San Antonio Spurs News: Mills tapped to lead medal-favorite Australia

If you’ve been a fan of the San Antonio Spurs and Patty Mills then you’re probably well aware of the legend of FIBA Patty. Patty’s brought some of his international alter ego’s flair to his play this season but he’ll be back in his natural environment before long. In an unsurprising bit of San Antonio Spurs news, Patty is headed back to the Olympics as a member of Team Australia.

It was announced yesterday that Mills will be part of a loaded Australian Men’s Olympic squad for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. This marks Patty’s fourth trip to the Olympics as a member of Team Australia, a number that has him tied with the Utah Jazz’s Joe Ingles as the most experienced players on the team.

With Andrew Bogut retiring, Mills is going to have to take on an even larger leadership roll for the Boomers this summer. It’s a role he should have no problem embracing. He did an excellent job pushing them at the 2016 games and again at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Behind Patty’s leadership and play the Boomers should have an excellent chance to capture their first Olympic medal.

San Antonio Spurs’ Patty Mills ready to lead Australia to an Olympic Medal

This summers Boomers squad is one of the best in the world. They’ve got plenty of players with varying degrees of NBA experience that should help them contend with the likes of the United States, Spain, Argentina, and France for a medal.

Joining Mills and Ingles will be fellow NBA players such as Aron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum, and Ben Simmons as well as younger players like Matisse Thybulle and Mavericks rookie Josh Green.

Further strengthening the connection between the Boomers and the NBA, specifically the San Antonio Spurs, is the presence of Austin Spurs head coach, Matthew Nielsen, who will be the head Assistant Coach for Team Australia.

There are still a lot of questions around exactly how the Tokyo Olympics will shake out but the excitement is palpable. After a lackluster showing at the 2019 FIBA games, you know Team USA is going to come into these Olympics with plenty of motivation. A showdown between them and Team Australia could very well end up being the Gold Medal match.

I’ll be rooting for Team USA to bring home the gold but wouldn’t be at all upset seeing Patty Mills end up with that medal around his neck. He’s already cemented his place as one of the most beloved San Antonio Spurs of all time but adding an Olympic Gold medal would go a long way to growing his status as an international icon.