MILLS Patty

General
HISTORIC FLAG BEARER
He became the first Indigenous Australian to be named flag bearer for Australia at an Olympic Games when he was selected for the role alongside Cate Campbell for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Games in Tokyo. "As a proud Kokatha, Naghiralgal and Dauareb-Meriam man it's incredible. A very passionate moment I can feel in my bones. As the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flag bearer my connection between our country - the land, the sky, the sea, our culture, our history and this particular moment - runs extremely deep." (abc.net.au, 07 Jul 2021; Associated Press, 07 Jul 2021)

INDIGENOUS HERITAGE
He is of Indigenous Australian heritage. His father Benny is from the Torres Strait Islands, while his mother Yvonne is from mainland Australia. He draped a Torres Strait Islander flag over his shoulders while celebrating the San Antonio Spurs' NBA Finals victory in 2014. "My heritage and my culture and where I'm from mean the most to me, more than anything. Being able to achieve throughout my journey, my career, I think definitely helps a lot of people." (San Antonio Spurs YouTube channel, 14 Jan 2020; 7news.com.au, 24 Sep 2019; canberratimes.com.au, 20 Aug 2019; si.com, 25 Mar 2015; nytimes.com, 15 Jun 2014; columbian.com, 21 Feb 2011)

NBA DRAFT
He was selected in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft [55th overall pick] by the Portland Trail Blazers. "My whole family was there with me, had friends that were with me. We went to Madison Square Garden [in New York] and we were sitting in the arena when my name was called out, that whole experience, knowing what I've gone through throughout this whole time, and all the people that have been involved in my career and how much sacrifice I've put in, to come to the day when my name was called out, it was a great feeling." (fiba.com, 21 Dec 2011)