After arriving in San Antonio in 2011-12, Patty Mills went from a towel-waving end of the bench guy to a key rotation piece in their championship endeavours, before emerging as a key figure in the locker room and a bastion of the Spurs culture.
His departure from San Antonio to join the Brooklyn Nets makes him the final piece of the 2014 championship team to part ways with the franchise, officially closing the door on an era in San Antonio and the beginning of a new one as they hand the keys to their youthful roster.
In honour of Mills' time in San Antonio, let's take a look back at his best moments in a Spurs uniform.
MORE: Nets hit a home run in adding Mills | Popovich's touching farewell to Mills
1. Mills lifts Larry O'Brien (2014)
Mills played sparingly in the 2013 NBA Finals loss to the Miami Heat, appearing in just two of the seven games for a combined 13 minutes, but the 2013-14 season is where he made his mark.
Returning from the summer in elite condition, Mills became a key part of the team's bench rotation, appearing in all of their playoff games while averaging 7.3 points, 1.4 assists and 1.4 rebounds on 44.7 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from 3-point range.
Alongside fellow Aussie Aron Baynes, Mills became the first Australian to win an NBA championship since Luc Longley's three-peat with the Chicago Bulls
2. The third quarter of Game 5 (2014)
With the championship being the highlight of his time in San Antonio, it gets two slots on this list. While lifting the trophy is one thing, his role in the closeout Game 5 deserves its own mention.
The Spurs held a 47-40 advantage at halftime until Mills blew the game open in the third, scoring 14 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting to give San Antonio a commanding 77-58 lead at the end of the third.
The Spurs outscored the Heat 30-18 in the period, with nearly half of those points coming from the Aussie, all but sealing the championship on their home floor.
3. Mills sets Aussie record with career-high (2012)
It's crazy to think Mills' career-high came in his first season with the Spurs.
With the Spurs resting Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili ahead of the playoffs, Mills was inserted into the starting lineup and made the most of his opportunity, torching the Golden State Warriors for 34 points, 12 assists and five rebounds on 14-for-25 shooting from the field and 4-for-10 from deep in 43 minutes.
His new career-high came just 24 hours after setting his previous career-high of 27 points against the Phoenix Suns, giving him the record for most points by an Australian in an NBA game. That record would stand until 2020 when Aron Baynes scored 37 points. Ben Simmons tied the 34-point record in 2019 before going on to set a new Aussie high of 42 points in 2021.
4. Mills joins Spurs 600 club (2020)
Upon his departure from the Spurs, Mills was the longest-tenured player on the roster, spending 10 seasons with the team. And against the New Orleans Pelicans in December 2020, he joined an exclusive club.
Mills became just the 10th player in Spurs franchise history to appear in 600 games, joining Duncan (1392), Parker (1198), Ginobili (1057), David Robinson (987), George Gervin (709), Sean Elliott (669), Avery Johnson (644), Matt Bonner (632) and Bruce Bowen (630).
Of that list, only Bonner does not have his jersey retired by the franchise, with plenty of fans in San Antonio deeming Mills worthy of having that honour. While he is by no means a superstar, his contribution to the franchise and the culture of the organization certainly carries weight to hang the No. 8 in the rafters.
5. Mills passes Manu (2021)
Ginobili set the perfect example of how to impact games off the bench, mentoring Mills during their time together in San Antonio, so it was only fitting that it was Mills to break his record for most 3-pointers off the bench with one team in NBA history.
In January 2021 against the Portland Trail Blazers, Mills drained his 930th 3-pointer off the bench for the Spurs to pass Ginobili in the record books.
"There's something in understanding your role and trying to make the most of that opportunity, but still being true to who you are as a player," Mills said.
Mills is also the first Australian player in NBA history to record 1,000 3-pointers.
6. Mills helps sink Rockets in OT (2017)
With Parker injured, Mills was thrown into the starting lineup for Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets.
He seized the opportunity with both hands, scoring 20 points on 7-for-16 shooting and 5-for-12 from the 3-point line to go with four assists. With Kawhi Leonard on the bench with an ankle injury, he nearly won it for the Spurs at the end of regulation, banking in the 3-pointer, but he didn't get the shot off in time.
The Spurs eventually held on to win in overtime, thanks to this iconic block from Ginobili on James Harden.
The Spurs would go on to win the series in six games, before being swept by the Warriors in the Conference Finals.
7. Showtime in LA (2018)
The definition of clutch.
On the road at STAPLES Center against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Spurs trailed by one point with 11.2 seconds left in overtime.
Gregg Popovich drew up the out of bounds play for Mills, who calmly slotted the midrange jumper to put the Spurs in front and give them a 143-142 win.
He finished the game with 12 points, two rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes.
8. Viva la Patty (2019)
In 2019, Mills put on a show for the Mexico City crowd, draining the game-winning jumper at the buzzer against the Suns.
With the scores tied at 119-119, Mills caught the handoff from LaMarcus Aldridge and pulled up for the win. He had 26 points on 10-for-23 from the field and 6-for-14 from downtown.
9. NBA honours Mills' community work (2021)
For as much as Mills has done on the court, his impact in San Antonio reaches far beyond it, with his tireless work in the community both in the US and Australia.
In February 2021, Mills was honoured with the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his efforts in creating opportunities to empower Indigenous communities and advance social justice in Australia with the foundation of Indigenous Basketball Australia (IBA).
“Basketball as a sport has brought me happiness, joy, education and a real sense of purpose,” said Mills. “However, not everyone has had the same opportunities as I have, which is why I'm so dedicated to using my platform, my profile and my voice to develop innovative programs like IBA, which will allow my people to really own their story.”
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