Olympics is good for fifth all-time.
Back at his time at Saint Mary's, Mills bonded with assistant coach Eran Ganot, who has been the University of Hawai‘i men's basketball coach since 2015. Mills began to spend some of his offseason on O‘ahu, visiting with Ganot often.
Although Mills never attended the University of Hawai‘i, the connection he feels with the Islands is one he described as spiritual. Mills was named the new general manager for the UH men's basketball team on Monday, the first person to hold that title in program history.
When Mills first introduced himself in his new role on Monday, his remarks served as the basis for why he accepted the position.
"I'm a proud Gugada Nagyagaou and Dauer Meriam man, born and raised in Australia. My roots trace back to the red sands of the desert and the salt water of the Torres Strait, two cultures that have shaped every part of who I am," Mills said. "I first connected with UH back in 2007 as a college player, but it wasn't until 2016 that Hawaiʻi truly became home for me and my family, and at that moment, I felt a spiritual connection to the people, to the culture and to all the values that echo those of my own communities back home: Respect for the land and sea, pride in identity and culture and the strength of community.
"Those are things that we share, and that connection is what has driven me every day to be successful as a basketball player at the elite level, and now it's a privilege to now carry that into this new role as the general manager of the University of Hawai‘i basketball program. So, very excited."
The University of Hawai‘i would have greatly benefitted from having Mills on its roster back when he was a college freshman in 2007. That's when he guided Saint Mary's to the Rainbow Classic championship at the Stan Sheriff Center. Mills was named tournament MVP, averaging 19 points per game, including 23 in the championship game against Ohio. UH, meanwhile, finished in eighth place.
Mills found his niche in the NBA as a sharpshooter mostly off the bench. His 17 points off on 5-for-8 shooting from 3-point range in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals helped the San Antonio Spurs win the title, cementing Mills' spot in history as an NBA champion.
Mills was 15 when Ganot saw him play for the first time, back Saint Mary's was on a foreign trip to Australia. When Ganot got his first head coaching gig in Mānoa, he opened up the team's facility to Mills for offseason training.
"I guess my involvement with UH isn't new. I feel like I've been a part of the UH basketball family for quite some time, back to 2016, so I guess in a way, the things that we've been able to do over the course of that time, this just kind of legitimizes it a little bit more and makes it a little bit more professional," Mills said. "But I have been working closely with coach Ganot and the coaching staff for some time. The things that we've been able to do in the community in attempts to grow the game throughout the state, I think, is important."
In college football, the general manager position is becoming increasingly commonplace among staffs. The position is not as ubiquitous in college basketball. ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski made headlines when he left the company to become the general manager of men's basketball team at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure. In becoming UH's new GM, Mills is also doing so for intrinsic reasons.
"This once again speaks to the character of Patty. He's doing this as a volunteer," Ganot said. He's not someone who messes around. I know it's obvious on the floor with teams, but he's been such an advocate for growing the game and for giving back, and anything he's been involved in has been a success. When he's in town, he'll be more in person, and when he's from afar, he'll be checking in, which he's always done. Just a great human being. I'm honored to know him."
Patty and Alyssa Mills were married in Waimea Valley in 2019. In 2022, he sponsored the Patty Mills North Shore Classic, a multi-team event held at the Canon Activities Center in Lāʻie.
Mills played 10 seasons for the Spurs and also had stints with the Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Utah Jazz and most recently the Los Angeles Clippers.
"I've learned a lot. I've seen a lot, not only as a player, but coaching staff, obviously, front office staff as well," Mills said. "I've surprised myself, the amount of stuff that I've been able to learn in this sport, constantly picking brains, asking questions, wanting to learn more. I think there is a part of me here that is capable of being able to provide as much needed help as I can to this program, but at the same time, I've got relationships with a lot of people across the NBA that I'm very fortunate enough, whether they're players, coaches or people in the front office.
"There's no doubt I'll be reaching out and seeing what tips and advice I can get from from them. But like there's a part here and a perspective, given my upbringing and my background culturally, and how those things relate, especially to Hawai‘i and to the university, as well as things that I've achieved in basketball, in the NBA. So, there's a unique perspective here. I think the part here is obviously not trying to reinvent the wheel by any means, but obviously be here to be able to help support and build something special, and hopefully, at the same time, be able to grow the game in Hawai‘i and in the community."
Mills' role as general manager will include mentorship with players, as well as contributing to fundraising, recruiting and community engagement.
"His character is off the charts, his talents off the charts. And he wants to be here. He's immersed himself in the culture," Ganot said. "He understands how important Hawai‘i is. ... He's gonna put his own stamp on it, his personality.
"He's been honored for his work in terms of giving back, community outreach, one of the great teammates, one of the great sportsmanship figures you'll ever be around, as good a human being as you could possibly be around and to have that around your student-athletes is special. You'll feel it not just with our program, but with this university and within the state. He's a global icon in a lot of ways. His reach locally, nationally and globally and for all the right reasons. ... It's just a positive, positive day, and for all the right reasons. Couldn't be happier."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
