Millsap returns to roots

Paul Millsap was welcomed back to his old neighborhood with a reception that included a drum line and cheering children.

It was a contrast to how the newest Denver Nuggets player left town years ago as a kid — his mom struggling to make ends meet.

That wasn't lost on the fourtime All-Star forward as he was introduced at a recreation center Thursday after signing a threeyear deal worth $90 million. He spent nearly a dozen years in a suburb of Denver before returning to Louisiana for high school and college.

"My history had a lot to play into (signing with Denver), actual- ly," said Millsap, who was touched by the band that greeted him, along with the throng of children. "It felt like it was unfinished business here, being here years ago and leaving under the circumstances we left. To help this community out, this organization out, that played a big factor."

Searching for a fresh start, Millsap's mother moved the family to Denver when he was just a toddler. But it was a struggle. His mom, Bettye, said she used to make $12 last for two days' worth of meals for her four sons.

In 1999, the Millsap family returned to Louisiana, where she had relatives to lend a hand.

"When I came to Denver in 1988, I was crying all the way in shame and had my head down," Bettye Millsap said. "When I came back this time, I cried tears of joy and I could hold my head up."

The 32-year-old Millsap gives the youthful Nuggets a proven veteran to pair with budding star Nikola Jokic. Millsap averaged a career-high 18.1 points last season with 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

"I'm looking for ( Jokic) to make my job a little easier," Millsap cracked. "And vice versa. I want to make his job easier. I want to help the younger guys around me become better players."

For me, it’s just about betting on myself every time. When I look across the net, I don’t think it’s the right mentality to believe in that person more than me VENUS WILLIAMS