Patty Mills became the first Australian to play 1,000 NBA games in the Utah Jazz’s 105-92 victory against the Orlando Magic on January 5.
Mills reached the feat by playing in his 902nd regular season game to go along with 98 playoff appearances.
The point guard and Canberra native has carved out a long and exceptional NBA career with stints at the Portland Trailblazers, San Antonio Spurs, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and now the Jazz.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe was drafted by Portland in 2009 and it was at the Spurs where he made his greatest mark in the league, playing 10 seasons for the Texas franchise including winning an NBA championship in 2014.
It can be argued however that Mills has had an even better FIBA career having represented Australia in five Olympics.
In the Tokyo games, he led the Boomers to a bronze medal, their first medal in Olympic basketball, and was also an opening ceremony flag bearer for his country.
Embed from Getty ImagesFIBA and International basketball commentator Josh Bett had this to say about Mills’ career: “Simple words to describe Patty Mills. Tough as nails. He’s the standard of what any pro basketball player should be.
“(Australian basketball coach) Rob (Beveridge) would also say the same thing about Patty Mills. He is the kind of player that’s any coach’s dream and that’s a rightfully deserved accolade.”
In the game against Orlando that marked his milestone appearance, Mills logged 19 minutes of action and recorded two rebounds and one assist.