NO GREEN AND GOLD BUT MILLS THRILLED TO PLAY PART IN GAMES
BASKETBALL superstar Patty Mills may have just signed a $65 million contract, but he is “gutted” he won’t get the chance to play for free.
Mills – who re-signed for four years with the San Antonio Spurs in the US’s NBA competition earlier this month – will today be named an ambassador for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Basketball will return to the Games for the first time since Melbourne in 2006.
Mills cherishes his indigenous heritage (his father is from Thursday Island), and he is particularly pleased pool matches will be played in Cairns and Townsville, where he is about to conduct a promotional tour that he is greatly looking forward to.
Due to his commitments with San Antonio, Mills will not be wearing the green and gold at the Games but he admits he has turned green already.
“To have a huge tournament like this where they will visit Cairns, and Torres Strait Islanders will be able to go and watch some live basketball games, is great for the community up there and great for basketball,” Mills told the Bulletin.
“The toughest thing … is not being able to play. I’m gutted. But being an ambassador is just as good.”
Australia fell agonisingly short of its first Olympic medal in men’s basketball at last year’s Rio Games but Mills senses the big moment is nigh.