Jazz G Patty Mills Was Almost A Ute Before Starting NBA Career
Sep 30, 2024, 4:57 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – At media day, Utah Jazz guard Patty Mills spoke on his new team, role, and expectations for the season but he added something a bit more interesting.
The closest place to Utah that the 15-year NBA veteran has ever called home was over 700 miles away, more than a decade ago, when he began his career in Portland.
Despite that fact, Mills said that his knowledge of the Beehive State is more extensive than some might expect.
Mills’ First Salt Lake Experience
Before beginning his extensive professional career that has seen stops in five different NBA cities, Mills played college basketball at Saint Mary’s.
He wasn’t a highly-touted recruit and only visited two schools. Ironically, the other school he visited was the University of Utah.
“It’s funny because I only had two college visits ever,” Mills said. “My first was here in Utah. I got to experience this place as an 18-year-old. There has been a connection here.”
Patty Mills took an official visit to the University of Utah coming out of Australia before committing to Saint Mary’s.
Mills continues a two-decade-long connection between Utah and Australian hoops beginning with Andrew Bogut. #takenote
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 30, 2024
Mills’ visit came just a few years after another Aussie and eventual No. 1 overall draft pick, Andrew Bogut, wrapped up his college career in SLC.
Mills ultimately didn’t decide on the Utes but is now experiencing a full-circle moment as a member of the Jazz.
The Australian Connection
The Australia and Utah connections don’t stop there though.
Mills and Joe Ingles have never shared an NBA locker room but they have shared the court many times on the Australian national team.
Mills jokes about the love that Utah has for Ingles and how he has learned about Utah through that relationship.
“I’ve learned about this place a lot through my relationship with Joe (Ingles),” Mills said. “When I got here, it felt like I knew a lot of people. I was familiar with the place just because of him. I’m not Joe Ingles so I hope everyone doesn’t expect me to be that humor, sarcastic, trash-talking Joe Ingles. But, I’m very excited to be another Aussie in Utah.”
