SAN ANTONIO — Like a lot of basketball fans, San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills spent Sunday night watching ESPN's documentary on Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.
Unlike a lot of basketball fans, Mills' favorite MJ moments were the ones where he passed the rock in big moments and left the game in the hands of a sharpshooter on the perimeter. This was one of many topics Mills touched on in a Q&A on Twitter Monday afternoon.
Mills' playing career will be defined by his role as a floor-spacing compliment to superstars like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. It's fitting, then, that when he and his childhood friend reenacted iconic crunch-time Jordan plays, his friend played as Michael and Patty happily took the role of Steve Kerr or John Paxson.
"For them to catch it in absolute rhythm, wide-open -- he draws so much attention obviously -- but the faith too that he had in his teammates to be able to knock down certain shots," Mills said.
Over the years, Mills' Hall of Fame teammates have trusted him to be their version of Kerr and Paxson. It's a trust built through years of bonding off the court, something he's trying to impart on the younger Spurs by hosting Coffee Gang.
"Coach Pop has obviously taught us how important it is to have these moments within the playing group away from the locker room and away from the court," Mills said. "His version of that has always been team dinners and coming together that way, so I guess this is my own mini version of that, to be able to get to know one another."
Mills has been a towel-waving, three-draining teammate to some legends of the game, so of course fans had questions about them. Mills started with Ginobili, who he called an unbelievable role model.
"I really wish every young athlete had the opportunity to learn from Manu," Mills said. "Manu is very knowledgeable about many things, and I think curiosity is the reason for that."
When asked about Tim Duncan, his answer again had very little to do with basketball.
"You're probably expecting a great moment throughout his unbelievable career, but for me, it's all the personal ones," Mills said with a big smile. "One of my all-time favorite Tim Duncan memories has probably got to be breaking it down on the D floor at our wedding. Dude has some rhythm."
Mills brought up family and community throughout the Q&A, and he said the most memorable moments of his career were memorable because of his family and community. One was when he found his mom and now-wife Alyssa after winning the 2014 Finals, and the other was walking behind the Australian flag at the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
He said that he can't wait to play with Ben Simmons for the Boomers, and Joe Ingles was his roommate during the FIBA World Cup last year. He talked a bit of trash to his buddy in Utah as well.
It might feel like ancient history with everything else going on, but Australia is still coming back from the devastating bushfires there earlier this year. Patty and Alyssa went there a few months back to help with recovery efforts.
"To me, Earth Day is every day," Mills said. "I'm pumped to be able to keep working on rebuilding Australia."
Mills said he's grateful for the San Antonio community that has been accepting curious about his background and culture as an indigenous Australian.
"Obviously me having a funny accent I guess, or a different accent, and being from the other side of the world, they've really welcomed both of us and made us feel a part of the family," Mills said.
"It's a large city, San Antonio, a large city that feels like a small community."
