It’s Mills and swoon
PATTY Mills. If Mills ran for PM, he’d give Scott Morrison a run for his money.
From carrying Australia’s flag at the Tokyo Olympics to leading the Boomers to their first men’s medal after six decades of near-misses, the much-loved guard has had quite the year. And Mills’ remarkable performance to score 42 points in the bronze medal game against Luka Doncic’s Slovenia will go down in Australian basketball folklore.
A relieved and emotional Patty embracing teammate and close friend Joe Ingles at fulltime after beating the Slovenians is a sight that will endure.
Mills has continued his Olympic form with his new NBA team Brooklyn Nets, dropping careerhigh numbers and even starting in the absence of Nets guard Kyrie Irving. The way the Nets are playing, led by the world’s best scorer Kevin Durant, Mills is every chance
of adding another NBA championship to the one he won with San Antonio Spurs in 2014.
Add in Mills’ extensive off-court contribution, especially in the Indigenous community, and it’s easy to see why there is a push to have Patty immortalised in bronze or – based off this year’s Tokyo Olympic success – rose gold.
Mills continued his standout NBA season on Christmas Day with a shooting masterclass in Brooklyn’s win against the Lakers in Los Angeles, equalling his career-high tally with 34 points, including eight threes and seven assists.
ADOPTED AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
IT’S fair to say there were a large chunk of Australians who didn’t know much about Matisse Thybulle before this year’s Tokyo Olympics.
It didn’t take the Sydney-raised guard long to win over the Aussie fans with his brilliant performances for the Boomers in Tokyo. The Philadelphia 76er was a breath of fresh air with his dogged defence, Inspector Gadget-like reach and explosive athleticism. Thybulle was born in the US, but he is as Aussie as the Harbour Bridge, Vegemite and Cold Chisel – and we love it.
THE JOE INGLES ‘NEVER GIVE UP’ AWARD
BOOMERS star Joe Ingles had to take the long road via Europe and an initial knock-back in the NBA to achieve his dreams.
Rising Aussie big man Jock Landale has followed a similar path after going undrafted in 2018.
He had stints in Serbia and Lithuania before an MVP-calibre season as Melbourne United won the NBL championship. He then helped the Boomers to bronze in Tokyo, opening the door to sign a deal with San Antonio Spurs.
Landale initially received limited minutes as he juggled injury and Covid-19 protocols, prompting the Spurs to send him back to the G League. He just got on with business, dominating in the second tier to earn an NBA reprieve.